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Carmona shines as Indians edge Tigers

Aug 16, 2007 - 4:08 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Fausto Carmona and the Cleveland Indians answered right back.

Carmona pitched eight strong innings as the Indians came away with a split in their two-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, 5-2.

With the win, Cleveland (66-54) moved back into a first-place tie with Detroit (66-54) in the American League Central standings.

"This was a big win for us," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "Where we are at in the season you have to put more stock in a win like this."

Cleveland held a 2-0 lead in Tuesday's game, but the Tigers came back and tied it up in the seventh before winning it in the 10th.

Carmona (14-7) snapped his three-game losing streak, allowing two runs - one earned - and four hits while striking out a career-high 10 batters.

"After (Tuesday), when I went home, I felt like it was my job to comeback (Wednesday) and have a good game," Carmona said through an interpreter. "That way we keep it close with Detroit. We can't let them get away from us. I felt like I needed to do something to help this team."

The three-game losing streak was a season-high for Carmona, but not because he had not pitched well. In his previous three starts, he posted a ERA of 3.00, but had nothing to show for it as the Indians' offense had only scored two runs over that stretch.

Carmona also became the first Indians pitcher other than teammate C.C. Sabathia to strike out at least 10 in a game since Kaz Tadano did so on July 2, 2004.

"I wasn't going for the strikeouts," Carmona said. "I was trying to locate my fastball and I was able to use all my pitches."

The righthander was cruising until giving the Tigers an opportunity to come back in the eighth. Carmona had retired 13 of the previous 14 batters he faced but gave up a bloop single to Brandon Inge to start the frame. Curtis Granderson followed with an RBI triple to right-center field, cutting the Indians' lead to 4-2.

But as quickly as Carmona opened the door for a Detroit comeback, the righthander closed it. Carmona fanned Marcus Thames, got Gary Sheffield to line out to short and forced Magglio Ordonez to pop out to end the threat.

"(Carmona) really dug in late there," Wedge said. "You talk about raising your level of game in a key situation, he did it there. He was outstanding."

The Indians added an insurance run in the bottom half on a bases-loaded walk to Travis Hafner by reliever Bobby Seay to make it 5-2.

"It looked like we had a sure add-on run in the eighth, but we didn't get it in and then we gave up a run," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "If it was 4-3 going into the ninth, maybe it would have been different. We didn't score and then we walked the leadoff hitter, on a breaking ball."

Cleveland closer Joe Borowski bounced back from Tuesday's debacle, when he gave up four runs in the 10th, by working a scoreless ninth to pick up his 33rd save in 37 chances.

"We played well enough to win yesterday, but of course, I came in and that didn't happen," Borowski said. "I think it's definitely key for us to split with them and leave tied for first."

After Detroit grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the second, Cleveland answered with two in the bottom half as Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run homer off rookie Jair Jurrjens (0-1), who was making his major league debut.

Gutierrez's blast snapped his 0-for-15 skid for the Indians with runners in scoring position.

"Gutierrez got us going," Wedge said. "That was a huge at-bat."

Hafner led off the Indians half of the second with a double off of the left field wall. Hafner, who is slowed by a strained left hamstring, barely made it into second before the throw. Jurrjens retired the next two batters, but hung a 3-2 pitch that Gutierrez blasted into the right field seats, giving the Indians a 2-1 lead.

"I missed a couple of pitches," Jurrjens said. "I wish I could take back that 3-2 pitch to Gutierrez."

Cleveland 's Victor Martinez had an RBI single in the third and Hafner added another with a double-play grounder in the sixth.

"After we scored those runs, I knew it was my game," Carmona said.

The 21-year-old from Curacao was 7-5 with a 3.20 ERA with Class AA Erie prior to his recall. The righthander gave up four runs and five hits with three strikeouts through seven innings.

"I was really excited," Jurrjens said. "I thought I did so-so. It would have been better if I had won. I've spent five years in the minors waiting for this."

Detroit was playing shorthanded for the second straight night as Ivan Rodriguez and Todd Jones became the latest victims to come down with flu. Craig Monroe and Placido Polanco missed their second game in a row because of a flu that has been making its way through Detroit 's clubhouse.