Cordova Finally a Hit Against Former Team

Marty Cordova might have been trying too hard to impress his old team in the first three games between Cleveland and Minnesota in Minneapolis.

On Thursday night, his efforts were rewarded.

Cordova was one for 11 in the series until he hit a tiebreaking two-run triple with two outs in the sixth inning, helping the Indians defeat the Twins, 6-2, to win three of four in the series. Cleveland moved a season-high 1 1/2 games ahead of the Twins.

“I think Marty was trying to hit the ball clear out of this dome,” Cleveland Manager Charlie Manuel said. “He definitely wanted to show the Twins he could hit.”

Cordova, batting .348 with nine home runs and 34 runs batted in, begged to differ.

“Who am I trying to impress?” Cordova said. “It makes no difference to me who we were playing.”

Cordova batted above .253 only once in the last four seasons. He is three for 26 (.088) against the Twins in his career, including last season with Toronto.

Against Brad Radke (7-2), who failed in his fourth attempt at victory No. 8, Cordova drove a two-strike pitch to the center-field wall that glanced off the top of Torii Hunter’s glove and scored Ellis Burks and Travis Fryman for a 4-2 lead.

Bartolo Colon (5-6) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings, striking out a season-high eight.

New York 4, Baltimore 0--Roger Clemens struck out 10 and Todd Greene doubled twice and drove in three runs at New York, lifting the Yankees over the Orioles.

Clemens (7-1) earned his 267th victory, moving ahead of Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 30th place on the career list.

Boston 8, Detroit 1--Carl Everett returned to the Red Sox lineup and drove in five runs at Boston in the victory over the Tigers.

Everett hit a three-run double in the second and an RBI triple in the fourth.

Boston catcher Jason Varitek broke his right elbow making a diving catch, but it is uncertain how long he will be sidelined.

Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 7--Shannon Stewart hit a go-ahead, two-run single in a three-run eighth at Toronto to lead the Blue Jays over the Devil Rays.

Chicago 5, Kansas City 1--Mark Buehrle (4-3) stretched his scoreless streak to 24 2/3 innings, giving up two hits in eight shutout innings at Kansas City, Mo., as Chicago won for the ninth time in 11 games.