Ramirez Shines With 160th RBI

Manny Ramirez’s runs batted in total is putting him among some of baseball’s biggest names. And it may win him a most valuable player award as well.

Ramirez drove in a run to reach 160 RBIs, the most in the majors since Jimmie Foxx had 175 in 1938, and Wil Cordero hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians spoiled the Toronto Blue Jays’ last home game of the season with an 11-7 victory Sunday.

“Manny is MVP. If people don’t vote for him it’s a shame,” Kenny Lofton said. “Guys need to write about him. He deserves MVP and that’s the bottom line.”

The Rangers’ Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro, New York’s Derek Jeter, Boston’s Pedro Martinez and Ramirez’s teammate Roberto Alomar will also merit consideration.

“There’ll be sentiment for a lot of guys and I think Manny is right there among the leaders, if not the leader. I think Manny and Alomar deserve to be MVP,” Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove said.

Cordero homered on Billy Koch’s (0-5) first pitch of the ninth. The Indians added three more runs in the inning on Alomar’s bases-loaded double. Alomar is hitting .328 with 24 homers and 117 RBIs.

“I would vote for Manny,” Alomar said. “The guys that have won it in the past are guys with a lot of power and drive in a lot of runs. I think if you talk about the all-around game, I have a good chance. If you talk homers and RBIs, I have a slight chance.”

Tampa Bay 6, New York 5--Tony Graffanino hit the Devil Rays’ team-record seventh double of the game, capping a two-run rally in the eighth inning that led to a victory at New York.

Bubba Trammell homered and doubled twice as the Devil Rays defeated the Yankees for the second consecutive day after losing their first nine games at Yankee Stadium and 17 of 18 overall to New York. Tampa Bay won consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 3-4 against Minnesota.

Derek Jeter doubled to become the second Yankee shortstop with 100 RBIs. He joined Lyn Lary, who had 107 RBIs in 1931.

Chicago 3, Minnesota 0--James Baldwin took a shutout into the ninth inning and Chris Singleton and Paul Konerko hit consecutive homers in the sixth as the White Sox defeated the Twins at Minneapolis.

Baldwin (11-13) gave up five hits, three walks and struck out five in eight-plus innings as the White Sox won their second in a row after losing four in a row.

Baldwin missed a chance for his first shutout in 118 career starts when he was replaced after walking Matt Lawton to lead off the ninth. Bob Howry finished for his 25th save.

Detroit 6, Kansas City 1--Deivi Cruz, Dean Palmer and Gabe Kapler homered and rookie Dave Borkowski retired the first 13 Royals as the Tigers won the next-to-last game in Tiger Stadium.

Detroit’s Juan Encarnacion, bleeding profusely, was helped from the field after being hit in the face by a pitch from Blake Stein in the fourth inning. Encarnacion received a fractured left cheekbone and a broken nose. The pitch was up and in on Encarnacion, a right-handed batter. As he began backing away from the plate, Encarnacion turned his face into the pitch.