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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Indians' Game 1 postseason jinx ended as
soon as Pedro Martinez left the game.
Travis Fryman's RBI single with one-out in the bottom of the
ninth inning gave Cleveland a 3-2 win Wednesday night over the Boston Red Sox, who
may have lost their ace Martinez for the remainder of the AL
playoffs.
|  | | Jim Thome's two-run homer off Derek Lowe in the sixth tied it 2-2. |
The Indians had lost eight straight opening games in playoff series, dating
back to the Division Series against Boston in 1995 before Fryman's
clutch bases-loaded base hit to left field off Rich Garces.
Martinez, baseball's most dominant pitcher this season, pulled a
back muscle and had to leave the game after the fourth inning. He
is listed as day-to-day and Boston manager Jimy Williams said the
right-hander would be re-examined by doctors on Thursday.
"We got a break with Pedro getting hurt," said Fryman, who
spent most of the season on the disabled list with a serious knee
injury.
"Anytime you face Pedro, he's tough. He's the best pitcher I
ever faced. You look up there in the sixth inning and you don't see
him out there, it gives you a little pick-me-up."
The Red Sox, who had counted on Martinez giving them the lead in
the series, will turn to Bret Saberhagen in Game 2 Thursday against
Cleveland's Charles Nagy.
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GAME 1 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
He didn't get the victory, but Bartolo Colon kept the Indians in the game, allowing just five hits and two runs in eight innings while striking out 11. It was the fourth time Colon had matched up with Pedro Martinez this season. He still hasn't beaten the Red Sox, but he'll take this outing any day.
Key number
Since the Bill Buckner game in the 1986 World Series the Red Sox are 1-17 in the postseason: 0-2 against the Mets in the '86 World Series; 0-4 against the A's in the 1988 ALCS; 0-4 against the A's in the 1990 ALCS; 0-3 against Cleveland in the '95 Division Series; 1-3 against the Indians in last year's Division Series.
Last word
"Anytime you face Pedro, he's tough. He's the best pitcher I ever faced. You look up there in the sixth inning and you don't see him out there, it gives you a little pick-me-up."
-- Travis Fryman, who singled in the winning run
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Indians starter Bartolo Colon struck out a season-high 11 in
eight innings, and Paul Shuey picked up the win with a perfect
ninth.
Jim Thome hit a game-tying two-run homer off Derek Lowe in the sixth for the Indians, who also got spectacular defensive plays
from David Justice, Roberto Alomar and Omar Vizquel.
Nomar Garciaparra homered for the Red Sox, who despite
dominating the regular-season series against Cleveland have now
lost four straight playoff games to the Indians.
Lowe, who replaced Martinez in fifth, got the loss. He hit Manny
Ramirez in the back with a 2-2 pitch to open the ninth, and Rheal
Cormier relieved. One out later, pinch-hitter Wil Cordero singled
to right in his first career postseason at-bat.
Sexson, who had 116 RBI this season, pinch-hit for David
Justice and was walked on four pitches by Garces. Fryman, who was
on the DL twice this year with a torn ligament in his right knee,
then slapped a 1-2 pitch to left for the game-winner.
Fryman, who could hardly walk a month ago, was mobbed by his
teammates as he rounded first.
"This was one of the things that I used as motivation," Fryman
said of his rehabilitation from the injury.
Mike Stanley had three of Boston's five hits and Garciaparra had
the other two.
Martinez, 5-0 in his career against Indians, including a win in
Game 1 of the '98 Division Series, had little trouble with
Cleveland's lineup in the first four innings.
He allowed three hits and twice retired Ramirez, the majors' RBI
leader, to end an inning with a runner in scoring position.
In the fourth, he retired Justice on a grounder to the right
side, covering first on the play for the putout. He appeared to be
OK as he left the field, but when Boston manager Jimy Williams
called Boston's bullpen to get Lowe throwing, it was obvious
Martinez was coming out.
"We were excited," Thome said. "Pedro was pitching a real
good game. "To get him out of the game like that, it livened us
up."
But as tough as Martinez had been on the Indians this year, Lowe
was just as nasty.
Cleveland was just 1-for-30 against the right-hander with
Roberto Alomar's single in an April 24 giving the Indians their
only baserunner.
Lowe coasted through the fifth and got two outs in the sixth
before Ramirez hit a grounder to third that John Valentin fielded
cleanly. However, his throw was in the dirt, and Ramirez was safe,
ending a streak of 31 straight Indians retired by Lowe.
Thome wasted no time, crushing Lowe's next pitch 434 feet to tie
it 2-2, and giving the Indians their first momentum of the night.
In the seventh, Justice caught Troy O'Leary's drive against the
wall in left and quickly got the ball back into the infield as the
Indians doubled up Garciaparra who was halfway to third when the
ball was caught.
Garciaparra said Tuesday he wasn't fully recovered from being
struck on the right wrist with a pitch against Baltimore late last
month. But he looked fine on his first swing of the series, hitting
a 2-1 pitch from Colon over the wall in center.
It was Garciaparra's sixth homer this season against the
Indians, who planned to pitch around him when possible.
Garciaparrra, who led the AL with a .357 average, was even tougher
on Cleveland, batting .451 with nine extra-base hits and 17 RBI.
Garciaparra led off the fourth with a double, and one out later
scored on Mike Stanley's single to left.
Notes
Thome's homer was his 13th in the postseason, tying him
with Ramirez for fourth on the career list. Only Reggie Jackson
(18), Mickey Mantle (18) and Babe Ruth (15) have more. ...
Garciaparra went 5-for-15 with three homers and 11 RBI against
Cleveland in the '98 Division Series. ... Hargrove said Jaret
Wright would pitch out of the bullpen in Game 2 if necessary.
Wright, who started the series opener last year, could start Game
4. ... The Indians are 12-22 in the regular season against Boston
since 1997 after going 11-1 in '96. ... Nagy, who pitched eight
innings of four-hit ball to win Game 3 in Boston last year, is 7-1
in his career against Boston.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
Red Sox without Nomar for Game 3; Pedro still hurting
Red Sox vs. Indians series page
RECAPS
Cleveland 3
Boston 2
Atlanta 5
Houston 1
Arizona 7
NY Mets 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Travis Fryman takes us through his game-winning hit.
wav: 150 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jimy Williams talks about the costly error.
wav: 150 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez is frustrated by his injury.
wav: 315 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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