Mon May 12 22:28:59 2008

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Jays blank Indians in 10 in back half of DH

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Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Shaun Marcum, B.J. Ryan and Scott Downs combined on a 10-inning, three-hit shutout as the Toronto Blue Jays salvaged a split of their doubleheader with a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians.

The Indians won the first game of the twin bill, 3-0, behind Fausto Carmona's five-hit shutout.

Ryan (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth for the Blue Jays, who ended a four-game skid. Marcum struck out five and allowed just two hits over eight innings, while Downs notched his fourth save.

Shannon Stewart drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly, and Aaron Hill went 2-for-3 with a two-run single.

Cliff Lee allowed seven hits over nine shutout innings for Cleveland, which had a three-game win streak snapped. Rafael Betancourt (1-3) took the loss after allowing all three Toronto runs in the 10th. All three Indians hits were doubles, recorded by Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner and Franklin Gutierrez.

Asdrubal Cabrera turned an unassisted triple play for Cleveland in the fifth.

Matt Stairs opened the 10th with a pinch-hit single off Rafael Betancourt (1-2). Lyle Overbay then smashed a ground ball back to the mound that deflected off Betancourt's elbow for a single. Gregg Zaun moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt, and after pinch-hitter Brad Wilkerson was intentionally walked to load the bases, Stewart drove a sacrifice fly to deep center to give the Jays the lead and ended Toronto's 31-inning scoreless streak.

Hill followed with a two-run single up the middle, and Downs worked around a one-out double by Travis Hafner in the bottom of the inning to record the save.

After the Indians left the bases loaded in the second, neither team put together a threat until the fifth, when Kevin Mench and Marco Scutaro strung together back-to-back singles to start the frame. Overbay then laced a line drive up the middle that Cabrera dived to catch. The runners were moving on the pitch, allowing Cabrera to step on second base, then tag Scutaro to complete the 14th unassisted triple play in major league history.

It was the first unassisted triple play in the big leagues since Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki accomplished the feat on April 29, 2007. The Indians had not had an unassisted triple play completed since Bill Wambsganss one October 10, 1920.

Marcum allowed a leadoff double to Martinez in the fourth, but was untouchable from that point, retiring the final 15 batters he faced.

Spectacular catches by Martinez and Gutierrez in the ninth helped Lee work around a leadoff walk to Stewart and keep the game tied.

Ryan retired the Tribe in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.

Game Notes

The Indians became the first franchise to turn three unassisted triple plays. Neal Ball recorded the first unassisted triple play in big league history for the Indians on July 19, 1909...Carmona and Lee combined for 18 shutout innings during the doubleheader...Cabrera was involved in four double plays and the triple play in the twin bill...The Blue Jays scored just four runs in the four-game series...Toronto begins a three-game series in Minnesota on Tuesday...The Indians open a three-game series at home against the Athletics on Tuesday.