Indians continue their losing streak

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his first career grand slam to help the Texas Rangers beat Cleveland 13-9 Friday night as the Indians lost their seventh in a row and pitcher Fausto Carmona to injury.

Cleveland also lost an apparent three-run homer by Ben Francisco. The play was ruled an RBI double, the latest in a string of home run calls botched by big league umpires recently.

That’s prompted an increasing number of cries for instant replay in baseball.

Indians manager Eric Wedge was ejected and TV replays showed the ball clearly hit a railing above the yellow home run line atop the left-field wall in the sixth inning. Still, third base ump Damien Beal ruled the ball in play.

David Murphy hit a three-run double and Ramon Vazquez had three of the Rangers’ club-record nine two-base hits. Texas totaled 17 hits.

Saltalamacchia connected off Jorge Julio, who replaced Carmona during a seven-run third inning.

Carmona (4-2) strained his left hip covering first on a ball hit by Murphy to first baseman Ryan Garko. Carmona was slow to the bag and Murphy beat it out for a single, putting runners on first and third with none out.

The right-hander, a 19-game winner a year ago who came in with a 2.25 ERA, threw one strike to Brandon Boggs, then backed off and called trainer Lonnie Soloff to the mound. Carmona flexed his left leg, threw one practice pitch, then walked off. He is day-to-day.

Carmona allowed six runs, five hits and three walks over two innings, snapping a streak of 32 consecutive games in which Cleveland starters worked at least five innings.