Indians Rally in 9th to Beat Yankees : New York Drops Fourth in Row After Rookie Gives Up Six Runs

Cleveland Indian Manager Pat Corrales was diplomatic after watching his team score six runs in the top of the ninth inning off New York Yankee rookie relief pitcher Brian Fisher for a 9-5 victory Monday.

“I don’t know what’s going on over there,” Corrales said. “And, I don’t know Billy’s (Yankee Manager Martin) situation. I can’t speak for his team.”

The loss was the Yankees’ fourth in a row and dropped them five games behind first-place Toronto in the American League East Division. The Blue Jays were idle Monday. Each team has 19 games remaining.

“I think Billy used him all wrong,” said Cleveland center fielder Brett Butler, who played with Fisher in the Atlanta Braves minor league system. “He could’ve killed the kid’s confidence. He shouldn’t have left him in that long. I personally think he should have brought in (Dave) Righetti from the bullpen after Julio’s triple.”

Fisher entered the game with 12 saves and a 2.00 earned-run average.

Julio Franco’s two-out, two-run, broken bat triple scored the tying and go-ahead runs after the first three Cleveland hitters singled to start the ninth.

Andre Thornton followed Franco’s triple with his second two-run homer of the game and Joe Carter’s run-scoring single later scored Otis Nixon, who had walked and stolen second.

“I didn’t want to waste two pitchers in a losing game,” Martin said.

“I sat down after that inning and said maybe this is good for me,” Fisher said.

The Yankees, capitalizing on some shoddy Cleveland fielding, had entered the ninth with a 5-3 lead. But consecutive singles by George Vukovich, Brook Jacoby and Jerry Willard triggered the Indians’ uprising off Fisher (4-4).

With the bases loaded and none out, Butler grounded out, driving in Vukovich with the inning’s first run. After Tony Bernazard grounded out, Franco blooped a triple down the right field line, driving in Jacoby and pinch-runner Mike Fischlin with the tying and lead runs.

Thornton followed with his 17th homer of the season, into the left field seats, giving the Indians an 8-5 lead. Nixon then walked, stole second and scored on Carter’s single.

The Indians got their other runs on homers off starter Joe Cowley. Carter hit his 12th homer of the year in the seventh and Thornton connected in the eighth, following a single by Franco. Thornton’s hit knocked out Cowley, who has not had a decision in his last seven starts.

Cleveland’s defense helped the Yankees to a run in the fourth, three unearned runs in the fifth and a run in the eighth. After Don Baylor led off the fourth with a single off starter Jamie Easterly, Andre Robertson’s grounder eluded third baseman Jacoby and went for a double, sending Baylor to third. Jacoby then bobbled Henry Cotto’s grounder, allowing Baylor to score.

In the fifth, after Easterly walked Bobby Meacham and gave up a single to Rickey Henderson, first baseman Mike Hargrove booted Don Mattingly’s grounder, loading the bases. Easterly walked Dave Winfield, forcing in one run. After Baylor struck out, Robertson hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Henderson. Mattingly took third on the throw home and scored on Cotto’s single to left.

In the eighth, Butch Wynegar walked, Rex Hudler was safe when Carter, playing first, misplayed his bunt, Meacham sacrificed and Billy Sample hit a sacrifice fly, driving in pinch runner Keith Smith.

Reliever Jerry Reed (1-5) was the winner.