Ramirez Too Much for Faltering Mariners

When Manny Ramirez is in right field and batting cleanup, the Cleveland Indians are a different team.

Ramirez hit his 13th grand slam and Jason Bere took a shutout into the seventh inning Saturday at Cleveland, leading the Indians to a 10-4 win over the slumping Seattle Mariners, who dropped their seventh in a row.

Ramirez, who missed 39 games this season because of a strained right hamstring, connected for his 25th homer in the sixth inning off Jamie Moyer (11-7) as the Indians won their second straight in an important six-game homestand.

Cleveland went 19-20 without their all-star right fielder and watched Chicago pull away in the AL Central.

Yet despite missing nearly one-quarter of the season, Ramirez, who drove in 165 runs last year, leads the Indians with 80 RBIs. And since returning from the DL on July 13, Ramirez has 12 homers and 33 RBIs.

“All you have to do is look at his stats,” Indian Manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s playing great. I just hope it continues.”

The win moved the Indians within one game of Oakland in the wild-card race.

Bere (3-2) sidestepped trouble in the first two innings and gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings for his first victory at Jacobs Field. In six career starts there, Bere was 0-4 with a 15.06 ERA.

Asked why he had so much trouble at Jacobs Field, Bere, who also played in Chicago and Milwaukee, said, “Cleveland’s lineup.”

Boston 9, Texas 0--Showing no sign of the sore shoulder that forced him out of his last start, Pedro Martinez dominated the Rangers, striking out 10 and giving up only three hits in seven innings at Boston.

Martinez lowered his major-league best ERA from 1.59 to 1.53, striking out 10 for the 12th time in 22 starts this year.

Kansas City 7, Baltimore 0--Mac Suzuki scattered four hits over nine innings at Baltimore as the Royals stretched their winning streak to four.

Joe Randa hit a three-run homer and Jermaine Dye had a solo shot for the Royals.

Chicago 7, Tampa Bay 0--Frank Thomas hit his league-leading 38th homer, doubled and drove in four runs at Chicago.

Mike Sirotka combined with three relievers on a three-hitter as the White Sox won for the sixth time in nine games.

Detroit 4, Oakland 3--Deivi Cruz had three doubles and Wendell Magee a bases-loaded triple at Detroit.

The Tigers won their season-high sixth in a row.

Minnesota 5, Toronto 1--Brad Radke gave up one run in seven strong innings at Toronto.

Toronto’s Joey Hamilton, making his first start since undergoing shoulder surgery last September, gave up three hits in six scoreless innings.

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Wild-Card Race

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Team W L GB Boston 64 55 -- Oakland 65 56 -- Cleveland 63 56 1 ANGELS 63 60 3 Toronto 63 61 3

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