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Seven-run third propels Rangers past Indians

May 24, 2008 - 4:52 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) - Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his first career grand slam and the Texas Rangers set a club record with nine doubles en route to a 13-9 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

David Murphy hit a three-run double in the first and Ramon Vazquez had three of his own as Texas won its third consecutive game with every starter in the lineup scoring a least a run and posting at least one hit.

"We were getting good pitches to hit," Murphy said. "Ramon had a great night, Milton (Bradley) had a great night and, top to bottom, we all had a pretty good night. It's great to have the offense we have been getting from top to bottom."

The Rangers have scored 31 runs during their winning streak.

"(The offense) has been in a place where we don't want to find out," Rangers manager Ron Washington said when asked if he knew the key to the Rangers' recent offensive explosion. "They have been good and they are doing everything they are supposed to do."

On the other hand, very little went right for Cleveland, which lost its seventh straight game. They also had a three-run home run disallowed in the sixth and might have lost one of its best pitchers as starter Fausto Carmona left the game in the third after straining his left hip.

Saltalamacchia's first career grand slam highlighted Texas' seven-run third as the Rangers sent eight men to the plate before an out was recorded.

Milton Bradley led off the inning with his first of two doubles and David Murphy beat Carmona (4-2) to the bag on a grounder to first.

Carmona, who ran gingerly to first, left the game after making one pitch to the next batter and is considered day-to-day. He yielded six runs and six hits in just two innings.

"We'll know tomorrow after the MRI," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He couldn't stay in the game, so it was fairly serious."

Reliever Jorge Julio walked the first two batters he faced to force in a run before Saltalamacchia followed by blasting Julio's 0-1 offering into the right field seats to give Texas a 9-3 lead.

"It felt unbelievable," Saltalamacchia said. "I was trying to get something up in the zone. I noticed Julio threw five splitters in a row to the previous hitter (Chris Shelton). I got a splitter up (in the zone)."

Vazquez and Ian Kinsler hit consecutive doubles and Michael Young followed with an RBI single before Julio finally retired a batter. Bradley capped the scoring in the third with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Rangers an 11-3 lead.

The scoring onslaught was just enough to hold off an Indians comeback that was derailed by a blown call by third base umpire Damien Beal in the sixth.

Cleveland thought it had halved a 12-6 deficit when Ben Francisco belted what appeared to be a three-run homer, but Beal ruled that the ball didn't go over the yellow line despite replays showing the ball ricocheted off a railing above the fence, clearing the line by six inches.

"It is tough," Francisco said. "You hope they get the call right and that is the puzzling thing. How do (four) guys miss it when everybody else in the stadium saw it."

Indians manager Eric Wedge came out to argue with the umpires, but they did not overturn the call, prompting Wedge to continue his rant before being ejected.

"(The umpires) said it hit off the top of the wall," Wedge said. "It was big. It definitely changes the way the game plays out."

Kameron Loe (1-0) allowed one run and four hits over 2 2/3 innings in relief of ineffective starter Kason Gabbard to get the win.