Pettitte Calms Nerves, Indians

Andy Pettitte’s heart pounded, and as he looked around Jacobs Field, there was a Cleveland Indian player standing at every base and a crowd that was really getting on him.

The moment had arrived for Pettitte to prove he was back on his game--and he did.

Pettitte got his first win of the season by holding the Indians to one run and three singles in six-plus innings Tuesday night, leading the New York Yankees to a 4-2 victory at Cleveland.

Pettitte (1-1) was making only his third start of the season and second since returning from the a stint on the disabled list because of a strained back muscle. The left-hander didn’t give up a hit until the fifth when he wriggled out of a jam.

“I wasn’t tight. I got a little uptight,” Pettitte said. “I hadn’t been out there in a while. I was a little nervous and the emotions really started flying.”

With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Pettitte walked Alex Ramirez to force in a run, but got Einar Diaz to pop out and Jolbert Cabrera to fly out to center.

“He was terrific,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “He had good stuff and his stamina was good.”

Wilson Delgado started at second base for the injured Chuck Knoblauch and got his first two RBIs in the American League, and Ricky Ledee homered for the first time this year as the Yankees improved to 31-15 against the Indians since the start of the 1996 season.

Kansas City 8, Oakland 7--Carlos Febles’ RBI single capped a three-run 10th inning for the Royals at Kansas City, Mo.

Jason Isringhausen, who was 14 for 14 in save chances, was two outs away from his 15th.

But Isringhausen (1-1) gave up a score-tying, two-run homer to Mark Quinn. Then with two out, Rey Sanchez singled and stole second.

After Johnny Damon was walked intentionally, Febles lined a single into left-center.

Seattle 5, Minnesota 4--A run-scoring passed ball and a bases-loaded walk keyed a four-run sixth inning, and Tom Lampkin homered as the Mariners rallied at Minneapolis.

Trailing, 3-0, in the sixth, the Mariners began their comeback on RBI singles by David Bell and Carlos Guillen against Joe Mays (0-4).

Bell then scored the tying run when reliever Hector Carrasco’s pitch deflected off Matt LeCroy’s glove for a passed ball, and Alex Rodriguez accounted for the go-ahead run by walking on a 3-and-0 pitch.

Toronto 4, Chicago 1--Frank Castillo got his first win in nearly two years by pitching six strong innings at Chicago.

Castillo (1-2), who pitched in the minors last season, got his first major league victory since July 23, 1998, when he beat Cleveland for the Detroit Tigers. Making his fifth start this season, he gave up four hits in six innings.

Detroit 7, Boston 6--Wendell Magee drove in the tying run in the seventh inning, then hit his third homer of the season in the 12th at Boston.

The Tigers broke a six-game losing streak against the Red Sox and won for only the third time in 15 games.

Texas 8, Tampa Bay 1--Rick Helling didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning and Rafael Palmeiro had a homer and three RBIs at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Despite control problems, Helling (3-1) kept the Devil Rays hitless until Fred McGriff lined a one-out single to right on the right-hander’s 104th pitch.