Indians Come Back to Haunt Benitez Again

Armando Benitez, haunted by Cleveland to the tune of a 12.00 earned-run average in last season’s American League championship series, walked in the tying run and gave up Omar Vizquel’s game-winning single with two out in the ninth as the Indians defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 6-5, Tuesday night at Cleveland.

Cleveland’s second consecutive last at-bat win at home came after the Orioles went ahead in the top of the ninth on Lenny Webster’s two-out RBI single off Paul Assenmacher. It was the Indians’ 10th comeback win of the year and fifth in their last at-bat at home.

“If this situation had come up a week ago, we probably wouldn’t have gotten it done,” Cleveland’s Brian Giles said. “We’re building on this.”

Webster appeared to get redemption for Vizquel’s missed squeeze bunt in the 12th inning of Cleveland’s 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the AL championship series last fall. Marquis Grissom scored the winning run in the game, but Webster maintains to this day that Vizquel foul-tipped the ball.

The Indians won the series in six games, setting a league championship series record with four one-run victories.

“We’ve got to get through these guys,” said Baltimore’s Jesse Orosco, who played for the Indians in the early ‘90s. “They’ve got a lot of spirit over here.”

Vizquel was the spoiler again, pulling an inside fastball from Benitez (1-1) to right to drive in Jim Thome with the winning run.

“I threw my best pitch, a fastball inside, and he hit it,” said Benitez, who also gave up a grand slam to Albert Belle in the 1996 AL division series against Cleveland.

“I was looking for something inside and pretty hard,” said Vizquel, who lost a cap on one of his teeth while taking a bite out of an apple in the third inning. “This is a team that’s offensive. It’s hard to sneak a fastball by any guys here.”

Sandy Alomar led off Cleveland’s ninth with a bloop single, Travis Fryman was hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter Giles walked to force home the tying run.

After Shawon Dunston struck out and Kenny Lofton fouled out, Vizquel gave Benitez (1-1) another bad Cleveland memory.

“I thought it was going to be over before I came up,” Vizquel said. “I was telling the guys, ‘Pack up, pack up, pack up. It’s over.’ ”

Oriole Manager Ray Miller had Norm Charlton and Arthur Rhodes ready in the bullpen, but elected to stay with Benitez.

“I talked to Jim Leyland before the season, and he said you don’t get involved in playing yourself,” Miller said. “You get everybody in the right place and live with your decisions. That’s it.”

Assenmacher (2-3) got one out in the ninth for the victory, Cleveland’s fourth in a row. They beat Tampa Bay, 10-8, on Sunday by scoring five runs in the ninth, including Alomar’s grand slam.

Strange things happen to the Orioles when they come to Jacobs Field. Webster also was the catcher in Game 4 of the playoff game when David Justice and Alomar scored on a wild pitch in Cleveland’s 8-7 victory.

Boston 4, Minnesota 2--Nomar Garciaparra hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning and Tim Wakefield won his third consecutive start to lead the Red Sox at Boston.

The Red Sox have won 18 of their last 22 games and have come from behind in 15 of their 21 victories this season.

Troy O’Leary tied the score, 2-2, with a leadoff homer in the seventh against Bob Tewksbury (3-4), who didn’t allow a hit until Scott Hatteberg’s one-out single in the fifth.

Two outs after the homer, Darren Lewis singled, Mark Lemke walked and Garciaparra sent a drive off the wall in right-center field.

Wakefield (3-1) gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two. In winning three decisions in a row, he matched a feat he accomplished only twice last year.

New York 7, Texas 2--David Cone took a no-hitter into the fifth inning at Arlington, Texas, and led the Yankees to their 20th win in 22 games.

Paul O’Neill hit a three-run homer in the first off John Burkett (2-4) and drove in four runs. At 21-6, the Yankees are off to their best start since the 1958 team opened 21-5.

Cone (4-1) won his fourth consecutive start, giving up two runs and three hits in five innings. Darren Holmes and Jeff Nelson completed the four-hitter.

Kansas City 4, Tampa Bay 2--Dean Palmer hit a two-run single at Kansas City, Mo., as the Royals stopped a three-game losing streak and sent the Devil Rays to their 12th loss in 14 games.

Royals’ starter Hipolito Pichardo (2-2) left after splitting a callous on a finger of his right hand while pitching to Quinton McCracken leading off the sixth inning. Jeff Montgomery pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Wilson Alvarez (3-4) lost his third consecutive start, giving up four runs and 10 hits in five innings.

Seattle 8, Chicago 1--Ken Griffey Jr. hit his league-leading 13th homer, David Segui homered twice, and Jeff Fassero pitched a three-hitter at Seattle.

Alex Rodriguez and Robert Perez also homered for Seattle, which had five in a game for the first time this season.

The Mariners, who have won three in a row for the first time since a six-game winning streak in mid-April, lead the majors with 54 homers. Seattle, seeking its third division title in four seasons, moved to within a game of .500 at 15-16.

Albert Belle hit his seventh homer for the White Sox.

Fassero (3-1) gave up one run, struck out five and walked two in the 11th complete game of his career and first of the season.