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Sizemore's inside job extends winning streak

Apr 28, 2007 - 5:59 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Grady Sizemore is not just a threat to hit the ball out of the park, but he is also a threat to round the bases even when he keeps it in play.

Sizemore sparked a five-run sixth inning with an inside-the-park homer as the Cleveland Indians won their sixth consecutive game with a 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a three-game set.

Trailing, 1-0, in the sixth, Josh Barfield sparked the Indians' offense with a two-run single. His single was only his ninth hit of the season, but his fifth with runners in scoring position and preceded Sizemore's second career inside-the-park homer.

"This helps take some of the pressure off," Barfield said. "I came through in a situation that helped the team. I've been putting good at-bats together the last couple of games."

Sizemore lined a shot to straight-away center field. Baltimore center fielder Corey Patterson ran back to the wall and mis-timed his jump. The ball bounced off the wall and away from Patterson.

"At first I thought I popped it up because I got under it," Sizemore said. "When I saw him (Patterson) go up and miss it I was pretty sure I was going to score. I didn't see another outfielder near him."

"I was cruising home," Barfield said. "I thought it was going to be a double or triple. I turn around and he's rounding third. It's the most exciting play in baseball."

Sizemore's only other inside-the-park home run occurred last year on September 24, 2006, at Texas.

"I'd rather trot than sprint around the bases," Sizemore said.

The Orioles responded with three runs in the seventh off Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook and the bullpen, as Patterson delivered an RBI double and Brian Roberts hit a two-run double to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Westbrook (1-2), who won a team-high 15 games a year ago, pitched 6 1/3 innings and left with a 5-1 lead and two baserunners on. He allowed allowed three runs and six hits with a walk and continued his recent Jacobs Field dominance in his first home start this season.

The righthander's 2.88 home ERA was the second-best mark in the American League last season.

"It was good to pitch at home finally," Westbrook said. "I had a 'home' start in Milwaukee but I like pitching here."

After Aaron Fultz and Roberto Hernandez struggled to pick up Westbrook in the seventh, Rafael Betancourt pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings before handing the game over to Joe Borowski, who struck out the side in the ninth to record his ninth save in 10 chances.

Baltimore starter Steve Trachsel (1-2) yielded two runs and five hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

"I walked two guys with two outs in a 1-0 game," Trachsel said. "That's not going to get the job done. It's on my head."

Roberts had two hits and two RBI for the Orioles, who have dropped a season-high five straight following a four-game winning streak.

"We're one hit away, one pitch away, one inning away right now," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said. "We don't have anything going right now."

Indians slugger Travis Hafner, who hit .308 with a career-high 42 home runs last season, continued his home struggles as he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and is batting a mere .156 (5-for-32) in eight home games, including the three played at Miller Park earlier in the season. In five games at Jacobs Field this season, he is just 1-for-21.

Hafner is hitting .488 (20-for-41) in 11 road games.

Cleveland manager Eric Wedge was ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Bill Miller and was replaced by bench coach Jeff Datz.

"We're not going to talk about the umpires," Datz said. "They have a job to do and we have a job to do."