| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Forget what the calendar says, the Cleveland
Indians are already playing as if it's October.
|  | | Indians starter Dave Burba had some difficulties Wednesday, but a 43-minute rain delay in the third worked in his favor, and his teammates bailed him out later. |
They're moving up runners early. They're taking pitches. They're
using their bullpen. They're fighting for their playoff lives.
"We need to play to win every game from this point on,"
Roberto Alomar said. "It may not happen, but we're going to try."
Kenny Lofton's three hits sparked the top of Cleveland's batting
order Wednesday night and the Indians inched closer in the AL
wild-card race with a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Lofton went 3-for-3, drove in two runs and scored twice in the
leadoff spot as the Indians won for the seventh time in eight
games. Omar Vizquel and Alomar, Cleveland's Nos. 2 and 3 hitters
did their share, as the trio went 5-for-7 with five RBIs, three
runs, three sacrifices and two walks.
"Right now, we have to do the little things," said Alomar, who
moved runners up with sacrifices in his first two at-bats. "We
have to treat every game with real focus. We have to do almost
everything right."
The win completed a 5-1 homestand for Cleveland, and coupled
with Oakland's 12-1 loss at New York, moved the Indians within 1 1/2
games of the Athletics for the playoff wild card.
"We're playing much better," Alomar said. "We just need to
keep it going on this road trip."
Cleveland will play three games at Oakland next week and three
more at Jacobs Field on Aug. 22-24.
Texas' Gabe Kapler extended the AL's longest hitting streak this
season to 23 games with a bad-hop RBI single in the seventh.
Kapler's streak is one shy of matching Arizona's Tony Womack for
the longest in the majors this season, and one short of the
Rangers' club record.
"That was definitely pure luck," said Kapler, whose grounder
hopped over Alomar's head at second. "A grounder right at Robbie
Alomar and hit an invisible something or other."
Justin Speier (3-1) relieved starter Dave Burba in the fifth and
pitched two perfect innings, striking out four. Bob Wickman worked
the ninth for his fourth save in five tries since joining the
Indians last month.
In between, Paul Shuey and Steve Karsay came out of the bullpen
as four Cleveland relievers combined for five innings of one-hit
relief.
"Their relievers were outstanding, that was the game," Texas
manager Johnny Oates said.
The Indians got to Matt Perisho (2-4) for two runs in the third
inning on Vizquel's RBI double and David Segui's run-scoring
single.
Lofton, Vizquel and Alomar all drove in runs as Cleveland added
three more in the fourth to chase Perisho, who allowed five runs
and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings.
With runners at first and second, Lofton doubled to score Wil
Cordero and Vizquel followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Jolbert
Cabrera. Alomar's single scored Vizquel, and for one of the few
times all season, the Indians' 1-2-3 hitters were clicking on all
cylinders offensively.
Burba pitched out of a two-on, none-out jam in the second inning
but found himself in trouble again in the third.
As the skies darkened around Jacobs Field, Texas loaded the
bases with two outs and had Kapler, riding his hitting streak,
coming up when a severe thunderstorm stopped the game for 43
minutes.
When play resumed, Burba struck out Kapler on a 2-2 pitch to
keep the game scoreless.
"I had all that time to think about what he might do on that
next pitch," Kapler said. "That probably was not too good. That
was really tough."
But Burba, whose scheduled start Monday was pushed back because
of a blistered index finger, couldn't get out of the fifth as the
Rangers cut it to 5-3.
Frank Catalanotto, who went 4-for-4 Tuesday, hit an RBI double
and Rusty Greer followed with a two-run single to end Burba's
night.
"With a five-run lead I've got to do better than that," Burba
said. "Once I got to the fourth I started thinking about the sixth
and that's what did me in."
Speier came to the rescue, though, popping up Rafael Palmeiro
and striking out both Kapler and Ricky Ledee.
Game notes
Since July 2, the Indians are 13-5 at home. ... Mickey
Rivers hit in 24 games in a row for Texas during the 1980 season.
... Beginning Friday, the Indians will play 12 straight games _ six
each _ against the Seattle Mariners and A's. ... The Indians are
18-9 in games where Lofton gets more than one hit. ... OF Pedro
Valdes made his debut for the Rangers.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 6
Texas 4
Baltimore 5
Detroit 2
NY Yankees 12
Oakland 1
Tampa Bay 5
Minnesota 4
Chi. White Sox 19
Seattle 3
Kansas City 5
Toronto 3
Boston 4
Anaheim 2
Florida 5
St. Louis 3
Colorado 4
Pittsburgh 3
San Francisco 9
Milwaukee 3
Cincinnati 10
Atlanta 6
Philadelphia 3
San Diego 2
NY Mets 12
Houston 5
Montreal 4
Arizona 3
Chicago Cubs 5
Los Angeles 4
|
