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Indians take rubber match over Diamondbacks

Jun 30, 2011 - 12:36 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Orlando Cabrera had four hits, scored twice and drove in a run while Carlos Carrasco tossed seven strong innings, as the Cleveland Indians staked a 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Asdrubal Cabrera also knocked in a run and finished 3-for-5 at the plate for the Indians, who won for just the second time in six games.

Carrasco (8-4) allowed just two runs on four hits and struck out seven to get his fourth win in June.

"I felt comfortable with any pitch," Carrasco said. "Changeup, slider, curveball were all working. I threw a lot of sinkers today and two-seam (fastballs). I got a lot of ground balls."

B.J. Upton and Stephen Drew each belted a solo home run in the loss, Arizona's fourth in five games.

Starter Zach Duke (1-3) was roughed up for four runs on nine hits over five innings to suffer the defeat. The left-hander, has allowed 20 runs through his last four starts.

"I just didn't put the ball where I wanted to today," Duke said. "I'll have to be better next time."

The series had been interesting leading up to Wednesday's finale.

The Indians won Monday's opener by a 5-4 score thanks to Orlando Cabrera's solo home run with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Arizona provided late-game heroics of its own Tuesday with Wily Mo Pena's pinch-hit two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

However, the rubber match didn't need any last-inning dramatics as the Indians took the lead early and kept it.

In the first, Carlos Santana's line drive into left brought around Orlando Cabrera for the game's opening score.

Cleveland added two more runs in the second. Michael Brantley had an RBI single and then came home two batters later on Asdrubal Cabrera's line drive to center.

The Indians went up 4-0 in the third inning after Shelley Duncan drew a lead off walk, moved to second on Austin Kearns' single, reached third on Lou Marson's force out and touched home on Jack Hannahan's groundout to first.

Upton broke up Carrasco's no-hitter bid in the fourth with a booming shot over the left-center wall to make it a 4-1.

Arizona halved the deficit with another solo home run in the sixth. This time it was Drew who ripped the ball into the right-field seats.

The Indians would add runs in the eighth and ninth to make up the final score. With runners on first and second and two down during the eighth, Travis Buck came up big with a liner up the middle to push across Orlando Cabrera.

Orlando Cabrera drove in Marson in the ninth for a 6-2 lead, and Chris Perez hurled a shutout ninth in the non-save opportunity.

Game Notes

Carrasco threw 106 pitches -- 69 strikes -- and did not allow a walk. He also improved to 5-1 in nine road starts this season...The Indians improved to 2-4 on a nine-game road trip...Arizona was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.