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Indians snap four-game losing streak with win over Rangers

Sep 24, 2006 - 3:20 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- The Cleveland Indians apparently have taken it upon themselves to make sure Vicente Padilla does not set a career high in victories.

The Indians scored four runs off Padilla in the third inning en route to a 6-3 triumph over the Texas Rangers.

Victor Martinez delivered a two-run double to highlight the decisive inning. Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta added RBI hits later in the frame to make it 4-0.

Peralta finished with two hits and three RBI, as he also smacked a two-run homer off Padilla with two outs in the fifth. Joe Inglett went 3-for-5 for Cleveland, which snapped a four-game slide.

"Peralta had a huge hit for us there in the third," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He can drive the ball as well as any righthanded hitter in the league and he stayed with it and got all over that one. It brought in a big run."

Padilla (14-10) was charged with six runs, eight hits and three walks in five innings. The righthander had not lost since September 1, when the Indians pounded him for six runs in a 7-2 triumph.

"Padilla threw me a curve on my first hit and a slider on the home run in the fifth," Peralta said. "He basically looked like the same kind of pitcher (as before) but his fastball wasn't moving as well tonight and he was throwing more breaking stuff."

Making his first career start, Cleveland rookie Brian Slocum allowed one run and four hits in four innings. Matt Miller (1-0) recorded the final two outs of the sixth to pick up the win and Rafael Betancourt logged the ninth for his second save.

"You never know what to expect in someone's first major league start, but Slocum certainly surpassed our expectations," Wedge said. "He was aggressive and was throwing his changeup in all counts. He really trusted his stuff tonight."

Slocum gave up his only run during a 33-pitch fourth inning that proved to be his final frame of the evening.

"I just hit a wall in the fourth," Slocum said. "But I was happy with the way I pitched. I would have loved to get the win but I understand why I was taken out. After the fourth, I was definitely fatigued."

Mark Teixeira went 4-for-4 and Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer for the Rangers.

The loss dropped the Rangers' home record to 39-41, giving them their first losing season in Texas since a 39-42 campaign in 1997.

"Playing at home is something we've been very good at in the past," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. "The losing record is a major factor and the difference in our season. ... It's something we're going to have to solve."