Ogea Squeezes the Marlins

By JASON REID

Oct. 20, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MIAMI —

One loss doesn’t faze the Cleveland Indians, especially a loss in the opening game of a postseason series.

Veterans that they are, the Indians know how to rebound. They did so again Sunday night.

Led by the strong pitching of starter Chad Ogea, the American League champions defeated the Florida Marlins, 6-1, in Game 2 of the World Series.

The Indians, who had won the second game after losses in their previous two playoff series this season, tied the best-of-seven series 1-1, as it shifts to Jacobs Field for the next three games, beginning Tuesday night.

The temperature was 77 degrees in Miami on Sunday. It’s expected to be in the low 30s in Cleveland on Tuesday. A Pro Player Stadium crowd of 67,025 hoped it hadn’t seen the final Marlin home game of the season.

“We don’t try to do this,” said Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove, whose team has lost the first game in six of its last seven playoff series.

“But there’s no reason in panicking over something that you can’t control, because it’s already over with. It doesn’t work to sit and stew over Game 1 when you’ve got Game 2 facing you. You have to move on.”

The Indians did Sunday night, thanks to Ogea and 14 hits--their most in this postseason. Ogea pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up one run and seven hits. He struck out four and walked one.

“I knew coming out of the bullpen I was throwing the ball well,” Ogea said. “I was a little hyper in the beginning after the national anthem, so I just took a deep breath and told myself to calm down.”

The Indians had lost Game 1 of the AL division series to the New York Yankees--then defeated all-star Andy Pettitte in Game 2. The Indians defeated the Orioles in Game 2 of the championship series on Marquis Grissom’s eighth-inning, three-run homer against hard-throwing reliever Armando Benitez.

On Sunday, it was right-hander Kevin Brown’s turn. Brown, the Marlin ace, pitched a complete game in the NL championship series clincher against the Braves.

Against the Indians, Brown was gone after six innings. He gave up six runs and 10 hits, striking out four and walking two. The Indians scored three runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth on Sandy Alomar’s two-run home run. Grissom had three hits in four at-bats, with one run scored and one batted in.

“It seemed like Brownie kept searching for his right release point,” Marlin Manger Jim Leyland said. “He just couldn’t seem to find it.

“But you have to credit Chad Ogea, he changed speeds and mixed pitches. He pitched outstanding.”

Ogea had pitched well in two starts against Baltimore in the championship series but lost both games. The Indians hadn’t scored in Ogea’s previous 19 1/3 postseason innings.

They gave him a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, which Ogea lost in the bottom of the inning. However, Ogea wouldn’t give up the lead up again.

He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of 28 batters. He left after giving up a two-out double to Devon White in the seventh.

The performance was especially gratifying for the right-hander because he had spent 10 weeks on the disabled list with elbow problems. During several rehabilitation starts in the minors, Ogea doubted a night like Sunday would happen for him.

“The injuries really made me rededicate my whole career,” Ogea said.

As they did in Game 1, the Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first. With one out, Omar Vizquel doubled off the right-field wall. Vizquel scored on David Justice’s two-out single to right.

“We can hit,” Justice said. “Kevin [Brown] is human like everyone else.”

The Marlins scored their only run in the bottom of the inning. Edgar Renteria singled to center with one out and scored on Jeff Conine’s two-out single to center.

Florida had been alarmed in the inning when Ogea hit Gary Sheffield on the left wrist with a pitch. However, Sheffield remained in the game.

Ogea worked out of jams in the third and fourth.

The Marlins had put two runners on with one out against Ogea in the third. But Bobby Bonilla and Conine hit fly balls to end the inning.

In the fourth, Moises Alou opened the inning with a double to left. But Bonilla hit a slow roller in front of the plate, and Alomar threw out Alou at third. A popup and groundout followed.

“I got out of a lot of jams tonight,” Ogea said. “There were runners all over the bases but our team stepped it up.”

The Indians scored their runs in the fifth on a one-out single by Grissom and a two-out, two-run single by Bip Roberts. Ogea contributed with a sacrifice bunt.

“Chad laid down a very good bunt, and that was a key,” Hargrove said. “But I’d still rather see a designated hitter come up and hit a home run.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SERIES AT A GLANCE

CLEVELAND vs. FLORIDA

TV: Channel 4

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: Florida 7, Cleveland 4

Game 2 Cleveland 6, Florida 1

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

Wed.: at Cleveland, 5:15 p.m.

Thu.: at Cleveland, 5:15 p.m.*

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