• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sizemore powers Indians to split with Tigers

Jul 31, 2008 - 8:51 PM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Grady Sizemore is getting the hang of being a designated hitter.

Sizemore homered and drove in four runs as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Detroit Tigers 9-4, on Thursday afternoon.

Fausto Carmona (5-3) yielded four runs - two earned - and five hits in 6 1/3 innings to pick up his first win since May 12.

Both teams stumbled back to Progressive Field less than 10 hours after Detroit prevailed 14-12 last night in a game that took five hours and 33 minutes to play. With the short turnaround time, Sizemore came to the ballpark on four hours of sleep and saw his name in the line up as the DH.

"I'm getting used to it," said Sizemore, who has been the DH three times this year. "But I think I do more running in the clubhouse than I do out (in center field). My routine is kind of crazy."

Sizemore found enough energy to hit his team-leading 27th home run - a three-run shot - to give the Indians a boost and give Cleveland a 4-1 lead.

Justin Verlander (8-11) was having little trouble with the Indians' line up, but then he hit the seldom-used Sal Fasano with two strikes and walked Asdrubal Cabrera. Sizemore blasted the first pitch he saw from Verlander into the Tigers' bullpen.

"I missed my location," Verlander said. "I can't get too upset about that. The stuff that happened before that when I hit a guy and walked a guy is what I'm upset about."

"Grady really stepped up for us," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "Asdrubal had a really pro at-bat and Grady really helped us separate early."

Sizemore's power has helped relieve some of the pressure of losing sluggers Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez to injuries and taken on a leadership role as well.

"We are still down a couple of big guys offensively," Sizemore said. "Right now I am trying to lead the guys. We have a lot of younger guys and I am trying to show them how to play and what to do and try to help them out and be a leader."

Sizemore, who is one home run away from tying his career-high, drove in another run in the sixth when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to extend the Indians lead to 6-2.

"I want to keep going this year and try to have as good of a year as I can," Sizemore said. "Wherever the numbers lie is fine with me, I am just going to help my team win."

Leading 6-4, Cleveland broke the game open with a three-run eighth - highlighted by a Fasano RBI double. Fasano finished the game with two RBI.

Carmona didn't make it out of the third inning in his first start back from a two-month trip to the disabled list, but the righthander was in control until the seventh when his defense let him down. He finished with three strike outs out and walked only one batter.

"I felt more relaxed and more loose today," Carmona said through a translator. "I was more aggressive in the strike zone and changing speeds."

The Indians committed two errors in the seventh and lost a ball in the sun to help Detroit cut the gap to 6-4. But the Tigers were unable to dig out of the hole left by their ace, Verlander.

Verlander yielded six runs on five hits in 5 2/3 inning despite striking out nine batters. In seven starts in Cleveland, Verlander is 1-6 with an 9.00 ERA.

Tiger manager Jim Leyland was disappointed that his ace wasn't able to go deeper in the game after having to burn his bullpen last night.

"I'd figured we would get a lot more out of Justin than we did," Leyland said. "He has to figure some things out."