Sizemore Makes History In 8th Straight Win

Grady Sizemore hit two homers to join the exclusive 30-30 club as the Indians claimed a season-high eighth straight win Monday night. Franklin Gutierrez's 10th inning homer gave Cleveland a 4-3 win in Detroit and moved the Indians within a half game of the third-place Tigers in the AL Central. Superb pitching by starter Zach Jackson and new-found closer Jensen Lewis helped the cause, too.

Sizemore (.271) hit a pair of solo homers, giving him 31 for the season. Along with his 34 stolen bases, he joined Joe Carter as the only players in Indians history to accomplish the feat. Carter had 32 homers and 31 steals in 1987.

Sizemore is the 32nd player in history to do it.

His first-inning homer was his eighth to open a game this season, breaking the team record sent by Kenny Lofton. It also was his 18th in an Indians uniform, tying Lofton's career club mark.

Sizemore connected again on the first pitch of the third inning.

Gutierrez (.237) went 2-for-4 and hammered an 0-1 pitch with one out in the 10th over the fence in left field for his eighth homer and a 4-3 lead. On Sunday night, he had singled home the winning run in the ninth inning in Texas.

Lewis (3.78 ERA) then worked a perfect ninth for his seventh straight save.

Jackson (4.91 ERA) gave up three runs over 6 1-3 innings, striking out six without a walk. He left with a 3-2 lead, but Masahide Kobayashi (4.35 ERA) yielded hits to both batters he faced, allowing an inherited baserunner to score and tie the game.

Rafael Perez (3.31 ERA) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings and Brendan Donnelly (1-0, 9.64) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.

Cleveland's other run came when Shin-Soo Choo (.258) opened the fourth with a double and scored on a single by Ryan Garko (.257). That extended Garko's hitting streak to 11 games.