NOTES : Johnson Shows Faith in Orosco

He had been terrible and he knew it. Baltimore reliever Jesse Orosco simply hoped Manager Davey Johnson hadn’t lost faith in him after he gave up three walks in Cleveland’s 9-4 victory in Game 3 on Friday.

“I had a little doubt in my mind that Davey would use me again,” Orosco said. “But he did. And it’s great what happened.”

Orosco rebounded from Friday’s debacle by working out of a ninth-inning jam that enabled the Orioles to win later in the 12th. He got Jose Vizcaino to ground out, then struck out Kenny Lofton to end the inning.

Johnson said there was no chance he wouldn’t use Orosco.

“He has been so important to us,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be here today without him.”

*

Cleveland starter Charles Nagy equaled his career high with 12 strikeouts, but he accounted for barely half of the Indians’ playoff-record 23. Jose Mesa had six strikeouts, Paul Assenmacher and Eric Plunk two apiece and Alan Embree one. St. Louis held the old record of 17. Bob Gibson accounted for all of those against Detroit in Game 1 of the 1967 World Series. . . . Cleveland third baseman Jim Thome learned Friday he broke a bone in his right hand during Game 1 Tuesday in Baltimore. He did not play Saturday and might need surgery.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SERIES AT A GLANCE

* GAME 1--Baltimore 10, Cleveland 4

* GAME 2--Baltimore 7, Cleveland 4

* GAME 3--Cleveland 9, Baltimore 4

* GAME 4--Baltimore 4, Cleveland 3

(12 innings)