The Indians bugged the Yankees again, this time without the help of Cleveland’s famous flying midges.
Jhonny Peralta hit a three-run homer off Andy Pettitte in the fifth inning and the Indians won their fourth straight Friday night, beating New York 6-4 in its first visit since last year’s AL playoffs when swarming bugs bombarded Joba Chamberlain and the Yankees.
Peralta’s big shot off Pettitte (3-2) put the Indians ahead 4-3, and Franklin Gutierrez followed with a homer off the lefty.
Peralta had four RBIs and Jamey Carroll had a run-scoring single and stole two bases for the Indians, who scored all their runs with two outs.
“They can put runs on the board just as fast as we can,” said Jason Giambi, who homered twice for the Yankees. “They got guys up and down the lineup that can put balls in the seats.”
In other AL games Friday night, it was: Los Angeles 4, Detroit 3; Tampa Bay 5, Boston 4 in 11 innings; Texas 6, Minnesota 5 in 10 innings; Kansas City 8, Toronto 4; and Oakland 4, Seattle 3.
Hideki Matsui also connected for the Yankees, whose previous trip to Cleveland ended with an unforgettable loss that began a chain of events leading to the end of manager Joe Torre’s era in New York.
On an uncommonly warm Oct. 5 night, a swarm of midges off Lake Erie descended upon Cleveland’s infield and seemed to enjoy feasting on then-rookie Chamberlain during the eighth inning of Game 2. Chamberlain’s face and neck were covered with the tiny, flying critters, who bothered him so much that he uncorked two wild pitches, including one that allowed the Indians to tie a game they eventually won 2-1 in 11 innings.
The victory gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, which they won in four. Torre was criticized for not taking his team off the field as the insects invaded and ended up turning down a one-year offer from owner George Steinbrenner before taking over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Friday night’s win was far less controversial, but no less impressive.
“This should give us confidence,” Cleveland starter Paul Byrd said. “It was 3-1 late in the game with two outs and we did little nit-picky things: a walk, a chopper, a base hit and we made something happen. That’s what we did so well last year. It’s the little things, the pesky walks, the getting guys over that makes things happen.
“We’re hoping this continues.”
Byrd (3-1) went 5 2-3 innings, reliever Rafael Perez blanked the Yankees for 2 1-3 and interim closer Rafael Betancourt worked a perfect ninth for his second save in two nights. He’s filling in while Joe Borowski, last year’s saves leader, rests a strained right triceps.
Byrd, who got the win when the Indians eliminated the Yankees in Game 4 at New York, allowed four runs and six hits. The right-hander gave up all three homers, but he didn’t walk a batter and had his third straight strong outing.
Afterward, he didn’t feel worthy of an interview.
“You guys have no business being here right now,” Byrd politely told reporters. “I just pitched OK. Rafael Perez was the man.”
Alex Rodriguez returned to New York’s lineup and went 0-for-4. He missed three games with a strained quadriceps, and said it’s still tender.
“I felt it all game,” A-Rod said. “The big thing is on takeoffs. If I hit a ball on the ground, I’ve got to take it easy rather than try to beat it out and miss a month. But I feel OK. I’m going to be fine.”
Down 3-1, the Indians scored four times with two outs in the fifth off a tiring Pettitte.
Travis Hafner singled to left and Victor Martinez followed with a base hit. Peralta, who came in batting just .184 (7-for-38) in his last 11 games, drove a 3-1 pitch over the 19-foot-high wall in left to make it 4-3. Gutierrez followed with his second homer – and first since his first at-bat this season – for a 5-3 lead.
“I ran out of gas,” Pettitte said. “I hit a wall there. It’s extremely disappointing to have the lead and give it up. With two outs all night, they really made me work extremely hard and just wore me down.”
Angels 4, Tigers 3
Vladimir Guerrero homered to highlight a four-run fourth inning and visiting Los Angeles ended Detroit’s four-game winning streak.
The Tigers were coming off a three-game sweep of Texas in which they scored 37 runs, but didn’t have nearly as much success against Ervin Santana (4-0), who pitched 6 1-3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits.
Athletics 4, Mariners 3
Dana Eveland got his third win of the season and visiting Oakland had just three hits but took advantage of wild Seattle starter Miguel Batista.
The A’s (15-9), supposedly destined for the bottom of the AL West in a rebuilding season, clinched their first winning record in April since 2003. That team won 96 games and the division.
Rays 5, Red Sox 4, 11 innings
Nathan Haynes singled with no outs in the 11th inning, driving in Carl Crawford from second base and helping host Tampa Bay win its fourth straight.
Royals 8, Blue Jays 4
John Buck doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs, and host Kansas City used a six-run eighth inning to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Rangers 6, Twins 5, 10 innings
David Murphy hit a 10th-inning RBI single and host Texas snapping its seven-game losing streak.
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