ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays couldn't
stop Jim Thome and Karim Garcia again.

Thome hit a two-run homer, and Garcia added a three-run double
as the Cleveland Indians beat the Devil Rays 6-4 Wednesday night.

Garcia, who hit a grand slam in Tuesday's 9-5 win over Tampa
Bay, made it 6-2 with his double off reliever Wilson Alvarez in the
eighth inning.

"I was just trying not to strike out,'' Garcia said. "The last
time I faced him, he pitched me inside and struck me out on three
pitches. So this time, I was looking for it.''

Garcia is 8-for-20 with two homers and 10 RBI in five games
against Tampa Bay this season.

Thome hit his 36th homer in the third, and second in two games.

"Whatever it has been, it hasn't worked,'' Tampa Bay manager
Hal McRae said when asked about plans for pitching to Thome and
Garcia. "We have not done a good job as far as making them work
for what they're getting.''

Cleveland's Ellis Burks had a broken-bat single to left during
the first inning for career hit No. 2,000. He also drove in a run
with a fifth-inning, broken-bat single that put the Indians up 3-2.

"It's definitely a milestone, and something I never thought I
would make,'' Burks said. "I'm at 2,000, and it's definitely a
pleasure.''

Burks, who went 3-for-4, has 27 RBI in his last 29 games.

Cleveland starter Danys Baez (9-9) gave up two runs and seven
hits over five innings. The right-hander, who threw 104 pitches,
struck out six and walked two.

"He threw a lot of pitches in a short period of time, but he
got through it,'' Indians manager Joel Skinner said. "He got the
five innings, and sometimes that's as tough as going nine
innings.''

Terry Mulholland pitched three-plus innings, allowing an RBI
triple to Jason Conti in the ninth. Conti scored on Andy Sheets'
grounder, but Mark Wohlers got three outs for his sixth save in
seven chances.

Indians closer Bob Wickman, activated from the 15-day disabled
list Aug. 10 after being sidelined with a right forearm strain, was
not available because he felt discomfort in his elbow while
throwing before the game.

He will travel to Los Angeles on Thursday to see Dr. Lewis
Yocum.

"I just went out to throw, and it was stiff again,'' Wickman
said. "So I want to get another opinion.''

The Indians have not ruled out placing Wickman on the DL.

Tampa Bay's Paul Wilson (5-8) failed to win his fourth
consecutive start. He allowed four runs and nine hits in 7 1-3
innings.

"It just didn't work out,'' Wilson said. "I felt like I threw
the ball pretty well. It's frustrating because I was trying for a
little better outcome than that.''

Over his past four outings, Wilson has given up eight runs and
24 hits over 31 1/3 innings.

The Devil Rays are winless in a franchise-record 13 straight
series (0-10-3).

Thome put the Indians up 2-0 with an opposite-field homer in the
third inning. He has gone deep four times in five games against
Tampa Bay this season and has six homers in 68 career at-bats at
Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay tied it at 2 in the fourth on Aubrey Huff's solo homer
and a sacrifice fly by John Flaherty.

Huff went 2-for-4 and has 41 hits in his past 26 games.

Cleveland catcher Einar Diaz threw out two runners attempting to
steal second base in the first.

Randy Winn drew a leadoff walk and was thrown out by Diaz. Carl
Crawford, Tampa Bay's second hitter, was caught stealing after an
infield single.

Game notes
Indians CF Milton Bradley had an appendectomy and was
placed on the 15-day disabled list. He is expected to miss three to four
weeks. ... Cleveland purchased the contract of OF Covelli Crisp
from Double-A Akron. Skinner said Crisp will start in center field.
... Huff has 13 multihit games in his past 26 starts. ... Baez has
struck out 110 and walked 70 in 141 innings this season.