|
|
|
|
 |
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Weekly Lineup Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search Clubhouses |
| Sport Sections |
|
|
| |
Saturday, Jun. 24 1:05pm ET
Higginson brings Tigers back from 7-0 | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
CLEVELAND -- Why would Juan Gonzalez want to leave the Tigers now? Bobby Higginson's third two-run homer of the game ignited Detroit's six-run seventh inning as the Tigers rallied from seven runs down for an improbable 14-8 win over the Cleveland Indians and a split of their day-night doubleheader. Higginson, who went 0-for-3 in the first game, also homered in the fourth and fifth innings as the Tigers came back from a 7-0 deficit. "It's our biggest win of the year," said Higginson, who popped out in the eighth while going for a fourth homer. "To come back from 7-0 in the second game of a long, long day shows a lot of character. It was a tremendous effort all around." The victory came while rumors continued to swirl about Gonzalez, who could soon be headed to the New York Yankees in a 3-for-1 trade. Following the game, Tigers manager Phil Garner's office door was closed for more than 10 minutes, fueling speculation that the deal had been consummated. Garner said he was talking to Detroit GM Randy Smith, but not about Gonzalez's situation. "We didn't even bring it up," Garner said. Gonzalez, who fouled a ball off his left ankle during the night game, politely declined comment about the possible deal. Wendell Magee's three-run homer capped Detroit's seventh as the Tigers scored 12 unanswered runs to hand Cleveland its most devastating loss in an already disappointing season. "We're hurtin', man," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "When you're up 7-0 you're supposed to win." In the first game, Bartolo Colon mixed his blazing fastball with a nasty curve to overpower Detroit between rain delays, and Jim Thome had three RBI in Cleveland's 8-1 win. The Tigers trailed 7-0 after three innings before Higginson began the comeback with a two-run shot in the fourth off Paul Rigdon. Higginson wasn't done, connecting again in the fifth off Rigdon to bring the Tigers within 7-5. With Detroit down 7-6 and a runner on second in the seventh, Higginson hit his 15th homer of the season into the Detroit bullpen off left-hander Mike Mohler (0-1). Higginson, bidding to become the first AL player to hit four homers in a game since the Indians' Rocky Colavito in 1959, got under a 3-1 pitch and popped to short center in the eighth. "I got the take sign on 3-0," Higginson said. "It was a good pitch and I was going for No. 4 there. No big deal. I'm impressed with what I did, but I'm more impressed that the homers helped us win the ballgame." It was Higginson's second career three-homer game. He also did it on June 30, 1997, against the New York Mets. Tony Clark's RBI double off Steve Reed put the Tigers up 9-7, and Magee followed with his fifth homer, a drive onto the home run porch in left that stunned the Jacobs Field crowd and prevented the Indians from gaining any more ground on first-place Chicago in the AL Central. David Justice hit a three-run homer and Thome added a solo shot for the Indians. C.J. Nitkowski (4-7), who entered trailing 7-0, allowed one run and five hits in four innings. Gonzalez, who would go to the New York Yankees if a tentative trade is finalized, went 2-for-9 in the two games. Justice hit a three-run homer in the first, and the Indians appeared to be in control when Enrique Wilson doubled home two runs during a four-run second that gave Cleveland a 7-0 lead. But Higginson's first homer, a two-run shot in the fourth, made it 7-2 and the Tigers added another run in the inning on Wendell Magee's RBI single. Rigdon, who breezed through Detroit's lineup in the first three innings, gave up consecutive one-out doubles in the fifth before Higginson connected for his second homer of the game and 14th this season to bring the Tigers within 7-6. "I had a feeling we were going to get him, because his stuff isn't so great," Higginson said. Garner, too, said he had a feeling the Tigers could rally. "I felt like we were going to come back and win that second game," Garner said. "I don't know why." In the day game, Colon (7-4) had to wait through rain stoppages of nearly two hours during his 6 1/3 innings that stretched over 4:16. The right-hander allowed one run and four hits, walked three and struck out 10. "The first rain delay was tougher than the second," Colon said through an interpreter. "I finally realized that there is another pitch other than the fastball. Hitters can no longer sit on one pitch." Russell Branyan hit a long homer off Steve Sparks (0-1) and Thome drove in two runs during a four-run fifth inning as the Indians snapped a five-game home losing streak. Enrique Wilson had three hits and scored three runs for Cleveland. Game notesHideo Nomo made his second career relief appearance in the eighth inning of the night game. The only other time Nomo pitched out of the bullpen was on Sept. 27, 1998, for the Mets at Atlanta. ... Dave Mlicki was scheduled to start the second game for Detroit but was scratched with a severe sinus infection. ... Justice has 10 homers in his last 20 games and has already matched his home-run total of last year. ... The Indians have now blown eight leads of four runs or more. ... Indians RHPs Paul Shuey (hip surgery) and Sean DePaula (elbow tendinitis) each pitched one inning for Double-A Akron on Saturday as they began 30-day rehab stints. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Detroit Clubhouse Cleveland Clubhouse RECAPS Cleveland 8 Detroit 1
Detroit 14
| |||||