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Tigers batter Sabathia, Indians

Apr 17, 2008 - 3:49 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Detroit Tigers were the latest team to take advantage of a struggling C.C. Sabathia.

Edgar Renteria hit a grand slam and equaled a career high with five RBI as the Detroit Tigers pummeled Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians, 13-2, on Wednesday night.

Miguel Cabrera also drove in five runs to go along with four hits and rookie Armando Galarraga (1-0) pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball to pick up his first victory in the majors.

"C.C. is tough to hit, Renteria said. "He's one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. He had a bad night. We got lucky."

Sabathia hasn't been tough to hit this year, though. The reigning AL Cy Young winner allowed nine runs - all earned - on eight hits. Sabathia struck out four, but walked five as he saw his ERA rise to 13.50.

"I have pitched in four games now and I haven't given my team a chance to win yet," Sabathia said. "That is unacceptable."

Already leading, 3-1, Detroit put the game out of reach with seven-run fifth.

After Sabathia (0-3) walked the first three batters to start the inning, Cabrera lined a two-run single to left. Carlos Guillen's single reloaded the bases for Renteria, who blasted Sabathia's first pitch into the left field bleachers for his fifth career grand slam.

"We can have nights like this," said Renteria of the Tigers' offense. "We are having good at-bats."

"We had real good at-bats, Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Fortunately, in the one inning C.C. got a little wild, but we took advantage. That's what you have to do against a good pitcher."

A year after walking only 37 batters, Sabathia has walked 14 in four starts.

"My command hasn't been there," said Sabathia, who didn't walk his 14th batter until June last year. "I am not being able to command the inside of the plate against righthanded hitters."

That closed the book on Sabathia, but not on the Tigers' offense, which tacked on another run when catcher Victor Martinez thought there was a forceout at the plate and didn't tag the runner to make it 10-1.

"That's not something that should happen," Indians manager Eric Wedge. "We had some sloppy play tonight which is uncharacteristic of us, but that shouldn't happen."

Brandon Inge drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and Renteria singled home another run in the eighth for his sixth-career five-RBI game.

That was more than enough run support for Galarraga, who was making his second big league start. Galarraga gave up a one-out homer to David Dellucci in the first, but settled down from there and retired the next 16 in a row.

"The runs made me feel more relaxed, but for a pitcher it always has to be 0-0 or tied," Galarraga said.

The 26-year-old righthander allowed two runs while striking out six. He didn't walk a batter but did hit two, which cost him a run in the seventh.

"I was trying to stay down in the zone," he said. "I was going after the hitters and throwing strikes."

Cabrera, who enjoyed his fifth-career five RBI game, gave the Tigers their first lead of the game with a two-run homer in the second and drove in another run with an RBI single in the third off Sabathia.