AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : After 41 Years, Indians Are Back in the Playoffs

The Cleveland Indians have made such a shambles of the AL Central race, they no longer find it curious that they’re the first team guaranteed a spot in baseball’s 1995 playoffs.

Even if it has been 41 years since they last appeared in a postseason game.

The Indians clinched the division with a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Cleveland.

“I think it has been inevitable for the last four or five weeks,” General Manager John Hart said. “It’s been obvious that this club is special.”

Of all the players on Cleveland’s roster, only Dave Winfield, 43, was alive the last time the Indians finished in first place. The year was 1954, and although the Indians won an AL-record 111 games that season, they were swept by the New York Giants in the World Series.

New York 8, Boston 4--Darryl Strawberry hit a three-run homer at New York and David Cone won for the sixth time in seven games since joining the Yankees.

Cone (15-7), who was obtained by the Yankees from Toronto on July 28, had a no-hitter until Willie McGee singled to center with two out in the sixth inning. He gave up seven hits and four runs in 7 1/3 innings, did not issue a walk and struck out 10.

Toronto 9, Detroit 5--Rookie Jeff Ware checked the Tigers on three hits over 5 1/3 innings and Joe Carter and Paul Molitor homered at Toronto.

Milwaukee 10, Texas 1--B.J. Surhoff and Greg Vaughn each hit home runs at Milwaukee in a game between teams scrapping to stay in the race for the final wild-card spot in the American League.

Seattle 4, Kansas City 1--Randy Johnson (14-2) gave up only four hits in his first start in 13 days and Luis Sojo hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs at Seattle.

Chicago 7, Oakland 3--Starter Luis Andujar won in his major league debut as the White Sox beat the Athletics in Oakland.