Ogea Hits Big Time

They had their ace on the mound and the crowd on their side. Things couldn’t have looked better for the Florida Marlins.

But the Cleveland Indians weren’t ready to go home.

Powered by starter Chad Ogea’s pitching and hitting, the Indians defeated the Marlins, 4-1, Saturday night to force the first Game 7 in the World Series since 1991. The decisive game will be played here tonight, and one of these teams will earn baseball’s biggest prize.

“We’ve been down in the playoffs again and again, so we knew we could come down here and win,” Indian outfielder Marquis Grissom said. “Nobody in this clubhouse ever doubted that.

“There’s just something about this team that makes us play better when we’re against the wall. Now, this is going to be fun.”

The Indians will start rookie right-hander Jaret Wright, the son of former Angel pitcher Clyde Wright, tonight in the Series’ final game. Wright won Game 4 on Wednesday and will be pitching on three days’ rest. The Marlins will start veteran left-hander Al Leiter, who has struggled in the postseason.

“This is the final game of the year and the most important game,” Indian first baseman Jim Thome said. “No one needs to say anything right now.”

After escaping the cold and snow of Cleveland, the fifth-year Marlins came home to wrap up the Series in their kind of weather. The temperature at game time was 80 degrees and South Florida was prepared to party.

But the Marlins’ offense was chilled by Ogea and three relievers, disappointing a Pro Player Stadium crowd of 67,498, the largest to attend a baseball game here.

Ogea defeated Marlin ace Kevin Brown for the second time in the Series. Ogea outdueled his Marlin counterpart in Game 2, and the right-hander did it again Saturday by giving up one run and four hits in five innings.

Brown was eager to clinch the Series after clinching the championship series against the Braves in Atlanta. But Brown struggled for the second time in as many Series starts, giving up four runs and five hits in five innings.

Ogea also had a big impact at the plate. He had two hits in two at-bats--including a double--and drove in two runs.

“I think the last time I had [a hit] was in high school,” Ogea said. “I was just trying to go up there and make contact. It was fun.”

Ogea, who was hitless in four at-bats in his career before Saturday, became the first pitcher to drive in two runs in a Series game since Mike Moore did it for Oakland in 1989 against San Francisco. He is the first pitcher to get two hits since David Cone had two for Toronto in 1992 against Atlanta.

In the second inning, Ogea drove in all the runs the Indians would need.

Matt Williams opened the inning by hitting a sharp grounder to third that Bobby Bonilla couldn’t handle. It appeared to be a routine play, but it was ruled a hit.

Jim Thome walked and Grissom walked with one out to load the bases for Ogea, who didn’t get a hit in two at-bats in interleague play. Ogea was hitless in two at-bats in Game 2, but he laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that contributed to the Indians’ three-run fifth.

On Saturday, Ogea slapped a 2-and-2 pitch from Brown over the glove of first baseman Jeff Conine and into right field. Williams scored from third and Thome from second, sliding under the sweep tag by catcher Charles Johnson.

“To me, that was the key to the game,” said Grissom, who made a running, over-the-shoulder basket catch of a ball hit by Conine in the second inning.

“Chad had been swinging the bat pretty well in batting practice, but I was still surprised. I think we all were.”

And Ogea was only getting loose. In the fifth, he set up the Indians’ fourth run.

Ogea hit Brown’s first pitch of the inning down the right-field line and into the corner. Ogea scored from third on Manny Ramirez’s one-out sacrifice fly to center, Ramirez’s second sacrifice fly of the game. The Indians led, 4-0, and the Marlins had only one hit against Ogea to that point.

“I felt I had good command tonight, but I got kind of gassed running the bases,” Ogea said. “When you don’t usually run the bases, it’s absolutely different for you.”

The game’s importance was reflected by the managers’ many moves. With a chance to score in the fifth, Marlin Manager Jim Leyland hit for his ace.

Darren Daulton came through, hitting a one-out fly ball to right to bring in Moises Alou from third and cut the Indians’ lead to 4-1. Devon White singled to put runners at the corners, but Edgar Renteria grounded out to end the inning.

With runners on second and third with two out in the sixth, Johnson hit a hard grounder into the hole that would have scored at least one run and probably two. However, shortstop Omar Vizquel made a diving stop to his right on the lip of the outfield grass. The Gold Glover threw to first to get Johnson easily, getting reliever Mike Jackson out of a jam.

In the seventh, Jackson got out of another jam. He faced Bonilla with two out and the bases loaded, and got Bonilla to pop out to shallow center to end the inning. Paul Assenmacher pitched a scoreless eighth and Jose Mesa a scoreless ninth for the save.

“Our clubhouse is loose and relaxed,” Vizquel said. “We’re not worried, we’re looking forward to [Game 7]. We don’t feel any pressure, the pressure is on them.”

Everyone will find out soon enough.

* ANALYSIS: It will be rookie Wright pitching his latest big game, facing Leiter in Game 7. C16