How Indians starters Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Carl Pavano fared against the Rangers this week.

11: Innings pitched.

23: Hits allowed.

22: Runs allowed.

18.00: Combined earned run average.

Rangers 12 Indians 8

Arlington, Texas - All Eric Wedge wants to do is manage a normal Baseball game where he doesn't have to use a full-court press for nine innings just to get back to

even.

Maybe that will happen today when the Indians open the home season against Toronto at Progressive Field.

It certainly didn't happen in their first three games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. And it definitely didn't happen Thursday, when Carl Pavano gave up nine runs in one inning as the Rangers swept the Indians out of Texas, 12-8.

The Rangers, in completing the three-game sweep, held a combined lead of 17-1 after the second inning in the series. Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Pavano - the Indians' top three starters - went 0-3 with an 18.00

ERA.

To say they were dreadful in allowing 22 earned runs on 23 hits in 11 innings is being kind.

"What we have to do is work to stay in games early and give ourselves a chance to play some Baseball," said Wedge.

That means the starters have to pitch better.

"The starting pitching wasn't there for us in this series," said Wedge. "It put us in a hole really early in all three games."

Pavano gave up a three-run homer to Marlon Byrd in the first inning as Texas took a 5-0 lead. He then gave up a two-run homer to Ian Kinsler in the second inning as the Rangers stretched their lead to 9-1.

"He didn't have much today," Wedge said of his starter.

Catcher Kelly Shoppach said, "He was just up in the strike zone."

"He started to pop the ball a little bit at the end of the first inning when he got those last two guys out," said Wedge. "That's how we saw him pitch in spring training and we thought he may have found it. But we didn't see that again in the second inning."

Pavano (0-1, 81.00) allowed six hits and walked three. He threw 39 pitches.

"I knew what my job was, especially after the first two games," said Pavano. "My job was to go out there and put us in position to win and I didn't do that right off the bat."

In the first game, the Indians managed one run on five singles against Kevin Millwood and the Rangers bullpen. In the past two games, they at least started to hit.

The Indians had 11 hits, including five homers, on Thursday. Still, it wasn't enough to undo Pavano's damage. Grady Sizemore hit two homers, while Shoppach, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner each had one.

"It's disappointing," said Pavano. "I pitched poorly, but I get another chance in five days and I'm looking forward to that."

Along with the improved offense, the bullpen likewise wasn't as leaky as it was in the first two games. Zach Jackson relieved Pavano with no one out in the second inning and went four good innings. He struck out six and allowed two runs on four hits.

Masa Kobayashi, Jensen Lewis and Kerry Wood finished the game. Wood, in his Indians debut, allowed one run on two hits and struck out the side in the eighth.

Sizemore's homers both came with a runner on base. He homered off Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 5.40) in the third and Scott Feldman in the sixth for his first two homers of the year. In his five at-bats, he either homered or struck out.

"It's frustrating," said Sizemore. "No one wants to go 0-3 on the first series. We have to find ways to bounce back. I think guys are anxious to get out of here and back home and get on the other side of the won-loss column."

Texas outscored the Indians , 29-14. The Rangers outhomered the Tribe, 7-6.

"When you play Texas, you know you've got to score runs," said Sizemore. "Offensively, we have to get a little better. Texas puts pressure on your defense and pitching. We have to put pressure on them. We can't always rely on our pitching to shut them down."

Indians starters haven't stopped anybody but themselves so far this season.

"We know starting pitching always gives you a chance," said Wedge. "We've got five guys we believe in. It's one start for three of them. They'll be better the next time out."

It's still early enough to believe such talk, right?

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158