Indians record win over As

The Indians’ starters have given up only one run in 39 innings.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians are trying to mix in some timely hitting with their stellar starting pitching and strong defense.

Paul Byrd and two relievers combined for the Indians’ fourth shutout in seven games and Ryan Garko delivered a three-run homer in a 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night.

The Indians got seven hits, just one fewer than they had in a doubleheader split Monday night with Toronto after which manager Eric Wedge blasted his hitters for poor preparation at the plate.

“It was better, they had tougher at-bats and it was good to see [Travis] Hafner help us out,” Wedge said.

Cleveland’s designated hitter came in hitting .179 (7-for-39) in his previous 13 games. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lift his overall average to .223.

Byrd (2-3) allowed five hits over 71‚Ñ3 innings, striking out a season-high seven without a walk.

The right-hander extended the Indians’ scoreless streak to 34 innings by their starting staff. The last run allowed by a Cleveland starter came Friday night in the fifth inning against Toronto by C.C. Sabathia — the only run yielded by an Indians starter in the last 39 innings.

“I definitely had a little pressure on me,” Byrd said. “It was like I’m a loser if I give up one run.”

Wedge wishes Cleveland’s hitters would feed off one another’s success as well as the pitchers and fielders are doing.

“It’s a friendly competition,” Wedge said of the starting staff’s streak. “[They] try to keep one-upping one another.”

Hafner singled home a first-inning run off Justin Duchscherer (3-2) and got a two-out single off lefty Alan Embree in the eighth before Garko connected off former teammate Andrew Brown.

Rafael Perez retired the only Oakland batter he faced and Masahide Kobayashi worked the final 12‚Ñ3 innings for his first save. The 33-year-old right-hander, signed as a free agent in November, had 227 saves the last eight seasons in Japan.

Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, who turned the 14th unassisted triple play in history Monday, again brought the crowd to its feet with a spectacular play. The 22-year-old ran into center field to snare a looping ball off the bat of Bobby Crosby to start the eighth.

“I didn’t think there was any way he’d get to that ball,” Wedge said. “Incredible.”

It was one of several fine plays in support of Byrd.

“My boxscore is going to look great in the paper, but it’s because of those guys,” Byrd said. “I just kept fist-pumping after every one. If they don’t make those plays, who knows how many runs I give up?”