Baines’ Impact Felt Immediately

After moving up 20 games in the standings, Harold Baines stepped into the batter’s box for the Cleveland Indians and a dizzying six hours slowed to a crawl.

Baines, acquired in a trade earlier Friday from the Baltimore Orioles, hurried into Jacobs Field, quickly threw on his new jersey and drove in two runs in his first at-bat for Cleveland.

“Once you get the uniform on, all the other stuff is gone,” he said after leading the Indians to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Rushing from the airport, Baines arrived at the ballpark 50 minutes before the first pitch. Before dressing, he stopped in the office of Indian Manager Mike Hargrove, who had Baines penciled in at designated hitter and batting fifth.

“I said, ‘I’ve got you in the starting lineup,’ ” Hargrove recounted. “Are you tired? And he said, ‘A little, let me put my uniform on.’ ”

In the first inning, Roberto Alomar bunted for a two-out single and Manny Ramirez followed with a double down the left-field line, bringing up Baines, obtained for minor league pitcher Juan Aracena and a player to be named.

Baines then hit a two-run single for all the runs the Indians would need against Rolando Arrojo (4-9).

Dave Burba (11-7) pitched around trouble all night, giving up one run--a homer by Paul Sorrento--and six hits in eight innings.

Tampa Bay got the tying run to third in the ninth when Mike Jackson walked Wade Boggs and made a fielding error on Jose Guillen’s bunt, but Jackson retired pinch-hitter Terrell Lowery on a game-ending grounder for his 30th save in 33 chances.