Indians’ Barrage Benefits Johnson

Jason Johnson took a five-hitter into the eighth inning, Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore homered, and the Cleveland Indians got 20 hits in a 15-1 victory over the host Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.

Johnson (2-0) gave up one run and seven hits in seven-plus innings. He struck out two and walked none.

“It is fun to be on a team like this one,” said the right-hander, who spent the last two seasons in Detroit. “Every time I take the mound, I expect to win.”

Signed as a free agent in December, Johnson lowered his earned-run average to 1.83 in three starts with Cleveland. He’s 4-1 with a 3.04 ERA all-time against Baltimore, where he played from 1999 to 2003.

“It’s always fun to pitch here,” he said.

Especially when your team scores 15 runs.

“I treated it as if it were a 1-0 game,” Johnson said. “I’m still going for a complete-game shutout. I’m not thinking about anything else. I was upset when I gave up the run in the eighth. I wanted to finish it.”

Sizemore had three hits, Martinez was three for six to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and Casey Blake was three for four to raise his batting average to .447.

Chicago 4, Kansas City 1 -- Jon Garland (2-1) gave up one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings at Chicago to send the Royals to their ninth loss in a row.

It’s the Royals’ longest skid since their team-record 19-game losing streak late last year. Kansas City is a major league-worst 2-11 -- beating the White Sox on April 7 and 8.

Boston 7, Tampa Bay 4 -- Kevin Youkilis hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning and Manny Ramirez took another step out of his slump with three runs batted in to help lift the host Red Sox.

Tampa Bay tied the score in the eighth inning on Russell Branyan’s two-run double against Mike Timlin (2-0).

Toronto 10, New York 5 -- Randy Johnson (2-2) failed to hold a four-run lead and was chased in the fourth inning at Toronto.

Troy Glaus homered twice and Alex Rios tied a career high with four RBIs for the Blue Jays. Rios hit a two-run homer in the second inning.

Gustavo Chacin (3-0) gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings.

Oakland 4, Detroit 3 -- Nick Swisher hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning at Oakland, his second homer of the game.

Swisher had a two-run homer in the second inning, the second time this season he has hit two in a game and the fourth in his career. He has six homers, tying him with Eric Chavez for the team lead.

Justin Duchscherer (1-0) pitched two innings to help the A’s win for the second time in their last seven games.

Texas 7, Seattle 4 -- Phil Nevin and Brad Wilkerson hit two-run home runs to lead the Rangers at Seattle.

John Koronka (2-1), acquired from the Chicago Cubs on March 31, held the Mariners to one run in five innings. He held Seattle to one hit in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.