Baseball : Bailes Leads Indians Past Tigers, 8-7

Scott Bailes, who had been hospitalized three nights earlier for treatment of stomach ulcers, shut out the Detroit Tigers on two hits in four innings of relief to help the Cleveland Indians to an 8-7 comeback victory Thursday night at Cleveland.

The rookie left-hander held the Tigers scoreless while Cleveland overcame a six-run deficit with three runs in the fifth and four in the eighth. Carmen Castillo’s RBI double capped the four-run eighth inning.

“This has been one of the longest breaks I’ve had all year,” said Bailes (8-6), who spent Monday night in the hospital after making his 46th appearance of the season Sunday. “My arm felt stronger than it had in a while. My stomach’s a little sore now, but they’re giving me medication for it.”

The Tigers hit three consecutive home runs in the fifth inning off Cleveland starter Rich Yett to go ahead 7-1 before Bailes entered the game.

“He really surprised me because I thought he would be a little weaker,” said Indian pitching coach Jack Aker.

The loss was only the fourth in 15 games since the All-Star break for the Tigers. Cleveland ended its three-game losing streak.

Pat Tabler singled in one run and Julio Franco singled in two more for Cleveland to tie the game, 7-7, in the eighth against Bill Campbell (2-3).

Franco took second on the throw from the outfield, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the winning run when Castillo greeted Jim Slaton with a double off the fence in left.

“You don’t have to get hit hard to lose sometimes,” Campbell said. “I thought I made the pitches I wanted to, but it didn’t work out.”