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Tigers roll past Indians, Sabathia

Jul 5, 2007 - 9:37 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- If C.C. Sabathia was auditioning to start for the American League All-Star team, he likely won't get the part.

Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield each hit home runs and Justin Verlander pitched seven strong innings as the Tigers hammered the Cleveland Indians, 12-3, on Thursday.

With Tigers' manager Jim Leyland - who will manage the AL All-Stars next week - looking on, Sabathia (12-3) suffered through his shortest outing of the year. Named to the AL All-Star roster earlier in the week, the lefthander allowed seven runs, 10 hits and one walk while striking out three in four innings.

"That's a tough lineup and I didn't make pitches," Sabathia said. "They don't give you any breaks, so you've got to be on your A-game and I wasn't."

Verlander (10-3), also an All-Star selection, allowed three runs - two earned - and six hits. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year also struck out seven, did not walk a batter and retired eight consecutive Indians at one point.

"I was pretty calm today," Verlander said. "I just bore down and pitched. My last outing I was a little too fast today I just tried to slow things down. At one point after we had put up the big inning, I knew my job was to keep them off the scoreboard. I made big pitches and was able to put them down."

Trailing 2-1 in the third inning, the Tigers took the lead for good with a four-run outburst off Sabathia, who was attempting to become the majors' first 13-game winner.

Curtis Granderson led off with a single and moved to third on Placido Polanco's double. Granderson crossed with the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Sheffield.

Magglio Ordonez - who had three hits - followed with an infield single, setting the table for Guillen, who crushed an 0-2 pitch deep over the left-center field wall.

It was the 13th homer of the year for Guillen, who had four RBI in the game and finished the three-game series 6-for-12 with a triple, home run and six RBI.

"I hit a slider off Sabathia for the home run, I hit it good and it went a long way," Guillen said. "It was important for us to take this series."

Sheffield padded the lead with a two-out, two-run homer to left an inning later. It was the 20th home run of the season for Sheffield, who had been left off the AL All-Star roster.

It also was the 475th career home run for the 38-year-old slugger, tying him with Stan Musial and Willie Stargell for 27th place on the all-time list.

"I'm not finished yet," Sheffield said. "I don't think about those things right now. I'm just thinking about the game and how we can win. Maybe when my career is over, I'll think about records."

Polanco finished with three runs and three hits, including his third home run of the season.

"Sabathia is a tough pitcher," Polanco said. "Today we were able to make him work and got to him. He threw me a slider for the home run and I was able to get a good swing at it and it went out."

The seven earned runs were the most Sabathia has allowed in 19 starts this season. They were also the most runs allowed since he gave up nine to the Chicago Cubs on June 21, 2006.

"You have to be sharp and down in the zone and I didn't have either one of those things today," Sabathia said. "I thought I could battle through it, but they turned everyone of my mistakes into a laser and there were a lot of them."

Victor Martinez hit his 15th home run of the season in the first inning for the Indians. The All-Star catcher has seven homers against Tigers this year.