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Westbrook leads Indians over Orioles 5-1

May 16, 2010 - 9:16 PM By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE(AP) -- Now that Jake Westbrook has put concern about his troublesome elbow behind him, he can start thinking about things that cross the minds of other major league pitchers.

Things such as getting a shutout, throwing a complete game and earning wins for his team.

Westbrook worked around nine hits for his 13th career complete game, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Sunday for their second straight series win.

Westbrook (2-2) didn't pitch at all last season while recovering from reconstructive right elbow surgery. He was 0-2 in his first six starts this year before defeating the Royals on Tuesday.

Against Baltimore, Westbrook missed his fourth career shutout when Luke Scott hit a two-out homer in the ninth.

"It's disappointing because it's the last hitter almost - would have been if I got him out," Westbrook said. "Once it's happened, it happened. Go get the next guy. I still had a chance to throw a complete game."

And, although he didn't get his first shutout since 2006, the right-hander went the distance for the first time since April 8, 2008, against the Los Angeles Angels.

"I feel great right now, and that's encouraging for me," Westbrook said. "Even a year or so before my surgery I still was kind of fighting stuff, so it was like I feel better now than then. For me right now it's a matter of staying in my routine, getting ready for each ball game."

Westbrook struck out eight, one short of his career high, and walked none.

"Kind of crushing at the end that he couldn't get the compete-game shutout," Indians manager Manny Acta. "It was a very good outing by him to give him a big-time boost in his confidence after being out so long."

Westbrook was aided by two double plays and a fine first-inning catch by center fielder Grady Sizemore. In addition, Baltimore's Ty Wigginton was thrown out by Shin-Soo Choo trying to stretch a single into a double.

"Westbrook had tremendous movement on his ball today. He mixed in enough sliders so if you went to get on the sinker, the ball is diving away," Wigginton said. "You get a lot of bad swings when a guy has a good sinker working. He deserves all the credit for today's game. He was outstanding."

Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan homered for the Indians, who took two of three. Cleveland previously won two of three from Kansas City and now has successive series victories for the first time this season.

"We definitely need to win some series, and this is a step in the right direction," Acta said.

David Hernandez was originally scheduled to start for the Orioles, but was scratched with a sore shoulder. Manager Dave Trembley called upon Mark Hendrickson, who had been used exclusively out of the bullpen this season.

Hendrickson (1-1) gave up three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

"I just kind of kept my routine the same and tried to go as far as I could," the left-hander said.

The Orioles got two on with two outs in the first inning before Sizemore made a sensational diving catch of Wigginton's liner to left-center. In the Baltimore second, Corey Patterson struck out with two outs and runners on second and third.

In the third, Cleveland's Lou Marson ran through the stop sign of third base coach Steve Smith and scored on a two-out single by Sizemore.

Sizemore left the game in the fifth inning with a bruised left knee. Acta said the injury was not serious.

LaPorta hit his first homer of the season after Mark Grudzielanek led off the fifth with a single.

Branyan homered off Alberto Castillo in the ninth following a leadoff double by Austin Kearns. Castillo was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game to replace Hendrickson in the bullpen.

NOTES: Fifteen of Cleveland's 22 homers have come on the road. ... Scott had three hits and is 12 for 28 over his last seven games. ... Adam Jones threw out Jhonny Peralta trying to score in the ninth, Baltimore's seventh outfield assist - all of them at the plate.