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Pavano pitches Indians to 11-1 win over Tigers

Aug 2, 2009 - 9:50 PM CLEVELAND(AP) -- Carl Pavano wanted a complete game. He'll settle for a complete season.

Pavano tossed eight sharp innings and the Cleveland Indians routed the Detroit Tigers 11-1 on Sunday to win their weekend series against the AL Central leaders.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore each hit a two-run homer off Armando Galarraga (5-10) as Cleveland totaled 13 hits and won for the seventh time in 10 games.

Pavano (9-8) allowed one run and six hits to improve to 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA against the Tigers this season. The right-hander struck out four and walked one in his first win since a 5-4 victory at Detroit on July 11.

"The key was keeping the ball in the park," said Pavano, who gave up four homers in each of his two previous starts.

"He was strong," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He's approaching innings where he hasn't been in a while, but had good life (on his pitches). If he hadn't given up a run, I would have let him go out there in the ninth, too."

The Tigers also were impressed.

"He threw me a couple of sinkers 93, 94 that I couldn't do anything with. He threw a great game," said All-Star first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who went 0 for 3 against Pavano.

Cleveland has traded away five key players already this season and may try to work a waiver deal for Pavano, who has been healthy after years of injuries. He has worked 125 2-3 innings, nearly tripling his total from the previous three seasons with the Yankees. His 9-8 record matches what he did over four years in New York.

"My season is far from over," Pavano said. "I've got a lot left to prove and have to finish what I've started."

Pavano added that he can't worry about trade rumors or be concerned about recent roster changes.

"I can't let such thoughts cross my mind," he said. "I trust management to do what they think is best."

Sizemore capped Cleveland's five-run fourth with his 15th homer. Cabrera's fifth of the season made it 8-0 in the sixth.

"It has been tough, losing guys you are closest too, but you still go out and play hard every day," Sizemore said. "We want to finish strong. More importantly we need to be consistent and stop having ups and downs."

Galarraga allowed eight runs and 11 hits over 5 2-3 innings to fall to 0-3 in five starts since beating Oakland on June 30. The Tigers are 5-12 in his last 17 starts and have lost five of seven overall.

Detroit fell to 23-33 on the road, the worst mark of any first-place team, but plays 13 of its next 17 at home.

"Playing at home makes a difference," third baseman Brandon Inge said. "Absolutely it does, especially the way we're going right now. We're not playing too well.

"We just have to bear down and start acting like a first-place team."

Galarraga went 3-0 against the Indians a year ago, but is 0-3 with a 9.18 ERA against them this year.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he thought the right-hander was aiming the ball.

"I thought he pitched on the defensive," he said. "When you do that, something's in your head. If he learned a lesson from this, I can live with this. If he doesn't, then that's another story."

Ramon Santiago hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to account for Detroit's only run.

Cabrera helped the Indians get off to a fast start in the first. He singled with one out and scored when Shin-Soo Choo doubled into the left-field corner.

Leyland argued Cabrera should have been held at third after a fan reached over a railing and touched the ball. Plate umpire Mike Winters ruled Cabrera would have scored if not for the fan's interference.

Cabrera finished with three hits and Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta and Luis Valbuena each had two for the Tribe. Andy Marte and Trevor Crowe had two RBIs apiece.

NOTES: Detroit committed two errors and has 15 in its last seven games. ... Inge, with tendinitis in both knees, was replaced in the field in the seventh. ... Indians RHP Jake Westbrook is scheduled to make a rehab start Tuesday at Double-A Akron. He had Tommy John surgery in June 2008. ... Peralta is batting .417 (20 for 48) with 16 RBIs over his last 11 games. ... The Indians announced former INF David Bell will manage their club in the Arizona Fall League. Bell's father Buddy also played for Cleveland and managed Detroit, Cincinnati and Colorado. ... Detroit is 8-4 against the Indians this year.