Indians Make Up for a Loss With a Win

Cleveland regrouped on the field, while Tampa Bay made an attempt to do the same in the clubhouse.

The Indians won their first game since all-star Jim Thome was lost for at least a month because of a broken bone in his right hand, defeating the struggling Devil Rays, 6-2, on Saturday night at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Charles Nagy pitched three-hit ball for eight innings and Brian Giles hit a solo homer to pace Cleveland, whose bench will get a good test with Thome out.

Jeff Manto and Enrique Wilson drove in two of the three runs the Indians scored to take a 3-0 lead in the second.

“You can’t really make up for what Jimmy brings to our team, but we have to do the best we can,” said No.8 hitter David Bell, who went four for four with one RBI. “I think we have enough good players where we can still win without him.”

Down the hall, Tampa Bay held a team meeting with Manager Larry Rothschild emerging with harsh words to say about the team’s effort in losing for the sixth time in seven games.

“It seemed like as soon as we got behind the game was over. We have to be better than that,” Rothschild said, declining to discuss specifics about the meeting.

“There are still 49 games left, and that’s a heck of a lot of baseball. A lot of things can happen, both good and bad. It’s human nature to have letdowns. . .But it’s a 162-game schedule, and I expect us to play 162 games. And that’s it.”

Nagy (10-7) gave up a second-inning home run by Bubba Trammell, a single by Wade Boggs in the third, and Mike DiFelice’s triple in the eighth. The right-hander struck out two and walked one.

Mike Jackson pitched a perfect ninth.

Giles, returning to Cleveland’s lineup after sitting out four games because of an infection from a spider bite on his left leg, hit his 14th homer off Bryan Rekar (1-4) for a 4-1 lead in the sixth.

“I told him: ‘Be sure and go find that scorpion and make him a pet,’ ” Indian Manager Mike Hargrove joked about Giles, who went two for three.

Boston 11, Texas 1--Darren Bragg was four for six with two homers and Tim Wakefield pitched eight strong innings at Arlington, Texas, as the Red Sox routed the Rangers to end Texas’ six-game winning streak.

Wakefield (14-5) gave up one run on seven hits, struck out three and walked two for his eighth victory in last 11 starts.

New York 14, Kansas City 1--Jorge Posada drove in a career-high six runs and Scott Brosius capped a six-run sixth inning with a three-run homer to lift Orlando Hernandez and the Yankees at New York.

On pace to the break the 1906 Chicago Cubs’ record of 116 wins, the Yankees (83-29) will play 32 of their final 50 games at Yankee Stadium, where they are 41-8.

Hernandez (7-3) gave up four hits and one walk, striking out seven in eight innings to win his second consecutive start.

Baltimore 6, Minnesota 3--Rafael Palmeiro hit a three-run homer, his 35th of the season, and Brady Anderson added a two-run shot as the Orioles won at Minneapolis.

Eric Davis also extended his hitting streak to 24 games for the Orioles, tying Palmeiro’s team record set in 1994 and helping Baltimore win its fifth consecutive game.

With the White Sox’s doubleheader sweep of the Angels, Baltimore pulled even with Anaheim for second place in the AL wild-card race, 7 1/2 games behind Boston. The Orioles trailed the Red Sox by 15 1/2 games at the all-star break.

“When it’s all over and done we’ll see where we’re at,” Manager Ray Miller said. “Hopefully we’ll have enough time.”

Toronto 6, Oakland 5--Mark Dalesandro hit a bases-loaded, one-out infield single in the 10th inning to lift the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Dalesandro, pinch-hitting for Felipe Crespo, hit a high chopper to shortstop Miguel Tejada, with Jose Canseco beating the throw to the plate.

Dan Plesac (4-3) pitched the 10th for the victory.