Carmona strong in victory

SHELDON OCKER
Akron Beacon Journal

August 23, 2008 03:07 am

— ARLINGTON, Texas — The last time the Cleveland Indians visited The Ballpark in Arlington, early in June, the wind was blowing 30 mph and balls were sailing over and against the fence with frightening regularity.
The aggregate score of the four games was 39-39 with 19 extra-base hits for the Indians and 22 for the Texas Rangers. Fittingly for the offenses, each team won twice; equally appropriate for the pitching staffs, each team lost twice.
That was the backdrop for Friday night’s game, which the Indians won, 7-5, thanks mostly to a fast start against rookie starter Matt Harrison and an efficient outing by Fausto Carmona.
It wasn’t quite that easy. It never is in Texas. Rafael Perez started the eighth with a four-run advantage and whittled it to one, thanks to two walks and Marlon Byrd’s three-run homer.
The Indians rallied for two runs in the ninth off Eddie Guardado and needed them. Asdrubal Cabrera led off with a walk and one out later, Jamey Carroll singled him to third. Ben Francisco followed with his third hit of the game, an RBI double.
Jhonny Peralta was walked intentionally to load the bases. Ryan Garko popped to the catcher, but Franklin Gutierrez drew a walk to force in a run.
“It was big for us to tack on two runs,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “It’s never over till the last pitch is thrown here.”
Jensen Lewis came in to close the game in the ninth. He did so, but only after giving up a leadoff homer to Brandon Boggs and a single to Michael Young.
“If you’re working to save games, you’re going to do it in so many ways,” Wedge said of Lewis’ fifth save. “It wasn’t just the home run, it was the single, which means you’re facing the tying run. So you have to work that much harder.”
The home run pitch was a changeup up in the strike zone.
“He did what he was supposed to do with that pitch,” Lewis said. “I honestly thought Grady Sizemore was going to catch it. It seems like I give up a home run every time I pitch here, so I guess I was staying with the theme.”
Carmona (6-5, 4.40 ERA) was relieved of duty after six innings because he had thrown 109 pitches. He allowed only one unearned run on six hits (three doubles) and three walks.
To put his outing in perspective, if a starter can keep the Rangers’ attack under wraps in this ballpark, he can thwart any team in any ballpark. The Rangers lead the American League in runs for two reasons: they have a deep and talented lineup, and they play at a home field where the wind blows constantly and the overheated air causes balls to carry.
Even so, Carmona had nothing to complain about.
“No, I don’t have any problem pitching here,” he said, through his translator, first-base coach Luis Rivera. “I like to pitch in warm weather. (It was 93 degrees at first pitch.)”
The run he allowed in the fourth inning was a product mostly of his own error and a ground ball through the glove of Garko that should have been ruled an error but wasn’t.
Carmona did not retire the side in order in any inning, but he never seemed in danger of being victimized by a rally.
“It’s always good to have a five-run lead,” he said. “But you have to make sure you don’t lose your concentration. You have to pitch like it’s 0-0.”
A first-inning walk to Carroll, a single by Francisco and Garko’s two-run double put the Rangers in an immediate hole.
Sal Fasano began the second with a single and scored on Andy Marte’s triple. Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly. Sizemore walked, Francisco singled him to second and Peralta added an RBI single to make it 5-0.

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