O’s, Ponson battered by Indians

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cliff Lee kept Cleveland’s bullpen door closed until the eighth inning and Travis Hafner had four RBI, leading the Indians to a 11-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles last night.

Lee (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings while giving most of the Indians’ relievers another day to rest. He walked four and struck out five.

Cleveland’s frazzled bullpen was coming off a 9-8 loss in Chicago on Wednesday, when it gave up five runs in the ninth. Before the game, Indians manager Eric Wedge said David Riske had temporarily lost his closer’s job.

Lee made one unnecessary.

In his first career appearance against Baltimore, the left-hander shut down one of the American League’s best hitting teams. The Orioles entered the three-game series ranked second with a .293 average and had at least 10 hits in 10 of their previous 15 games.

Omar Vizquel added a two-run double in the second off Baltimore starter Sidney Ponson (2-2), and the Indians built a 7-1 lead after four innings.

Ponson was tagged for six earned runs and nine hits in 3⅔ innings. He dropped to 0-6 in 11 games against Cleveland, the only AL team he has yet to beat.

Luis Matos homered for Baltimore.

Hafner doubled in two runs in the first and matched his career-high for RBI in the sixth with another two-run double to make it 9-1.

Cleveland scored four in the first off Ponson, who gave up three straight singles to open the inning but initially kept the Indians from scoring by getting Casey Blake to hit into a forceout at the plate.

Hafner, though, followed with his first double, and Victor Martinez’s RBI groundout made it 3-0. Ronnie Belliard capped the inning with a run-scoring single.

Cleveland added two runs in the second when Alex Escobar doubled, Matt Lawton singled and Vizquel brought them both in with a double down the right-field line.

The Orioles scored in their first at-bat against Lee, but could do little else over the next six innings in their first matchup against the 25-year-old. Matos connected for first homer in the eighth off Scott Stewart.

Kaz Tadano pitched a scoreless ninth in his second major league appearance for the Indians.

Notes — Vizquel played in his 1,999th game at shortstop. Today he’ll become the 15th shortstop to play 2,000 games. Last week, Vizquel collected his 2,000 career hit. … Orioles catcher Javy Lopez sat out with a strained oblique muscle he sustained swinging a bat in Thursday’s game. … Baltimore placed first baseman/designated hitter David Segui on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed left knee and recalled outfielder Darnell McDonald from Class AAA Ottawa. McDonald singled in the fourth inning for his first hit in the majors.