05/12/2008 - Cleveland, OH (Baseball Betting) - Fausto Carmona threw a five-hit shutout, and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run homer, as the Cleveland Indians topped the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-0, in the first game of a doubleheader.
The twin bill was scheduled after Sunday's game was postponed due to rain.
Carmona (4-1) struck out three and walked four in his first shutout since blanking the Twins on May 17, 2007. David Dellucci went 2-for-4 with an RBI single for the Indians, who have won five of six. Grady Sizemore added a double and scored a run.
Matt Stairs went 3-for-4 for the Blue Jays, losers of four straight. A.J. Burnett (3-4) took the loss despite holding Cleveland to three runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings, racking up seven strikeouts.
Burnett cruised through the first five innings, holding the Indians to a first inning single by Dellucci, before Sizemore smashed a one-out double in the sixth off the base of the wall in right-center. One out later, Dellucci drove in the game's first run with a sharp single up the middle.
The Indians tacked on some insurance against Burnett in the seventh, as Travis Hafner worked a leadoff walk, and one out later Cabrera slammed a fly ball to right-center that just cleared the wall for his first homer in 101 at-bats this season.
Stairs singled to left with one out in the ninth, but Carmona got Lyle Overbay to hit a chopper to Cabrera for a game-ending double play.
Carmona walked Scott Rolen to start the second, but was bailed out when Cabrera gloved Stairs' grounder up the middle and flipped it from his glove to second baseman Jamey Carroll to start a double play. Ryan Garko's diving stop of Overbay's chopper finished off a spectacular defensive frame.
Cleveland's defense paid dividends for Carmona again in the fourth. With Rolen on first and one out, Stairs lined a single to right. Rolen tried to make it to third, but Ben Francisco made a perfect, one-hop throw to third baaseman Casey Blake to get the out.
Game Notes
The Jays have been outscored 21-1 in the first three games of the series, and are riding a 22-inning scoreless streak...Carmona threw 108 pitches, 69 for strikes...Alex Rios and Rod Barajas had the other two hits for Toronto...This is the first traditional doubleheader at Progressive Field since the Indians played a twin bill with Detroit on August 13, 1997.
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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
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