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Five-run first helps Indians end two-game skid

May 25, 2007 - 5:30 AM KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- The Cleveland Indians wasted little time working out their frustration against the Kansas City Royals.

Jason Michaels homered to cap a five-run first inning and Jeremy Sowers pitched seven solid innings as the Indians cruised to a 10-3 victory over the Royals on Thursday in the final game of the three-game set.

After dropping the first two games of the series against its American League Central Division rival, Cleveland pounced on Kansas City starter Jorge De La Rosa (4-4) as the lefthander walked the bases loaded. Michaels followed a two-run single by Ryan Garko with a three-run shot to stake the Indians to a quick 5-0 lead.

"He (De La Rosa) walked three guys in that first, and Garko had that two-run single in front of me and I was thinking just (to) have a good at-bat," Michaels said of his home run. "He threw a first-pitch curveball and then he threw me a fastball. I just happened to get good wood on it. That was big; we needed that inning. We did. Especially with him walking three guys (in the inning)."

The run support was more than enough for Sowers (1-4), who was coming off three straight outings in which he allowed at least six runs. The lefthander tied a season high by pitching seven frames, yielding just one run and six hits with a walk and a strikeout for Cleveland, which improved to 25-10 in contests in which its starter lasts at least six innings.

"It's my ninth start; I was finally able to get a win," Sowers said. "The team played great defense; they hit the ball well. And I actually pitched decent, finally. Whether it's a turning point or not, time will tell on that one. It's a step in the right direction. The plane ride will be a little more fun. Even my lifting and running tomorrow will be a little more fun."

"Jeremy threw really good tonight and got better as the game went along," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He did a good job of making some adjustments as the game went along, moreso with himself. I felt he was stronger than he was at the beginning."

Already leading 6-1, the Indians added four more runs in the fifth. Grady Sizemore drew a bases-loaded walk, and Casey Blake followed with a three-run triple to expand Cleveland's bulge to nine.

"Casey had a great at-bat," Wedge said. "Every time we play here it's like it is a full moon. It is unbelievable. Obviously, that at-bat with (the) bases loaded (when Casey tripled) ended up being a big hit for us."

Blake and Garko each had two hits for the Indians.

De La Rosa (4-4) was ineffective from the start en route to his worst outing of the season. The lefthander surrendered six hits and struck out two but set career highs with nine runs allowed and seven walks.

"He just wasn't able to repeat (his delivery)," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "It just looked like he had trouble commanding his fastball or, at least, he didn't use his fastball as much as he had in the past. Then, he couldn't get to anything else. In the third or fourth inning, it looked like he was settling in, but by then, he had way too many pitches." "I'm OK; I just tried to do too much," De La Rosa said. "I don't know why."

Kansas City mounted a brief rally in the eighth, as Shane Costa hit a RBI single and Ryan Shealy drew a bases-loaded walk to narrow the deficit to 10-3. However, John Buck - who leads the Royals with eight homers - belted a hard-hit liner off Indians reliever Mike Koplove right at Michaels in left field for the final out of the inning.

Esteban German recorded a career-high four hits for the Royals, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.