Pirates Overpower Indians for Second Game in a Row

The Cleveland Indians rarely lose because their major league-leading offense can’t keep up. Two games in less than 24 hours against the Pittsburgh Pirates proved an exception.

Kevin Young and Al Martin each homered twice Saturday and the Pirates again turned to big innings and big hits to beat the Indians at their own game, winning, 13-10.

The Pirates had 29 hits in outscoring the Indians, 24-13, in winning the final two games of a three-game interleague series that attracted 126,438 to Three Rivers Stadium. The Indians won, 2-0, on Thursday.

“It seemed like the game was riding on every single pitch,” Martin said. “You had to concentrate every single minute you were out there. It was a very intense game, and the heat made it even more intense.”

The temperature reached 98 degrees during a 3-hour 41-minute game in which 13 pitchers gave up 32 hits, 16 by each team.

Young matched a career high with five runs batted in on a two-run homer following Martin’s two-run shot in the fourth and a three-run drive against Steve Reed in the sixth. Young’s second homer came in a four-run inning that made the score 11-6 after the Indians cut the Pirates’ five-run lead to 7-6.

“A five-run lead against them means nothing,” Manager Gene Lamont said. “Heck, in one game this year, they were down by eight and won by nine.”

Martin’s second homer was his 13th--one more than last year--and made the score 12-7. But the Pirates still needed reliever Mike Williams to get the final five outs after the Indians scored three runs in the eighth and had the potential tying run on base.