Catalanotto Makes a Name For Himself

Frank Catalanotto doesn’t have to worry about whether his name will be penciled into Detroit Tiger manager Larry Parrish’s lineup card the next few days.

In fact, there’s a chance Catalanotto might be the first name Parrish writes down--with a pen.

Catalanotto’s second homer of the game, a two-run shot in the eighth inning against reliever Paul Shuey, helped give the Tigers a 9-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night at Cleveland.

Catalanotto hit a solo homer in the fourth and went four for four for the Tigers, whose victory denied the Indians (29-11) a chance for the best 40-game start in their 99-year history.

“I think Cat might get to play tomorrow,” Parrish joked after watching one of his favorite players enjoy a career night. “I expected him to help the offense out. I didn’t quite expect him to hit two home runs.”

With shortstop Deivi Cruz struggling at the plate in a one-for-23 slump, Parrish decided to start Damion Easley at shortstop and Catalanotto at second. It’s safe to say he’ll stick with that combo for the immediate future.

Catalanotto, who has started at three infield spots and designated hitter this season, said he has never had a game like this--at any level.

“I don’t think I’ve had a more satisfying game,” he said. “And especially to do it against the Indians.”

Dean Palmer added a two-run double in the ninth for Detroit.

Travis Fryman hit a three-run homer and Manny Ramirez had a solo shot for Cleveland, who lost for the second time in 11 games. Both losses have been to the Tigers.

Shuey (2-2) came in to protect a 6-5 lead in the eighth and got two outs before walking Gabe Kapler. Catalanotto followed with his fourth homer, a shot into the right-field seats, giving the second baseman his first career multi-homer and four-hit game.

Boston 5, Toronto 2--Pat Rapp became the latest Red Sox pitcher with an impressive outing, giving up one run on three hits in six-plus innings at Boston.

Rapp (2-2), signed as a free agent during the off-season, struggled with his control in most of his first seven starts. He didn’t make it past the fourth inning four times.

“It felt pretty good,” said Rapp, who entered the game with a 7.24 ERA. “I’ve been concentrating on my mechanics for two months and it just hasn’t been working out. In the last couple of weeks we found a little glitch in my motion and we’ve been working on it.”

Rapp, acquired to be Boston’s fifth starter, has seen recent strong efforts from right-handers Juan Pena, currently on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, and Brian Rose.

Rapp walked three and struck out seven.

John Valentin’s two-run single capped a four-run fifth as the Red Sox took advantage of a defensive blunder by the Blue Jays, leading to their big inning.

The Red Sox, who had at least 10 hits in 13 consecutive games before being shut down by the Yankees’ Orlando Hernandez Thursday, didn’t get their first hit until Jeff Frye’s two-out, game-tying run-scoring single in the fifth.

Kelvim Escobar (3-2), who had his shortest start of the season last Sunday against Boston, struck out six of the first 10 batters he faced before giving up four runs on three hits in the fifth.

Minnesota 2, Oakland 1--Doug Mientkiewicz singled home the winning run with one out in the 15th inning at Minneapolis as the Twins ended a six-game losing streak.

The Twins loaded the bases with none out when Todd Walker doubled, Denny Hocking bunted for a single and Matt Lawton was intentionally walked.

Doug Jones (1-1) struck out Ron Coomer before Mientkiewicz singled. Oakland lost its fourth in a row.

Travis Miller (1-0), recalled from triple-A Salt Lake City earlier in the day, got the victory with a hitless final inning. Miller relieved Mike Trombley, who pitched five scoreless innings.

Miguel Tejada gave Oakland a 1-0 lead in the seventh with a run-scoring double off Twin starter LaTroy Hawkins. Eric Chavez walked before Tejada’s hit.

The Twins tied it in the bottom half, loading the bases with no outs on singles by pinch-hitter Marty Cordova, Javier Valentin and Cristian Guzman against reliever Buddy Groom.

After Groom retired Walker on a short fly ball, T.J. Mathews relieved. Mathews struck out Torii Hunter, but walked Lawton to make it 1-1.

Jimmy Haynes went the first six innings for Oakland, giving up six hits, before Groom took over in the seventh.

Hawkins, who entered the game with a 9.00 earned-run average, allowed four baserunners in the first five innings. The Twins have scored no runs in six of his nine starts this season.

Seattle 5, Kansas City 2--Jamie Moyer beat the Royals for the second time in five days as the Mariners won their fifth in a row in a game at Kansas City, Mo.

Moyer, who pitched a complete game last Sunday in a 5-1 victory, went six innings this time and gave up one run and seven hits. He struck out four and walked none to win his third consecutive start.

The crowd of 29,547 was the third-largest of the season in Kansas City and included a walk-up of 12,590, suggesting a growing excitement for a team that had won five of six while setting a six-game scoring record of 58 runs.

Rookie second baseman Carlos Febles, who was eight for 13 against the Mariners in three games in Seattle last week, was four for four, including a run-scoring single in the second.

John Mabry reached base four times for Seattle, including three singles, and scored twice. Ken Griffey Jr. singled, doubled and stole two bases for the Mariners.

New York at Chicago--Roger Clemens will have to wait another day to get back in the Yankee rotation and try for his AL-record 18th consecutive victory.

Clemens, who hasn’t pitched since April 27 because of a strained left hamstring, was activated from the disabled list before his scheduled start against the White Sox was rained out.

The game never started and was called after a delay of 1 hour 59 minutes. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

Clemens will pitch the first game against John Snyder.