Night Belongs to Fetters After Striking Out Belle

Albert Belle stared out at Mike Fetters with two outs in the ninth inning and the game on the line.

Belle’s major league-leading hitting streak was in jeopardy at 21 games. So was the Milwaukee Brewers’ lead.

Fetters threw a called third strike past Belle with two runners on base to close out the Brewers’ 10-8 victory over the Indians at Cleveland on Wednesday night.

“That was exciting, what you live for as a closer,” Fetters said. “You face one of the best hitters in the league and hopefully you come out ahead, which happened tonight.”

Belle went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a walk. He hit .413 (33 for 80) with nine homers and 27 RBI during his hitting streak.

He also was involved in an interference call that led to the ejection of Indian Manager Mike Hargrove. Kenny Lofton also was ejected as Cleveland lost for only the second time in its last 17 games at Jacobs Field.

Mike Matheny had a three-run double and Chuck Carr a two-run single and RBI double as Milwaukee built a 10-2 lead against Jack McDowell (5-2) and reliever Alan Embree by the fifth inning.

“We try to score as many runs as possible, especially against the Indians,” Carr said. “They always have the attitude that when they’re down they’re not down. So we kept battling.”

Seattle 6, Boston 1--Even though Ken Griffey and Jay Buhner did not hit home runs, the Mariners showed why they lead the American League in that category.

Russ Davis and Darren Bragg each homered during a five-run fifth inning that helped the Mariners to a victory at Boston.

Seattle has 78 homers.

Kansas City 6, Detroit 4--Joe Vitiello hit two home runs at Detroit, where the Royals sent the Tigers to their eighth consecutive loss.

Bob Hamelin doubled twice, drove in two runs and stole two bases for the Royals, who swept the two-game series and have won three consecutive games.

Mark Parent hit a home run for Detroit, which lost for the 28th time in 32 games, including 12 of their last 14 games at home.

Texas 6, Minnesota 5--Dean Palmer and Warren Newson hit consecutive homers in the sixth inning as the Rangers rallied from a two-run deficit at Minneapolis.

Palmer broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run drive to left field off Twin starter Jose Parra (1-3), and Newson followed with his third homer of the season as Texas scored four times in the sixth.

Roger Pavlik (6-1) gave up successive homers to Chuck Knoblauch and Rich Becker in the seventh as the Twins closed to 6-5.

Chicago 2, Toronto 1--Lyle Mouton’s two-run triple in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted the White Sox to victory over the visiting Blue Jays.

With Toronto ahead, 1-0, Frank Thomas was walked by Mike Timlin (0-1) with one out in the 11th. After Harold Baines flied out, Robin Ventura singled, moving Thomas to second and setting up Mouton’s game-winning hit.

Oakland 5, New York 1--Geronimo Berroa hit three solo home runs, leading Steve Wojciechowski and the Athletics over the Yankees at New York.

Mark McGwire and Torey Lovullo also homered as Oakland scored all of its runs on solo homers.