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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Enough crazy things have happened to the Cleveland Indians this season that they're not about to give up now.
|  | | Jim Thome started Cleveland's comeback with a two-run homer in the second. |
Manny Ramirez, who could leave as a free agent following the season, hit a two-run homer and Jim Thome added a two-run shot
Friday night as the Indians stayed alive in the AL wild card chase
by rallying for an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Indians trailed 4-0 in the second inning but came back and
pulled within one game of the Seattle Mariners in the wild card
standings. The Mariners lost 9-3 to Anaheim on Friday night.
"Nobody wants to quit," reliever Steve Karsay said. "Nobody will quit. We still have life. This team has been through a lot
this year. And as long as we're not officially eliminated we've got
to hope."
Time is running out for Cleveland, which has just two games left and -- realistically -- needs to win them both if it hopes to make the postseason for the sixth straight year.
Justin Speier (5-2) pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-hit relief as Cleveland's bullpen held Toronto to one hit over the final 7 1/3
innings.
Tom Martin pitched one inning and Karsay worked three perfect innings for his 20th save.
David Segui homered as Indians bounced back after a devastating 4-3 loss in 10 innings to Minnesota on Thursday night.
"This team has battled all year, so this was nothing new," Thome said. "Here we are, and we're here tomorrow to play another day."
Alex Gonzalez and Todd Greene homered for the Blue Jays, coming off a 23-1 loss at Baltimore.
Cleveland scored four times in the second off Steve Trachsel
(8-15) and took a 5-4 lead in the third on Travis Fryman's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
This could be Ramirez's final weekend in Cleveland. He and his agent have turned down a five-year, $75 million offer from the club. Ramirez has said he wants to stay, and Cleveland fans were once again reminded of his value when his 36th homer gave the Indians a 7-4 lead in the fifth.
Ramirez has homered in nine of his last 21 games and is batting .367 with 23 homers and 73 RBI in 70 games since returning to the lineup after missing 39 games with a hamstring injury.
"Manny is Manny," said Sandy Alomar. "He's one of the best hitters to ever live. He makes the whole team a whole lot better."
Segui hit his 19th home run in the sixth to make it 8-4.
Trailing 4-0, the Indians tied it in the second on Thome's 36th
homer and Kenny Lofton's two-out, two-run single.
After Ramirez doubled, Thome, struggling all month and in a
9-for-59 slump, hit a 1-0 pitch 465 feet into the back of
Cleveland's bullpen for his third homer in three games.
"We didn't pitch good and it's as simple as that," said Toronto manager Jim Fregosi. "We gave them a chance to get back in it, and you can't do that against a good team playing for its season."
With one out, Sandy Alomar moved the runners up with a grounder to the right side and Lofton followed with his base hit.
Cleveland right-hander Dave Burba started on three days' rest for the first time since Aug. 24, 1996, when he was with
Cincinnati. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings -- his shortest outing since 1997 -- and gave up two homers.
Burba normally has at least one inning per game when he's in
trouble, and he was reeling from his second pitch on. He allowed a
leadoff triple to Shannon Stewart and Gonzalez followed with an RBI
double.
Burba then hit Carlos Delgado and walked Darrin Fletcher before Tony Batista hit an RBI groundout.
In the second, Greene and Gonzalez homered, giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead.
Game notes
Segui, who recently fired Scott Boras as his agent, rehired
Boras after his contract proposal to the Indians was declined. "I
see why you have agents," said Segui, eligible to become a free
agent after the season. "I made them an offer I thought they would
jump all over. I guess they have to play their games."... Toronto
has 242 homers, the sixth highest total in history. ... Indians SS
Omar Vizquel has been nominated as a finalist for the Roberto
Clemente Award, given annually for sportsmanship and community
involvement. Vizquel helped raise money last winter for flood
victims in his native Venezuela. ... Speier only needed four
pitches to get three outs in the fifth.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Baltimore 13
NY Yankees 2
Cleveland 8
Toronto 4
Detroit 1
Minnesota 0
Tampa Bay 8
Boston 6
Chi. White Sox 6
Kansas City 4
Anaheim 9
Seattle 3
Oakland 7
Texas 5
Florida 7
Philadelphia 1
Pittsburgh 8
Chicago Cubs 4
NY Mets 11
Montreal 2
Colorado 4
Atlanta 2
Milwaukee 13
Houston 3
Cincinnati 8
St. Louis 1
San Francisco 4
Arizona 3
Los Angeles 3
San Diego 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jim Thome talks with ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
wav: 619 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Justin Speier feels the Indians earned their victory Friday night.
wav: 77 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Travis Fryman feels the Indians have shown they can win when it counts.
wav: 80 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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