Fish Sticks Batter Indians

By JASON REID

Oct. 19, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MIAMI —

They arrived early, excited and prepared to party. The Florida Marlin fans were ready, all they needed was a reason.

The Marlins didn’t make them wait long.

Beginning another chapter in their first postseason story, the National League champions used a four-run fourth inning, and survived a ninth-inning challenge, to defeat the Cleveland Indians, 7-4, Saturday night in Game 1 of the World Series.

The Marlins hit back-to-back home runs, a three-run homer by Moises Alou and a solo homer by Charles Johnson, in the fourth inning against former World Series most valuable player Orel Hershiser. Then they withstood a Cleveland rally in the ninth to win the first World Series game played in Florida.

Marlin closer Robb Nen gave up one-out singles in the ninth to David Justice and Matt Williams to put the tying run at the plate. However, Nen struck Jim Thome and Sandy Alomar to end the game.

The fifth-year Marlins sent a Pro Player Stadium crowd of 67,245, the largest to attend a baseball game here, smiling into the South Florida night. The Indians and Marlins will do this again tonight in Game 2, and the Marlins expect their fans to be just as excited. If not more so.

“The fans have been incredible,” Alou said. “This has never happened here before, so everyone is excited. The fans are loud and everyone is having a good time.”

Alou did his part to keep the party going in the fourth.

On an 0-and-2 count, Alou smashed a breaking ball from Hershiser off the left-field foul pole to give the Marlins a 4-1 lead. The homer was his second big hit in the playoffs. Alou also drove in the winning run with a single in the ninth inning of Game 2 in the division series against San Francisco.

“That felt awesome,” Alou said. “It felt good to get your first World Series homer against a great pitcher like Orel. I didn’t think it was going to stay fair.”

There was no doubt about Johnson’s upper-deck homer, which gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead and marked the 11th time consecutive homers had been hit in the World Series.

“Those were obviously big, big hits for us,” Marlin Manager Jim Leyland said. “There’s no defense for home runs and you never know when they are going to happen.”

Alou was beginning to wonder himself. Alou had led Florida with 23 home runs and 115 runs batted in during the regular season, but he had struggled in the postseason. He had been slowed by a sprained left wrist in the championship series against the Braves that caused him to sit out a game.

Before Saturday, Alou had hit .138 (four for 29) in the postseason with no homers and six runs batted in.

“My wrist hurt, but I can’t blame it on my wrist,” Alou said. “I wasn’t swinging well, but I never doubted myself. There’s no better feeling than this because Orel can get you into a lot of comfortable oh-fers.”

Hershiser had pitched a gem in his last postseason start, giving up four hits and no runs in seven innings against Baltimore in Game 3 of the AL championship series. He walked one and struck out seven in a game the Indians won, 2-1, in 12 innings.

He wasn’t as fortunate on this night.

Hershiser, the MVP of the 1988 Series with the Dodgers, pitched only 4 1/3 innings. He gave up seven runs and six hits, including the homers by Alou and Johnson. Hershiser, who walked four and struck out two, gave up as many runs to the Marlins in Game 1 as he had in his previous 32 innings in the World Series.

And he tied the record for most earned runs given up in a World Series game, held by four others. His Series earned-run average increased from 1.69 to 3.22.

Marlin rookie right-hander Livan Hernandez fared better, although he didn’t seem to think so. Hernandez (1-0) gave up three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. NBC cameras caught Hernandez, 22, the youngest pitcher to start a World Series game, kicking equipment in the Marlin clubhouse when Leyland removed him from the game.

“I did get a little angry today, but I was angry at myself,” Hernandez said through an interpreter. “We’re down to the final game of the season and I got behind on batters.”

Hernandez was the MVP in the NL championship series after going 2-0 with a 0.84 ERA in two games against the Braves. An emergency starter in Game 5, Hernandez inspired his teammates with a record-setting, 15-strikeout performance in Florida’s 2-1 victory.

On Friday, Hernandez received the key to the city. On Saturday, he struggled at times.

Hernandez, the first rookie pitcher to start in the World Series since the Dodgers’ Tim Belcher in 1988, appeared nervous in the beginning. He struggled with his control in the first inning as thousands of flashbulbs flickered around him.

Dennis Cook relieved Hernandez in the sixth, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. The Indians scored one run against right-handed reliever Jay Powell in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-4, setting up the final inning.

“You never feel comfortable until the last out, especially with a ballclub like this,” Leyland said. “But this is only one game. We need three more.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SERIES AT A GLANCE

CLEVELAND vs. FLORIDA

TV: Channel 4

Florida leads series 1-0

Game 1: Florida 7, Cleveland 4

Today: at Florida, 4:30 p.m.

Tue.: at Cleveland, 5:20 p.m.

Wed.: at Cleveland, 5:20 p.m.

Thu.: at Cleveland, 5:20 p.m.*

Sat.: at Florida, 5 p.m.*