JACOBS FIELD Indians beat up Tigers' pitching
Jody Gerut went 5-for-5 to lead the Tribe to a 10-3 win over Detroit.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Five hits weren't enough to satisfy Jody Gerut. He wanted more, and against the Tigers, Cleveland's outfielder usually gets it.
Gerut went 5-for-5 with three RBIs to help C.C. Sabathia get his first win in three starts this season, and the Indians beat Detroit 10-3 on Friday night.
Gerut homered, doubled three times and singled as the Indians battered Nate Cornejo (1-1) while winning the first of seven games in 10 days between the teams.
Needing a triple in one of his final two at-bats to hit for the cycle, Gerut hit two doubles, the second on a ball that rattled around in the right-field corner and for a moment seemed to have potential to wind up as a triple.
But third-base coach Joel Skinner held up Omar Vizquel rounding for home, preventing Gerut from trying for three.
"I wanted it bad," Gerut said of the cycle. "I saw Skins was holding him (Omar) up, but I was itching to get it."
Skinner didn't realize Gerut only needed a triple to complete a hitter's rarity. Vizquel couldn't have scored on Gerut's ball anyway, he said.
Gerut will have to wait for another chance, and the way he has hit the Tigers in his first two full major league seasons, he might get one real soon.
Gerut is batting .338 against Detroit with eight of his 24 career home runs and 30 of his 81 career RBIs coming against Detroit.
"I would have to classify him early in his career as a Tiger killer," said Detroit manager Alan Trammell, who added that Tigers pitchers had discussed stopping Gerut before the game.
"We certainly have to revisit how we get him out," Trammell said.
Gerut swears that seeing the Tigers has no affect on his game.
"It's not like I'm licking my chops when they come over here or we go over there," he said.
Good hitting
The Indians got a season-high 19 hits and even got some good swings on Ugueth Urbina, whom they decided not to sign as a free agent during spring training.
Urbina gave up one run and two hits in his first appearance since Game 6 of the World Series for Florida. Detroit signed Urbina to a one-year deal after the Indians passed on the right-hander.
"Overall, I thought it was a good outing for him," Trammell said. "I'm just glad I could put him out there."
Victor Martinez homered and drove in three runs, and Ronnie Belliard had two RBIs for Cleveland.
Sabathia (1-0) had pitched well enough to win each of his two previous starts, but his bullpen blew saves both times as the Indians lost extra-inning games in Minnesota and Kansas City.
This time, the Indians made sure they gave Sabathia more than enough runs, scoring five times in the sixth inning to open a 9-1 lead.
"I'm really happy for C.C.," Gerut said. "I think we still owe him a win or two."
Cruising
Gerut and Martinez drove in two runs apiece as Cleveland batted around for the first time all season in the inning.
The Indians' big lead prevented Gerut from batting in the ninth and having a chance to be the first Cleveland player since Jorge Orta in 1980 to get six hits in a nine-inning game.
"I haven't had too many nights like this, though," Gerut said.
Sabathia allowed four hits in six innings to improve to 7-2 in 12 career starts against Detroit. He also lowered his ERA this season to 1.70.
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