|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays threw away a chance to add to their lead in the American League East. The Cleveland Indians took advantage of three errors to score six unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and rally for a 9-4 victory over the Blue Jays. Toronto, which leads the American League in fielding percentage, gave Cleveland six outs in the seventh, and the Indians made the most of them, getting key two-run doubles from Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel. Russell Branyan had two homers for the Indians, who are showing signs of coming out of their batting slump. Cleveland defeated Minnesota, 7-1, on Monday to snap a four-game losing streak. "We needed to get some breaks, and it finally happened," Lofton said. "Their defense got a little shabby," Cleveland manager Charlie Manuel added. "We came up with some big hits. That's something we haven't been doing." The Blue Jays have not taken full advantage of the struggles of the New York Yankees and remained just 1 1/2 games ahead of the two-time defending World Series champions. Toronto has dropped four of its last five. The Blue Jays were charged with four errors, but manager Jim Fregosi thought there could have been more. "We just didn't catch the ball well today," he said. "The defense gave up the runs today. We just didn't play well. We made six errors today. I don't care if they put four (errors). You don't win too many games when you play like that." Nursing a 4-3 lead, the Blue Jays fell apart in the seventh after Jim Thome drew a leadoff walk. Richie Sexson reached on third baseman Tony Batista's error, putting runners at first and second. "I missed the ball," Batista said. "It was an error. It was a routine ball hit right to me. I hope this kind of game doesn't happen to us again." John Frascatore (1-3) fielded Enrique Wilson's bunt and had an easy out at third, but fired the ball into left field, allowing Thome to score and leaving runners on second and third. Pedro Borbon relieved Frascatore and struck out Branyan, but Lofton ripped a double to deep left-center, giving the Indians a 6-4 lead. Sandy Alomar reached on an infield hit after first baseman Carlos Delgado dropped a foul ball for the inning's third error. Roberto Alomar delivered an RBI double before Vizquel's two-run double made it 9-4. Bartolo Colon (7-6) got the win, allowing four runs and seven hits over seven innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. He struck out the first five batters he faced, but Batista ended the streak with his fourth home run in as many games. Batista is batting .322 (10-for-31) with five homers and 11 RBI on Toronto's 13-game road trip. Jose Cruz doubled to lead off the third ahead of Shannon Stewart's two-run homer to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead. "I started real strong," Colon said. "I don't think I have ever struck out that many batters in a row. I felt dead for a couple of innings, but then I felt strong after that. We got a win, that's all that matters." Branyan got the Indians on the board with a solo homer off starter Frank Castillo in the fifth before Toronto answered in the sixth with Batista's RBI double. But Cleveland began its comeback in the bottom half as Wilson walked in front of Branyan's two-run shot. It was his third career multi-homer game. Castillo, who won his previous four starts, allowed three runs and four hits over five innings. "I heard (Branyan) was a good fastball hitter," Castillo said. "The first pitch I threw him was a fastball and he was all over that. The next home run was a changeup and he was all over that. They were fat pitches." "When Russell gets his pitches, he usually handles them," Manuel said. "There's no question he has great power." The Blue Jays lost for only the fourth time in 42 games this season when leading after six innings.
|
