Indians Win Again, Extend Streak to 10

The toughest thing for the Cleveland Indians these days is deciding whose turn it is to hit the big home run, strike out the side or make a dazzling catch.

“It’s like guys are looking around and saying, ‘Who’s going to be the hero today?’ ” reliever Paul Shuey said. “It’s just momentum. Once you get momentum, you can roll. And we’re rolling.”

The Indians extended their longest winning streak in seven years to 10 games Wednesday night as rookie C.C. Sabathia got his fourth win in a 5-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Cleveland.

Sabathia (4-1) took a shutout into the sixth inning before Indian Manager Charlie Manuel turned to his bullpen to extend the majors’ longest winning streak this season.

Russell Branyan hit a three-run homer against Dan Reichert (3-3) and Ellis Burks had a solo shot for the Indians, whose 10-game streak is their best since June 11-20, 1994. The Indians moved within three of matching the team record set in 1942 and ’51.

“I don’t even want to talk about that,” Manuel said. “I don’t want to jinx us.”

The Indians, who moved into a tie atop the American League Central with the Minnesota Twins, may not lose for awhile. They have one game left against the Royals and three against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who were swept by the Indians last weekend. Then it’s the Texas Rangers, the Angels and the Detroit Tigers-- all sub.-500 teams--before the Indians finally play the New York Yankees on May 25.

“It’s very frustrating for us right now to keep facing a team like that,” Royal first baseman Mike Sweeney said.

Cleveland is 19-4 since opening the season 3-5, and improved to 60-30 since last Aug. 2.

New York 2, Minnesota 0--Roger Clemens pitched eight strong innings and Bernie Williams ended an 0-for-13 drought with a go-ahead run-scoring single at New York.

Williams, dropped from fourth to fifth in the lineup for the game, hit a first-pitch bouncer up the middle against Joe Mays (4-2) to bring home Paul O’Neill, who had walked with one out in the sixth.

Chuck Knoblauch hit his third homer, a line shot to right, against Eddie Guardado after the reliever struck out the first two batters in the seventh.

Clemens (4-0) struck out eight and gave up only four hits in notching his 264th victory.

Baltimore 8, Tampa Bay 6--Cal Ripken keyed a six-run seventh inning with a two-run single at St. Petersburg, Fla., helping the Orioles end a six-game losing streak.

Delino DeShields drove in the first two runs of the seventh against Ryan Rupe (2-4), who entered the game with a 4-2 lead.

Seattle 10, Boston 5--David Bell of the Mariners broke out of a slump with four runs batted in at Boston.

Bell came into the game with one hit in his last 18 at-bats and was one-for-14 against the Red Sox this season. But his third hit, a two-run double, highlighted a five-run, two-out rally in the eighth against Rolando Arrojo (1-1).

In the second inning, Chris Stynes of the Red Sox suffered two fractures in his left cheek area when hit by a pitch from Aaron Sele. There was no word on how long Stynes will be sidelined.

Oakland 8, Toronto 5--John Jaha, playing his first major league game since last July, hit a tiebreaking, two-run double for the Athletics at Toronto.

Jaha, whose 2000 season was cut short by surgery on his left shoulder, was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game. Jaha, who had 35 homers with 111 RBIs in 1999, was put into the cleanup spot.

Detroit 3, Texas 2--Dave Mlicki pitched seven strong innings and Brandon Inge had a two-run single for the Tigers at Detroit.

The Rangers (12-21) have their worst record after 33 games since 1985 and tied their third-worst start ever when Alex Rodriguez hit into a game-ending double play with the tying and go-ahead runs on base.