Indians Ease Pain of October

The Cleveland Indians haven’t forgotten last October. They just don’t want to relive it.

Six months after an infamous collapse against the Boston Red Sox in the American League playoffs, Cleveland finally got to stage a little comeback of its own Friday night in a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox at Cleveland.

The Indians got six strong innings from Dave Burba. They got clutch hits to overcome a two-run deficit. And unlike last year when their bullpen imploded in the division series, this time the Indians’ relievers got the job done.

“Hopefully, we’ll be up 2-0 in a series again this year,” said closer Steve Karsay, who got his third save. “This time we won’t give it away.”

Manny Ramirez, David Justice and Jim Thome hit run-scoring singles in the sixth when the Indians rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Thome’s single against Rheal Cormier put the Indians ahead 4-3, and Indian Manager Charlie Manuel turned to his bullpen to finish off the Red Sox.

Burba (3-1) gave up six hits in six innings and four relievers combined for three scoreless innings as the Indians opened a six-game homestand that includes two more games against the Red Sox and three against the New York Yankees--two teams they expect to see late in the fall.

“I had a feeling we’d be playing in some tight games over the next five or six days,” said Paul Shuey, who pitched the eighth. “There’s always a little something there when we play Boston and New York. There’s an undercurrent. They got us last year so there’s a little bit more to this series.”

Any victory against the Red Sox is a positive for the Indians. Boston was 8-4 against Cleveland last year and is 16-8 against the Indians since 1997.

Chicago 3, Detroit 2--James Baldwin pitched 7 1/3 strong innings for his fourth consecutive victory and Jose Valentin hit a two-run homer for the White Sox at Detroit.

“The key was throwing strikes,” said Baldwin, who threw 67 of his 101 pitches for strikes. “Any time you’re throwing strikes, it keeps everybody on their toes, you play quick, and that helps a lot.”

It was the teams’ first game since suspensions and fines were handed down Thursday by Frank Robinson, baseball’s vice president of on-field operations, as a result of a brawl last weekend in Chicago.

Managers Phil Garner of the Tigers and Jerry Manuel of the White Sox began serving eight-game suspensions, leaving bench coaches to run the teams--Bob Melvin the Tigers and Joe Nossek the White Sox.

Detroit third baseman Dean Palmer and reliever Doug Brocail began serving eight- and four-game suspensions, respectively. Chicago outfielder Carlos Lee and pitcher Bobby Howry each began serving three-game penalties.

Baldwin is the first White Sox pitcher to open a season 4-0 since Wilson Alvarez went 8-0 to begin 1994. Baldwin gave up two runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two.

Baltimore 4, Texas 3--Reliever Jeff Zimmerman balked home pinch-runner Mark Lewis with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning at Baltimore to give the Orioles their eighth consecutive home victory.

Cal Ripken led off the ninth with a single against Zimmerman (0-3). Lewis, playing his second game for the Orioles after being claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds, moved to third on Will Clark’s double.

With a 1-and-1 count on Greg Myers, plate umpire Ian Lamplugh called Zimmerman for a balk and Lewis trotted home.

Lamplugh ejected Baltimore left fielder B.J. Surhoff in the first inning for arguing a called third strike. Because he had played the field in the top half, Surhoff extended his consecutive games streak to 345 games, the longest current string in the majors.

Jeff Conine and Mike Bordick homered for the Orioles, who have not lost at Camden Yards since dropping their season opener to Cleveland on April 3. Bordick drove in two runs and has 29 to lead the league.

Kansas City 8, Seattle 5--Joe Randa, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Febles all drove in two runs in front of more than 36,000 at Kansas City, leading the American League’s best home team to its seventh consecutive victory.

Excluding season openers, the paid attendance of 36,317 was the biggest crowd for an April game at Kansas City since 1989. The Royals, whose slumping attendance in recent years has fueled fears the team might leave town, own the best home record (9-1) in the league and had won their previous six at home in their final at-bat.

Miguel Batista (1-0), in his first appearance since being acquired from the Montreal Expos on Tuesday, went four innings in relief for his first American League victory. He gave up one hit and walked three.

Oakland 5, Minnesota 2--Rookie Adam Piatt singled in two runs in the A’s five-run seventh inning at Minneapolis.

Gil Heredia (2-2) gave up two unearned runs in six innings. He struck out three and walked two.

Matt Lawton drove in two runs on two ground-rule doubles for Minnesota, which lost its second in a row. Lawton has a 14-game hitting streak, the longest of his career.