CLEVELAND — For once, it wasn’t the offense that let down the Indians.
Cleveland hitters scored nine runs Friday night — an astoundingly high total for an anemic lineup — but Indians pitchers trumped the output by allowing more.
The result was another loss — a 13-9 decision in the series opener against Texas — Cleveland’s seventh straight defeat, which dropped the Indians four games under .500 and left them with a 4½-game deficit in the Central Division.
The setback came in front of the largest crowd (39,947) since the home opener — many of whom were in attendance for the postgame fireworks show — and it included the loss of one of the team’s top starting pitchers, Fausto Carmona.
Carmona, a 19-game winner last season, left the game in the third inning with a left hip strain.
Texas hitters battered Cleveland’s pitching staff for 17 hits, which included a whopping nine doubles and a grand slam. The doubles total was the most in the majors this season and included five from former Indians Milton Bradley and Ramon Vazquez.
Bradley and Vazquez combined to go 6-for-9 with three runs and three RBIs. Bradley, who experienced a volatile departure from Cleveland prior to the 2004 season, was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Dan Iassogna in the ninth inning.
Texas’ barrage began against Carmona, who allowed four runs in the first inning, three on a bases-clearing double from David Murphy. The Rangers scored seven times in the third, when Carmona appeared to sustain the injury while running to cover first base on an infield single from Murphy.
Carmona ran gingerly to first, which brought manager Eric Wedge and head trainer Lonnie Soloff to the mound. The right-hander threw a pair of practice pitches before leaving the game.
“It was serious enough for him to leave the game, but we’re hoping it’s not too serious,” said Wedge, who said Carmona would undergo an MRI today.
For one of the few times this season, Cleveland’s offense came prepared.
The Indians scored six runs over the first three innings, capped by a three-run home run from Grady Sizemore in the third, yet still trailed 11-6 heading into the fourth.
Sizemore was one of three players in the lineup — Ben Francisco and Franklin Gutierrez — to enjoy multihit games for the Indians, who produced their highest run total in 12 games (their second-highest in 27 games).
“Hopefully we can build off this game,” Wedge said of his offense. “I’m proud of the way the guys fought.”
Francisco was denied his second homer of the year when umpires ruled that his drive to left-center in the sixth inning did not clear the wall. Replays showed that the ball hit the railing above the wall and should have been a three-run homer, instead of a run-scoring double.
Wedge was ejected after arguing with the umpiring crew. The blown call brought the subject of instant replay to the manager’s office after the game.
“I’m a firm believer in getting the call right,” Wedge said. “I was hoping they would huddle and get it right.”
The game took four hours and nine minutes, the second-longest nine-inning game in Progressive Field history. It featured 11 pitchers and 397 pitches.
The seven-game skid is Cleveland’s longest since dropping nine straight in 2004.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

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