Indians - A's 4-0. Indians Starters Continue to be Stellar.

In the past three days, Indians starting pitching has gone 25 and one-third straight innings without giving up a run. 

That is ridiculously good. 

On Tuesday, they beat the Oakland Athletics 4-0 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

Paul Byrd added seven and one-third shutout innings to the string of 18 last night, raising that total. The Cleveland Indians have now won six out of the last eight, squeaking above the .500 mark at 20-19. 

Byrd had one of his best outings of the year, giving up five hits and striking out seven, upping his season mark to 2-3 with a 3.61 ERA. 

Oh yea, Byrd pitches out of the five hole. 

Masa Kobayashi came on in relief, finishing out the game and recording a save, his first in the MLB.  Who knows?  Maybe he is the next Indians Closer.

Grady Sizemore helped keep the streak alive.  He threw out Frank Thomas at the plate in the top of the second and made a diving catch in the sixth robbing Kurt Suzuki. 

David Dellucci contributed defensively as well, leaping up against the wall and hauling in a Donnie Murphy blast that was a certain double. 

Byrd even helped himself outl.  With runners going in the fifth, Byrd struck out Murphy and Martinez threw out Crosby on his way to second, squelching any thought of a threat.

Justin Duchscherer went six and two-thirds for Oakland, surrendering four hits and one run. 

That run was enough to earn him the loss.

The Indians got their run in the bottom of the first.  David Dellucci walked, Victor Martinez singled, and Travis Hafner brought Dellucci home with a single of his own.

That was all the offense the Indians needed on this night, although they plated three more in the bottom of the eighth.

That particular set of runs came via the long ball after Martinez walked and Hafner singled.  The shot came off the bat of Ryan Garko, his third of the year.

Hafner and Asdrubal Cabrera led the hitting with two a piece.  Garko, Martinez, and Sizemore each had one.  The Indians went two for five with runners in scoring position.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night.  Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia goes up against Oakland’s Joe Blanton.