A Day of Double Meaning

The Cleveland Indians are finding the best route to the playoffs might be through tough enemy territory.

They beat Pedro Martinez, swept a day-night doubleheader over the Boston Red Sox, 2-1 and 5-4, and jumped a half-game ahead of Oakland in the AL wild-card race Wednesday.

The road trip began with three wins in four games over AL East-leading New York at Yankee Stadium.

Not even the sight of Martinez (17-6) on the Fenway Park mound stopped the Indians in the opener as Steve Woodard (2-3) pitched six shutout innings. Martinez was 9-0 against Cleveland.

In the second game, they overcame a 3-0 deficit with the help of Omar Vizquel’s steal of home.

Oakland, which began the day a half-game ahead of Cleveland, split a doubleheader in Baltimore.

The Red Sox, who have another doubleheader today against the Indians, are reeling. They fell to fourth in the wild-card race, four games behind Cleveland.

Kenny Lofton had five hits and four runs in the doubleheader. Manny Ramirez, shut down by Martinez, singled in the tying run in the seventh inning of the second game and Jim Thome followed with a go-ahead RBI single.

Steve Karsay (5-8) got the win. Rheal Cormier (2-3) took the loss after being caught napping by Vizquel.

Boston led, 3-0, before Roberto Alomar made it 3-2 with a two-run single in the fifth. Vizquel, who had walked, and Alomar pulled off a double steal before Ramirez walked. Cormier replaced Paxton Crawford with the bases loaded. Vizquel took off from third, while Cormier took his time going into his stretch, and stole home without a throw.