Cleveland had lost 10 straight, traded away arguably its best player and was welcoming to town the team with the best record in baseball.
Just figures the Indians would finally get a win.
Ben Francisco drove in a career-high four runs and had one of Cleveland’s four homers, and the Tribe rolled to a 13-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday night that extended the Rays’ skid to four in a row.
“It feels pretty good – a lot better than what we had been doing. That stunk,” said Casey Blake, who along with David Dellucci also homered and had three RBIs.
Cleveland last dropped 10 in a row in 1979 and avoided its longest streak in 77 years by overcoming a 2-0 deficit. The last time the Indians lost 11 straight was 1931, on the way to a team-record 12 consecutive losses.
“This was huge for all of us,” Dellucci said.
In other AL games, it was the Los Angeles Angels 11, Texas 10 in 11 innings; Minnesota 7, Detroit 6 in 11 innings; Oakland 3, Seattle 2 in 11 innings; Toronto 6, Baltimore 5, and Kansas City 4, the Chicago White Sox 1.
Pittsburgh beat the New York Yankees 4-2 in the makeup of an interleague game that was rained out June 26.
Aaron Laffey (5-5) earned the last-place Indians’ first win since recently traded CC Sabathia beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-0 on June 27. Laffey allowed two runs and four hits over six innings, winning for the first time in five starts since June 12.
Francisco and Dellucci provided the offense with two-run homers in a five-run fifth against Andy Sonnanstine (10-4). Blake hit a solo shot in a seven-run eighth off Gary Glover.
“When we fell behind, it was like it was 10-0 and you felt it through the entire stadium,” Laffey said. “But the guys came through against the best team in the big leagues.”
Tampa Bay came in with baseball’s best record (55-35), but lost for the 10th straight time in Cleveland. Tampa Bay last won at the Indians’ home on Sept. 29, 2005, when Lou Piniella was manager. The Rays’ 26-56 record overall against Cleveland is their worst against any opponent.
Kelly Shoppach got Cleveland going by poking a one-out single to right in the fifth. Dellucci, in a 7-for-47 (.149) slump, followed with his seventh homer – and first since June 4.
“David gave us a shot of energy,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said.
Andy Marte then singled, went to third on a single by Grady Sizemore and scored on a grounder by Jamey Carroll to put Cleveland ahead. Francisco followed with his eighth homer, and the Indians never looked back.
Sonnanstine gave up nine hits and six runs over 5 1-3 innings. He had gone 4-0 and the Rays were 7-0 in his previous seven starts since May 27.
“This one is real frustrating for a number of reasons,” said Sonnanstine, who grew up about 40 miles south of Cleveland in Wadsworth, Ohio. “We’d lost the last (three) and I look at myself as a stopper. I had a lot of family and friends in the stands. To get beat up like this in a blowout, it’s not a good feeling.”
Angels 11, Rangers 10, 11 innings
At Arlington, Texas, Maicer Izturis drove in the go-ahead run with a pinch single in the 11th inning, and Francisco Rodriguez got out of a jam for his 36th save.
Jamey Wright (5-4) got the loss, while Justin Speier (1-4) allowed one hit in a scoreless 10th to earn the decision.
Twins 7, Tigers 6, 11 innings
At Detroit, Justin Morneau hit an 11th-inning homer off Freddy Dolsi (1-3), tying a career-high with his fifth hit, and Minnesota overcame a four-run deficit to beat Detroit.
Matt Guerrier (5-4) pitched two innings for the victory, the Twins’ 17th in 22 games.
Athletics 3, Mariners 2, 11 innings
At Oakland, Calif., Jack Cust and Kurt Suzuki hit solo homers in the ninth inning, and Emil Brown hit another solo shot off Caesar Jimenez (0-1) in the 11th for Oakland.
Huston Street (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Blue Jays 6, Orioles 5
At Toronto, Adam Lind drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth off closer George Sherrill (2-4), and Toronto completed a three-game sweep.
Shawn Camp (2-1) worked one inning for the victory.
Royals 4, White Sox 1
At Kansas City, Mo., Mark Teahen’s inside-the-park home run capped a four-run rally in the eighth inning as Kansas City avoided a three-game sweep.
Mike Aviles and Jose Guillen hit RBI doubles to give the Royals a 2-1 lead, after Mark Buehrle (6-8) had shut them out on four hits over the first seven innings.
Ron Mahay (5-0) pitched one inning for the win, and Joeakim Soria saved his 24th game.
Interleague
Pirates 4, Yankees 2
At Pittsburgh, Nate McLouth hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh, Paul Maholm (6-5) allowed two runs over eight innings and the Pirates won the last interleague game this season.
McLouth hit his 18th homer off Jose Veras (2-1) to put the Pirates in front, and Damaso Marte finished up for his fourth save.
Add A Comment