Indians Tidbits...

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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Tribe Falls to Yanks; Cora Goes To Boston

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Alex Cora ... traded to Boston.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 7, 2005

Jhonny Peralta homered, but the Indians were no match for the Yankees in a 7-2 loss Thursday night that gave a New York a five-game winning streak and sent Cleveland to its third consecutive loss. Before the game, left-hander Brian Tallet was recalled from Buffalo and infielder Alex Cora traded to Boston for infielder Ramon Vazquez, who was assigned to the Class AAA Bisons.
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General manager Mark Shapiro said Peralta's development into a consistently solid performer at shortstop made Cora expendable. Shapiro said that when he signed Cora as a free agent in January, it was with the understanding that the veteran infielder would get to play on a semi-regular basis -- but that Peralta's improvement cut into that time.

Indians third baseman Aaron Boone returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2003 -- when his 11th-inning homer sent the Yankees past Boston in Game 7 of the AL championship series. Boone got an ovation from fans his first time up and had two singles in four at-bats to put his average at .198.

Peralta (.300) also went 2-for-4 with his 10th homer. Casey Blake, Coco Crisp and Grady Sizemore had Cleveland's other hits off Mike Mussina with Sizemore driving in the Indians' second run.

Cleveland starter Kevin Millwood gave up six runs over six innings, allowing home runs to Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. Fernando Cabrera yielded a solo homer to Derek Jeter in the seventh inning and Bob Howry pitched a scoreless eighth.

Mussina (9-5) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA to 3.97. Tom Gordon relieved in the eighth but left after three batters with an unspecified injury.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (52-36) lost at Scranton Wilkes-Barre, 8-1. The Bisons got only three hits. Jose Amaya (0-1), just called up from Class A Mahoning Valley, gave up six runs over 3 2/3 innings. Jose Diaz finally proved human, giving up a run for the first time in 20 innings since being acquired on waivers from Tampa Bay. He had pitched 15 2/3 scoreless innings at Akron and one scoreless for the Bisons. He gave up two runs (one earned) over 3 1/3 innings Thursday. Overall since being acquired, he has a an 0.45 ERA and allowed only nine hits and four walks over 20 innings while striking out 23.

CLASS AA AKRON (46-39) won at Reading 5-0 as Ron Bay (1-0), just called up from Kinston, allowed only three hits over seven scoreless innings. Ryan Knippschild gave up one hit over the final two to complete the combined four-hit shutout. Javier Herrera (.234) hit a three-run homer, his fourth, and Pat Osborn (.270) went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Aeros' offense. Reliever Chris Cooper was named to the Eastern League all-star team, replacing teammate J.D. Martin, who is unable to participate because of a strained right elbow.

CLASS A KINSTON (5-8) edged visiting Wilmington, 3-2, in the only game in the Carolina League that was not postponed by rain. Paul Lubrano (1-0), called up from Burlington, got the win. He allowed three hits over two scoreless innings of Nick Pesco (4.11 ERA), who gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings. Todd Pennington (4.50 ERA) struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth for his second save. Kinston got only four hits. Argenis Reyes (.314), Rodney Choy Foo (.214) and Luis Cotto (.197) each drove in runs.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (7-7) lost to visiting Delmarva, 1-0, in a game that had only five hits. Aaron Laffey (6-4, 2.39 ERA) allowed one run (unearned) and three hits in a nine-inning complete game. He walked two and struck out three. The only run scored in the sixth inning. Delmarva's first hitter reached on a fielding error by third baseman Matt Whitney, advanced on a bunt single, took third on a balk by Laffey and scored on a groundout. Brian Finegan (.282) and Whitney (.195) had the Captains' only hits.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (9-8) lost at Jamestown, 6-5. Stephen Head (.434) hit his third homer, a two-run shot, and Matt Fornasiere (.290) had two hits to lead the Scrappers' offense. Starter Joe Ness (0.82 ERA) allowed one unearned run over four innings. Shea Douglas (1-1, 8.38 ERA) gave up four runs over 1 1/3 innings and Matt Loberg gave up one unearned run over the final 1 2/3 innings.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (4-11) was postponed by rain -- as were all the teams in the Appalachian League.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Hot-Hitting Hafner Honored By League

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Travis Hafner

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 12, 2005

The American League made official what Indians fans already knew: Travis Hafner is the hottest hitter in the league. The Indians' designated hitter was named the AL Player of the Week after hitting .480 (12-for-25) with four homers, three doubles and 12 RBI for the period of July 4-11.
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Much of Hafner's production came last Monday in a day-night doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers at Jacobs Field. Hafner went 6-for-10 with three homers, six RBI and four runs scored.

He may have put up some bigger numbers, except he was "rested" the following night -- though manager Eric Wedge did call upon Hafner to pinch hit with two outs in the ninth inning. The Tigers merely walked Hafner and got the next batter to end the game.

Hafner, the AL Player of the Month in June, has been on a torrid tear. In 43 games since June 1, he has hit .382 with 13 homers and 43 RBI.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (52-39) and the rest of the International League were not scheduled.

CLASS AA AKRON (50-40) edged Erie, 6-5, at Canal Park to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place SeaWolves in the Southern Division of the Eastern League. The Aeros are 9-2 in July after finishing June with a franchise-record 12-game losing streak. Pat Osborn (.285) went 3-for-4, Franklin Gutierrez (.245) 2-for-4 with two RBI and Jonathan Van Every (.242) 2-for-2 with a stolen base. Jake Dittler (5-6, 3.30 ERA) allowed four runs over 6 2/3 innings. Chris Cooper (2.09 ERA) gave up one run over one inning and Edward Mujica (1.86 ERA) pitched the final 1 1/3 for his third save.

CLASS A KINSTON (6-11) lost to visiting Winston-Salem, 5-2. The K-Tribe got only two hits -- and none until Nathan Panther (.239) singled to open the eighth inning and David Wallace (.163) followed with a two-run homer, his eighth. Adam Miller (1-1, 2.35 ERA) allowed nine hits and five runs over five innings, though only three of the runs were earned. Dan Eisentrager (6.14 ERA) allowed one hit and struck out two over three scoreless innings and Todd Pennington (3.68 ERA) worked a scoreless ninth.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (9-9) lost at home to Hagerstown, 4-2. Brian Finegan (.291) went 2-for-4 with his seventh homer and Juan Valdes (.223) hit his fifth homer. Dan Cevette (2-2, 2.50 ERA) allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings. He struck out seven without a walk. T.J. Burton (3.47 ERA) pitched two scoreless innings and Kyle Collins (2.72 ERA) worked a scoreless ninth.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (11-10) lost at home to Oneonta, 5-3, though Stephen Head (.432) hit his sixth homer, a solo shot, and Trevor Mortensen (.342) went 3-for-4. Ryan Edell (4.02 ERA) allowed one run over six innings. Matt Haynes (3.52 ERA) struck out five over two perfect innings, but Tom Cowley (6.75 ERA) gave up one hit, two walks and two runs without retiring a batter. Dustin Roddy (1-2, 3.18 ERA) gave up two runs over the final two innings.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (5-13) and the rest of the Appalachian League were not scheduled.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>No Offense, But ... Tribe Loses Again

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Aaron Boone ... good defense at third.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 17, 2005

Travis Hafner shouldn't miss much playing time. So much for the good news from Jacobs Field on Sunday for Indians fans. Otherwise, it was the same story getting older as Cleveland lost to the Chicago White Sox, 4-0, making it five losses in a row and nine of 10.
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Manager Eric Wedge admitted his team has not looked good of late, but said he still believes in his players.

"You can't put your head down and cry," Wedge said. "That's not the way I operate and that's not how these players are. We have 2½ months and 70 games left, and we can't back off.

"We just have to ride this out. Any team goes through peaks and valleys because baseball is a game of inconsistency. We are a young team, continuing to evolve. This is part of it."

Victor Martinez got two of the Indians' eight hits, but Cleveland went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position to make it 3-for-25 in the series -- which was Chicago's first four-game sweep of the Tribe on the road in 42 years.

When the White Sox last won four in a row in Cleveland in August 1963, it was with a light-hitting lineup and a cast of good pitchers. Indians hitters like Tito Francona, Fred Whitfield, Max Alvis and Woodie Held were no match for Chicago starters Gary Peters, Juan Pizarro and Joe Horlen and Hall of Fame reliever Hoyt Wilhelm.

This time, guys like Casey Blake (hitting .222, but batting in the cleanup spot in place of the injured Hafner) and Aaron Boone (.215) were overpowered by Chicago pitchers. On Sunday, Jon Garland worked six scoreless innings. Along with Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia and Mark Buehrle and a few mop-up relief appearances, he combined to completely stifle the Indians' offense. Cleveland never had a lead in the series and trailed for 35 of the 36 innings overall.

Scott Elarton (6-4) pitched well enough to give the Indians a chance to win. Chicago scratched out a first-inning run when Scott Podsednik doubled, went to third on a grounder and scored on a slow roller to third by Frank Thomas.

"If he hits the ball harder, their guy doesn't score," said Elarton.

Taduhito Iguchi and A.J. Pierzynski did hit balls hard -- for homers. Pierzynski's was a wind-aided two-run shot just before a rainstorm delayed play 37 minutes in the second inning.

But it was the Indians' offense continued its recent drought. Cleveland has hit only .234 and scored 29 runs in its last 10 games -- nine of them losses. The Indians have not been ahead in a game since July 10.

Before the game, trainer Lonnie Soloff said that all tests on Hafner were negative and that despite some soreness, the DH should be back in the lineup soon. ... Right-hander Fausto Carmona was called up from Buffalo and Kaz Tadano sent back to the Bisons.

It was one of the days all around Jacobs Field.

Two hours before the game, a couple thousand fans lined the warning track and Tribe players came out on the field for Camera Day ... and a cloudburst promptly soaked everybody and cancelled the popular promotion.

With Blake at bat in the fourth, celebratory fireworks suddenly went off -- even though the Indians have not hit a homer since July 9.

In the fifth, the giant doors in the left-field wall leading underneath the bleachers suddenly sprung open, delaying the game for a few minutes.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (54-41) split a doubleheader at Toledo, winning the first game 11-3 before losing, 7-4. Jeremy Guthrie (9-8, 5.53 ERA) gave up three runs over five innings in the first game. He walked six, but got plenty of offensive support. Andrew Brown (4.28 ERA) struck out five and gave up one hit over two scoreless innings. Ryan Garko went 4-for-5 while Ernie Young drove in three runs and hit a solo homer, his 20th, to lead the attack. Young, Jose Morban and Ramon Vasquez all had two hits and Joe Inglett and Mike Kinkade had two RBI apiece.

Eight Bisons got one hit apiece in the second game. Brian Tallet (6-4, 4.03 ERA) was tagged for six runs over 3 2/3 innings, though only five of the runs were earned. Steve Watkins (4.02 ERA) yielded one run over 2 1/3 innings. Jeff Liefer, Andy Abad, Clayton McCullough and Jake Gautreau each drove in one run for Buffalo.

CLASS AA AKRON (52-41) continued its recent resurgence with a 5-2 win at Portland. The Aeros are 12-3 in July after closing June with a franchise-worst 12-game losing streak. Franklin Gutierrez (.239) hit his ninth homer and Brad Snyder (.282) hit his fifth for the Aeros and 11th of the season including his time at Class A Kinston. Snyder went 3-for-4. Dan Denham (8-6, 3.33 ERA) struck out seven over eight innings. He gave up two unearned runs, one walk and three hits. Chris Cooper (2.05 ERA) pitched a perfect ninth, striking out one, for his eighth save.

CLASS A KINSTON (9-13) was not scheduled, but opens a four-game series at home against Frederick on Monday night.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (10-12) lost at Delmarva, 5-4, despite Cleveland's No. 1 draft pick Trevor Crowe (.298) going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Chad Longworth (.264) and Fernando Pacheco (.223) each had two hits for the Captains. Dan Cevette (2-3, 2.98 ERA) gave up three runs over 2 2/3 innings. Adrian Schau (5.64 ERA) kept it close by working a perfect 1 1/3 innings before T.J. Burton (3.54 ERA) allowed two runs over the final four.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (13-13) gave up 13 runs in the final three innings and lost to Lowell, 14-5. Shortstop Jose Chavez, recently promoted from Burlington, made three of the Scrappers' four errors and Mahoning Valley got only five hits. Outfielder Derrick Peterson (.250) made the other error, but had two RBI. Starter Ryan Edell (3.20 ERA) gave up six hits over four scoreless innings and Mark Jecmen yielded two runs (one earned) over the next two. But Josh Kite (1-1, 9.00 ERA) gave up four runs over one inning, Nelson Hiraldo allowed three runs in one inning before catcher Mike Woodson made his pitching debut in the ninth and yielded four runs (two earned).

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (11-15) defeated Danville, 5-4, in 10 innings on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by P.J. Hiser (.282). Josh Roberts (.146) hit his first homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score, 4-4. Nick Weglarz (.333) went 3-for-4 while Jason Denham (.213) and Jansy Infante (.303) each had two hits. Starter Jason Schutt (5.17 ERA) gave up four runs over five innings. Paul Lubrano (0.93 ERA) and Jeff Pry (0.00 ERA in 10 innings over six games) each worked two scoreless. Josh Harris (1-3, 7.84 ERA) struck out one in a perfect 10th to get the win.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Indians Zeroing In On Nothing Special

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Jason Dubois grounds out in his 1st Tribe at-bat.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 20, 2005

Mark Shapiro might be forced to get something for Kevin Millwood simply because the Indians' offense can't get the right-hander a thing. Millwood lost again as the Tribe was shut out by Zack Greinke and the Kansas City Royals, 4-0.
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That made it 10 losses in 12 games and three shutouts in six games for the rapidly fading Indians.

Millwood, ever the warrior, didn't complain. "We've still got a chance at the wild card," he said.

If the losses keep mounting, that chance and Millwood's time in Cleveland will both be over.

Should the hitters keep failing to make the proper adjustments, Shapiro will be forced to adjust and change his plan of attack -- from being bullish in the trade market in an attempt to acquire veteran talent for a stretch run to unloading veterans in an attempt to bring in young prospects to fortify the team for next year.

Millwood (3-9) again didn't get any run support. Of the seven times the Indians have been shut out this season, three have come in the right-hander' last four starts.

"It's not something I can control," said Millwood. "I probably deserved the loss. I put myself into too many jams. I got out of some but I didn't pitch very well."

Millwood also said he doesn't put stock into trade rumors because that also is something over which he has no control.

But it would be shocking to see Shapiro hang on to Millwood, who becomes a free agent after the season -- and not get some value in return. The exchange of outfielders Monday night in which Cleveland acquired Jason Dubois from the Chicago Cubs for Jody Gerut hints that the Indians are seeking potential rather than present production.

Dubois went 0-for-3 and struck out twice in his debut for Cleveland.

Manager Eric Wedge admitted the offensive inefficiency is getting to him. "What frustrates me the most is guys doing the same thing time after time. It drives me crazy.

"We have to start making adjustments. Guys have a plan when they go to the plate, but they don't stick to it. They are not being aggressive and getting after it."

Millwood also was victimized by some less-than exemplary defense, too. Coco Crisp dropped a ball in left field in the second inning and Emil Brown followed with a two-run homer. The Royals scored twice more in the seventh, though once again only one of the runs was earned due to an error by third baseman Aaron Boone.

Cleveland played its third straight game without designated hitter Travis Hafner, who said he still is experiencing some light dizzy spells when he does some physical activity. He was hit in the face by a pitch thrown by Chicago's Mark Buehrle on Saturday.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (55-42) won at Columbus, 11-6, as Jake Gautreau (.278) hit a three-run homer, his 17th. Jason Cooper (.243) hit a two-run homer, his sixth, and Jeff Liefer (.318) hit his 18th, a solo shot. Mike Kinkade (.277) and Jose Morban (.314) had two hits apiece for the Bisons. Jason Davis (5-2, 4.86 ERA) gave up three runs over five innings. Jose Diaz (3.86 ERA) worked two scoreless, Francisco Cruceta (5.19 ERA) gave up two runs in one inning and Chris Cooper, in his first game since being promoted from Akron, allowed one run, one walk and two hits in the ninth -- though he did strike out the side.

CLASS AA AKRON (52-43) lost at New Hampshire, 3-2. Brad Snyder (.280) hit his sixth homer, a solo shot, and had two hits. Eider Torres (.251) also had two hits and the Aeros' other RBI. Ron Bay (1-2, 3.93 ERA) gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings. Victor Kleine (3.30 ERA) struck out three over two perfect innings.

CLASS A KINSTON (10-14) fell at home to Frederick, 5-1, though Caleb Brock (.245), Nate Panther (.247) and Rodney Choy Foo (.286) all had two hits. Nick Pesco (6-8, 3.90 ERA) gave up three unearned runs over 5 1/3 innings and three relievers finished up.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (10-14) lost at Delmarva, 4-1, though the Captains outhit the Shorebirds, 7-4. Brian Finegan (.292) went 2-for-4. Cody Bunkelman (2-4, 4.61 ERA) had a no-hitter for five innings. He walked two in the sixth and yielded a two-run double before getting three more outs. He walked four and struck out three in six innings overall. Jesus Soto worked one scoreless inning and Kieran Mattison (2.87 ERA) had a rare shaky outing, giving up two runs in one inning.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (14-14) lost at Hudson Valley, 7-2. Jeff Lytle (.236) went 3-for-4 and Mike Woodson (.182) singled home both of the Scrappers' runs. Starter Justin Pekarek (1.93 ERA) got all of his outs on strikeouts -- allowing one hit and one walk while striking out nine over three innings. Jose Amaya (1-2, 4.97 ERA) then gave up five runs in just tw-thirds of an inning, but only one run was earned. Tom Cowley (4.06 ERA) then got six strikeouts over 3 1/3 hitless innings before Nelson Hiraldo yielded two runs in one inning.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (11-15) had a doubleheader against Bluefield postponed by rain. One game was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday and the other game will be made up at a later date.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Tribe Hitters Look Royally Lost Again

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C.C. Sabathia ... what's a guy gotta do?

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 21, 2005

The Indians' season has become so topsy-turvy that it appears as if C.C. Sabathia doesn't like home cooking. And who in the world would have ever dreamed that? Getting little offensive support, Sabathia dropped to 1-5 at Jacobs Field this year with a 5-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
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Once again, Cleveland bats were allergic to baseballs, particularly when the Indians had the occasional runner on base. The Indians left nine runners stranded and lost for the 11th time in 13 games since July 4.

Sabathia has a 5.97 ERA at home this year and is 0-5 in eight starts in Cleveland since beating the Royals 6-0 on April 29. He gave up five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in six innings and was booed whenever Kansas City scored.

"I get asked about that every time it happens and what can I do about it? Nothing," said Sabathia with a shake of his head. "When I become a really good starter, they'll be up and clapping for me."

Outfielder Jason Dubois, acquired Monday from the Chicago Cubs, got a second-inning single for his first hit in an Indians uniform in his second game for Cleveland. Grady Sizemore went 3-for-4 and Coco Crisp and Casey Blake were each 2-for-4, though Blake heard boos the two times he failed. He hit into a bases-loaded double play to end the first inning, then struck out on a 3-2 pitch with runners on second and third to end the seventh.

Manager Eric Wedge said he thought Sabathia, except for allowing solo homers to Donnie Murphy and Angel Berroa, pitched relatively well.

"He gave us a chance to win," said Wedge. "Up until the last batter, we had a chance to tie the score. It was the offense that let us down."

Aaron Boone hit a two-out RBI double in the fifth and scored on Sizemore's single to make it 4-2. Cleveland added an unearned run in the seventh to get within 5-3 -- but the Indians have been outscored 68-38 since being a season-high 10 games over .500 on the morning of July 5.

"I think these guys are trying to do too much," said Wedge, who tried several lineup changes. "Everybody is frustrated, but you can't let it beat you down."

With leading hitter Travis Hafner missing his fourth straight game with dizzy spells and Ronnie Belliard, Ben Broussard, Sizemore and Blake all hitting well under .200 over the past week, Wedge used Brandon Phillips at second, Jose Hernandez at first, Josh Bard at catcher and moved Boone to No. 2 in the order for the second time this year.

It didn't help much. Phillips, Bard and Hernandez all went 0-for-3.

"We're going to keep trying to get through this," Wedge said. "I believe in these players. They have done it before and will do it again."

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (56-42) scored three runs in the ninth inning to win at Columbus, 8-7. Manager Marty Brown shuffled his lineup and it paid off. Ernie Young (.301), often the cleanup hitter who leads the Bisons in homers (20) and RBI (69), batted leadoff and went 3-for-5 with two runs. Jeff Liefer (.321) hit fourth and drove in three runs, two of them with his 19th homer. Ryan Ludwick (.185) and Jason Cooper (.250) also had two hits apiece. Jake Robbins (2-4, 2.47 ERA) won it by pitching two perfect innings. Starter Billy Traber (5.80 ERA) gave up six runs over 2 1/3 innings and Steve Watkins (3.91 ERA) allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings.

CLASS AA AKRON (53-43) won at New Hampshire in 12 innings, 2-1. Jonathan Van Every (.245) went 2-for-5 and opened the 12th with a triple. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Javier Cardona (.253). Travis Foley (5-1, 3.82 ERA) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Starter Rafael Perez (0.99 ERA since called up from Kinston) gave up one run over seven innings, striking out four without a walk. Juan Lara and Edward Mujica combined to pitch three scoreless innings.

CLASS A KINSTON (10-15) lost for the second straight night at home to Frederick by a 5-1 score -- getting only six hits and making four errors. Sean Smith (3-5, 3.59 ERA) allowed four runs over six innings. Tony Sipp (2.57 ERA) struck out three over two scoreless innings and Jim Ed Warden (3.35 ERA) fanned two over one scoreless inning.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (10-15) was not scheduled.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (15-14) scored six runs in a wild top of the 10th inning to win at Hudson Valley, 10-4. Evandy DeLeon (.438 since being called up from Burlington) hit a two-run double and later scored on an error. John Clark (.232) had an RBI single and the other two runs in the inning scored on a wild pitch and then a passed ball. Trevor Mortensen (.368), Jose Constanza (.242) and Derrick Peterson (.252) all had two hits for the Scrappers. Dustin Roddy (2-1, 2.40 ERA) pitched 2 2/3 perfect innings, striking out three, to win it. Starter Jensen Lewis (2.13 ERA) gave up four runs over 5 1/3 innings, but struck out six without a walk. He has 19 strikeouts and only three walks in 25 1/3 innings overall. Mark Jecmen (2.41 ERA) pitched two perfect innings.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (12-16) split a doubleheader at Bluefield, dropping the first game 6-2 before coming back to win 5-4. Albert Vargas (2-0, 0.77 ERA) pitched two perfect innings, striking out three, to win the second game. P.J. Hiser (.301) had two of the Indians' seven hits. He had two of Burlington's six hits in the first-game loss, including a solo homer, his seventh. Michael Storey (1-2, 6.08 ERA) gave up four runs over three innings. Jorge Riera (3.05 ERA) allowed one run over two innings and Wilander Cruz (1.12 ERA) gave up a homer in his one inning.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Indians' Bats Erupt, Rout Royals, 10-1

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Aaron Boone hits a two-run single

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 21, 2005

Volcano One Thru Nine erupted at Jacobs Field on Thursday after two weeks of being completely dormant. Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta hit three-run homers, Casey Blake added a solo shot and the Indians routed the Kansas City Royals, 10-1.
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That made Cleveland just 3-11 since July 4 and kept the Indians from falling all the way back to .500. The victory also kept alive the Indians' hopes for being part of what could be a wild race for a wild card playoff berth.

"As bad as we've been playing, and as frustrating as it has been for all of us, we're right there," third baseman Aaron Boone told reporters.

Martinez, Blake and Boone each had two of Cleveland's 11 hits as only recently acquired Jason Dubois failed to get a hit -- going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Dubois is 1-for-11 with five strikeouts since being acquired Monday night from the Chicago Cubs.

Jake Westbrook (7-12) allowed nine hits over seven innings, but only one unearned run. Arthur Rhodes and Fernando Cabrera each worked on scoreless inning.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (57-42) scored twice in the ninth inning to win at Columbus 3-2. Ramon Vazquez (.268) singled home the tying run and Mike Kinkade (.277) followed with an RBI single for the go-ahead run. Andrew Brown (2-2, 4.03 ERA) pitched three hitless innings for the win. He allowed only one walk and struck out three. Starter Kazuhito Tadano (4.43 ERA) gaved up two runs over six innings.

CLASS AA AKRON (53-43) was not scheduled. The Aeros open a three-game series at Canal Park against Trenton on Friday night.

CLASS A KINSTON (10-16) was blasted by visiting Frederick, 11-3. Adam Miller (1-3, 5.03 ERA) was pounded for nine hits and seven runs over three innings. He struck out five without a walk. Dan Eisentrager (5.92 ERA) allowed two runs over 3 1/3 innings, Kyle Collins (3.11 ERA) yielded two runs over 1 1/3 innings and Matt Davis (5.82 ERA) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Rodney Choy Foo (.274) hit a two-run homer, his second. Argenis Reyes (.300) and Nate Panther (.251) each had two hits.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (10-16) lost at home to Hagerstown, 7-2. Matt Whitney (.214) and Chad Longworth (.265) each had two of the Captains' seven hits. Chuck Lofgren (2-2, 2.31 ERA) gave up two runs, one earned, over five innings. He struck out eight, walked three and allowed three hits. Brandon Rickert (4.85 ERA) allowed two runs over one inning. T.J. Burton (3.66 ERA) gave up one run over one inning and Adam Hanson yielded two runs over two innings in his first appearance since being brought up from Burlington.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (16-14) won at Hudson Valley, 3-1, as Jim Deters (2-1, 1.55 ERA) gave up one run over five innings. Matt Haynes (2.84 ERA) allowed one hit and struck out three over three innings and Matt Loberg (2.92 ERA) pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. Cirilo Cumberbatch (.175) had two of the Scrappers' six hits.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (12-17) got three hits and made three errors in an 8-0 loss at Danville. Starter Carlton Smith (0-1, 4.42 ERA) gave up two runs over six innings. In 18 1/3 innings as a professional, he has yet to walk a batter while striking out 15.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Is It Buy Buy Time Or Bye Bye Tribe?

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Victor Martinez watches his three-run homer.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 25, 2005

Just when you thought it was safe to get out of the buyers' market ... Victor Martinez hit a three-run homer to give Kevin Millwood some much deserved offensive support and the Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners, 6-3, Sunday.
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By winning two straight from Seattle after losing 12 of their previous 15, the Indians jumped back into the frantic AL wild-card race -- which puts general manager Mark Shapiro in quite a dilemma.

Should he hang on to the high-priced Millwood, who earns every penny of his $7 million contract each time he takes the mound? Or should Shapiro peddle him to another wild-card entrant in hopes of getting a bundle of talent that could make the Indians a viable contender next year without having to wade through wild-card scenarios?

Or should Shapiro follow a third possibility -- dealing for a player who could help the Tribe win now AND in the future?

Count Millwood himself among those who believe Cleveland still has a shot at winning this season -- and as the last three World Series winners (Anaheim, Florida and Boston) have proven, a wild-card berth is just a step away from a possible championship.

"This is a good team," said Millwood (4-9), who had been victimized by a woeful lack of run support in dropping all four of his previous starts -- three by shutout.

"I was pretty happy, to say the least," the right-hander said of seeing Martinez's 11th homer of the season provide the pitcher with more runs than he had seen when on the mound in the entire month of July. "It's been a while," he continued. "To get that extra cushion was really nice. I think it gave everybody a little chance to relax and that's important in this game. I think it's the toughest sport of all to play. It was not for lack of effort that they didn't score. They've been trying."

Still, Cleveland improved to only 5-12 since July 5 and now must play 13 of their next 16 games on the road.

Jhonny Peralta had an RBI single while Ronnie Belliard and Casey Blake each drove home runs with sacrifice flies to help Cleveland finish an 11-game homestand with a 4-7 record and improve to 30-1 overall this year when scoring six or more runs.

The Indians again were without DH Travis Hafner, who missed his eighth straight game with dizzy spells. He accompanied the team to Oakland and said he remains hopeful of playing as soon as he feels "decent."

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (57-44) won at home over Scranton Wilkes-Barre, 4-1. Ryan Garko (.288) went 3-for-4 with three RBI and hit his 14th homer, a two-run shot. Fausto Carmona (3-1, 1.95 ERA) gave up one run and four hits over eight innings. He struck out six without a walk. Jake Robbins (2.21 ERA) struck out one in a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

CLASS AA AKRON (55-44) lost in 10 innings to Trenton at home. The Aeros gave up three runs in the top of the ninth, but scored once in the bottom half to force extra innings. Pinch-hitter Eider Torres (.252) walked, was bunted over to second by Brad Snyder (.267) and stole third as Ben Francisco (.280) struck out. Pat Osborn (.283) then singled home Torres. But Victor Kleine (0-4, 3.48 ERA) yielded a one-out homer in the top of the 10th to lose it. Francisco went 4-for-5 and Jonathan Van Every (.248) hit two solo homers, giving him 18 for the season. Aeros starter Jake Dittler (3.33 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) over six innings. Mariano Gomez struck out three over two perfect innings, but Edward Mujica (3.68 ERA) got his third blown save as he yielded three runs in one inning.

CLASS A KINSTON (11-17) split a doubleheader at home against Potomac. The K-Tribe got only two hits in losing the first game, 9-0, then won the second game in extra innings, 4-3, with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Nick Pesco (6-9, 4.05 ERA) gave up four runs over five innings and Matt Davis (6.62 ERA) was pounded for five runs in just two-thirds of an inning in the opener. Kinston got three straight singles to load the bases in the eighth inning of the nightcap -- then Mike Conroy walked to force home the winning run. Jim Ed Warden (3-2, 3.19 ERA) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (12-17) rolled to a 9-2 victory at Hagerstown. Ricardo Rojas (.230) went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a solo homer, his second. Matt Whitney (.221) also had three hits, while Brian Finegan (.299), Tim Montgomery (.284) and Fernando Pacheco (.224) all had two hits apiece. Dan Cevette (3-3, 2.66 ERA) gave up three hits and one walk over five scoreless innings, striking out seven. Ryan Knippschild (2.70 ERA) gave up two runs over two innings, while Brando Rickert and Adam Hanson each worked one scoreless.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (18-15) lost at Aberdeen, 6-2. Derrick Peterson (.261) had two RBI and hit a solo homer, his second. Cirilo Cumberbatch (..250) went 3-for-3 for the Scrappers. Joe Ness (2-1, 2.35 ERA) gave up three first-inning runs. Justin Pekarek (2.25 ERA) yielded two runs over six innings, striking out seven.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (12-20) lost at home to Elizabethton, 4-1. P.J. Hiser (.318) hit his ninth homer. Jorge Riera (1-1, 3.28 ERA) gave up two runs over four innings and Gerson Mercedes (4.50 ERA) allowed two runs over two innings.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Oakland 13, Cleveland 4</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
July 26, 2005

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Jul 26, 1:19 am EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Indians swept Oakland at its low point in late May, and now are seeing the Athletics at their best: right back in the playoff chase and poised for another sensational second half.

The A's own the wild-card lead, and they don't care. This confident bunch believes it can take down the Angels and win the AL West.

Eric Chavez homered twice and drove in four runs, Barry Zito pitched six strong innings to win his sixth start in a row and Oakland defeated the Indians 13-4 Monday night for its seventh straight victory.

``To me, the wild card is always second until the last couple weeks,'' said Chavez, who bounced back from a shaky road trip for a big offensive night. ``I still want to hunt down the Angels and try to win the division.'' Mark Ellis hit a two-run double, Scott Hatteberg had a two-run single and scored twice, Dan Johnson and Jason Kendall drove in two runs apiece, and Bobby Kielty added an RBI double as the streaking A's moved a half-game ahead of idle Minnesota. They also need one more victory to match their longest winning streak of the season.

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Oakland has been known for its second-half surges in recent years and certainly seems headed for another. The team is 10-2 since the All-Star break, the best record in the majors.


``I'm proud of those guys. It's been a blast watching them play,'' manager Ken Macha said.

Jhonny Peralta homered and Grady Sizemore hit a two-run single for the Indians, who had won their previous two but got another bad outing from C.C. Sabathia.

Zito (9-8) is finally showing the kind of form that earned him the 2002 AL Cy Young award. The lefty went over the .500 mark for first time this year, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked three.

He acknowledges this is the most consistent he's been since 2002, and he's certainly dressing the part. Kooky as ever, Zito's postgame outfit featured cutoff camouflage cargo shorts, brown socks pulled up to mid-calf, black indoor soccer shoes and a furry V-neck earth-green button-up sweater with no shirt underneath.

``We're not settling for any wild card,'' Zito said. ``We have a lot of great players in this room. If we put it together like we have been, we can come away with the AL West. We've got to shoot for the top.''

Keiichi Yabu pitched three innings for his first major league save.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Jul 26, 1:13 am EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The A's were a season-high 15 games under .500 on May 29 (17-32) and have gone 37-13 since -- the best record in baseball over that span.

Meanwhile, Sabathia (6-8) lost his fourth straight start and was done after just 2 1-3 innings -- his shortest outing since June 26, 2004, when he pitched one inning against Colorado. He was tagged for eight runs and eight hits and didn't have a strikeout.

``Right now, I don't know what's a good pitch or a bad pitch,'' Sabathia said. ``I tried to go in and out and I wasn't happy with anything I threw.''

The A's looked just as good against his replacement, Rafael Betancourt. He immediately gave up an RBI single by Johnson, then Kendall grounded into a fielder's choice to bring home another run and make it 8-0.

Chavez connected for his 16th homer leading off the second, sending a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right-center. Johnson added an RBI single five batters later and Kendall followed by singling in a run for his 500th career RBI.

``They found his weaknesses early,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``They're a disciplined group of hitters and they really got it going.''

Chavez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to almost the same spot in right for his 13th career multihomer game and second of the season. He also hit two June 12 at Atlanta. Chavez singled in a run in the fifth as the A's batted around for the second time. He then got the rest of the night off.

After Sizemore's fifth-inning single, the crowd began chanting ``Zito! Zito!'' and he struck out Coco Crisp to end the inning with runners on first and second.

Every Oakland starter scored a run and everyone had a hit but Jay Payton.

<SMALL>Notes</SMALL> Johnson was the DH and batted ninth, and so did Indians DH Jason Dubois -- the first time in major league history both teams' designated hitters were in the last spot in the batting order. ... Ellis has a nine-game hitting streak. ... The Indians expect to make a decision Tuesday on whether to place DH Travis Hafner on the disabled list. He missed his ninth straight game Monday with a concussion. ... A's CF Mark Kotsay was held out of the lineup with a stiff back caused from the long flight home. ... New Oakland owner Lewis Wolff watched batting practice on the field as his two grandsons chased autographs. Wolff bought the A's at the end of spring training and has been impressed with their recent turnaround -- he monitors the games he can't attend on his computer. ... Interest in the A's is increasing. Of the 19,242 on hand Monday, an estimated 9,000 were walk-ups.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Westbrook, 'Wicky' Wonderful In Win

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Jake Westbrook ... a big win.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 27, 2005

Jake Westbrook gave the Indians a lift with his sinker. The right-hander was at his finest, allowing only two hits while getting 16 outs on groundballs over seven innings in Cleveland's 2-0 win at Oakland.
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Westbrook (8-12) walked one, struck out two and was helped by two double plays. Bobby Howry pitched the eighth and Bob Wickman worked the ninth for his 25th save.

Wickman gave up singles to the first two batters he faced, Nick Swisher and Jason Kendall, but Mark Ellis couldn't get down a bunt attempt and eventually struck out. Wickman then got Bobby Crosby to fly out to center and slugger Eric Chavez to pop to shortstop to end it.

That snapped Oakland's seven-game winning streak.

"Jake has been consistent all year long," manager Eric Wedge told reporters. "He worked ahead in the count against a very disciplined team and did a great job. It was tempting to leave him in there, but it was time to go to the bullpen.

"This has been a tough stretch for us, so this is a very good win."

Jeff Liefer, called up from when the Indians finally put DH Travis Hafner on the disabled list, had an RBI double in the second inning in his first at-bat in the majors since June 27, 2004. It scored Ben Broussard, who had walked and moved to second on a walk to Aaron Boone, who also tried to score on Liefer's hit, but was thrown out at the plate.

"It was good to see Leifer come up here and get off to a good start," said Wedge.

Grady Sizemore hit his 10th homer in the eighth inning for a 2-0 lead.

The move on Hafner was made retroactive to July 17. He will be eligible to be activated on Aug. 2. Liefer's contract was purchased from Buffalo, where he was hitting .321 with 19 homers and 67 RBI.

Also, left-hander Brian Tallet was called up from Buffalo for the third time this season and right-hander Fernando Cabrera optioned back to the Bisons. The Indians needed another "long man" in the bullpen because Cabrera and other relievers were used quite a bit Monday night when Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia lasted only 2 1/3 innings.

MINOR MATTERS

Stephen Head, the Indians' second-round draft pick in June, continued to mash the baseball as he led Kinston to an incredible 25-4 victory Tuesday night. Check the recap below...

Updating a couple of organizational moves this week:
Outfielder Juan Valdes was placed on the Lake County disabled list with a broken little finger on his left hand; INF Marshall Szabo came off the Lake County DL; Left-hander Shea Douglas was placed on the Kinston disabled list with a sore left shoulder.

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (59-46) dropped a doubleheader at home to Pawtucket, 9-1 and 10-4. Ryan Ludwick singled home the Bisons' only run in the opener. Kazuhito Tadano (3-5, 4.96 ERA) allowed seven runs over four innings. In the second game, Billy Traber (4-6, 6.48 ERA) was pounded for 11 hits and eight runs (seven earned) over five innings. Mike Kinkade (.275) had two hits, including his 12th homer. Ryan Garko (.289) went 2-for-3.

CLASS AA AKRON (55-45) was postponed by rain and is scheduled to be made up as part of a doubleheader (two seven-inning games) tomorrow at Canal Park, beginning at 6:05 p.m. Right-hander Brian Slocum is scheduled to start the first game and left Jeremy Sowers the second game against the Harrisburg Senators.

CLASS A KINSTON (14-17) accumulated 42 total bases and 27 hits in an incredible 25-4 rout at Frederick. First baseman Stephen Head (.354) went 6-for-7 and drove in nine runs with his first two homers since being promoted to the Carolina League. He hit a grand slam, two-run homer, double and three singles. In 22 games overall between Mahoning Valley and Kinston, he has hit .388 (33-for-85) with eight homers and 27 RBI. This time, he had plenty of help. Check out these other numbers:

DH Mike Conroy (.265), 4-for-8, three runs, three RBI.
SS Brandon Pinckney (.238), 4-for-5, three runs, three RBI.
CF Brian Barton (.345), 3-for-5, two runs, RBI.
3B Rodney Choy Foo (.282), 3-for-5, two runs, RBI.
RF Nate Panther (.250), 2-for-5, four runs, RBI.
2B Argenis Reyes (.304), 2-for-7, three runs, homer, two RBI.

Starter Adam Miller (5.25 ERA) gave up three runs over 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Kyle Collins (5-5, 2.98 ERA) pitched just two-thirds of an inning for the win. Tony Sipp (2.56 ERA) worked two scoreless innings and Matt Davis (6.54 ERA) gave up one run over two innings to close it out.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (14-16) rapped out 16 hits in a 9-3 victory at Lakewood. Fernando Pacheco (.237) went 5-for-5 (four singles and a double) with three RBI, while Tim Montgomery (.284) hit a two-run homer, his third, and added an RBI single. Trevor Crowe (.272), Josh Noviskey (.229), Chad Longworth (.263) and Ricardo Rojas (.231) also had two hits apiece. Chuck Lofgren (3-2, 2.10 ERA) pitched five scoreless innings, giving up three hits and four walks while striking out six. Adrian Schau (5.50) allowed two unearned runs and T.J. Burton (3.67 ERA) one earned run over one inning apiece.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (19-15) was postponed by the same rainstorm that hit Akron. The Scrappers are now due to play the Williamsport Crosscutters in a pair of seven-inning games at Eastwood Field on Wednesday, starting at 6:05 p.m. Right-handers Jim Deters and Kevin Dixon are scheduled to start for Mahoning Valley.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (13-21) lost a noon game at home to Elizabethton, 11-3. Niuman Romero (.259) had two hits and two RBI, while John Drennen (.178) went 2-for-4 for Burlington. Starter Luis Valdez (1-4, 3.98 ERA) gave up four runs over 4 2/3 innings. Paul Lubrano (1.98 ERA) yielded one run over 3 1/3 innings and Jeff Pry, who missed all of last season with an injury, gave up six runs over one inning -- the first time he's been hit hard this season and raising his ERA from 1.59 to 5.84.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Oakland 5, Cleveland 4, 10 innings</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
July 27, 2005

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Jul 27, 7:39 pm EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Ken Macha had little preference who stood in the batter's box with the game on the line, because Oakland's recent success has the skipper confident in every one of his guys.

It just so happened to be No. 9 hitter Marco Scutaro, already responsible for three game-winning hits this season after producing two last year.

He did it again.

Scutaro lined a single to left to drive in the winning run in the 10th inning, and the Athletics rallied to defeat the Cleveland Indians 5-4 on Wednesday for their eighth win in nine games. ``The way we've been playing, I'm happy to see most of the guys up there,'' Macha said. ``Everybody's been coming through. That's what this whole thing's been about -- everybody picking each other up.'' Mark Ellis hit a two-out single in the 10th and Jay Payton followed with a double against David Riske (2-3), who then gave up Scutaro's single. Riske's streak of scoreless innings ended at 15 1-3.

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Scutaro, originally signed by Cleveland out of Venezuela 11 years ago, was anxious to contribute after failing to get a sacrifice bunt down in the ninth and going 0-for-3 in his previous at-bats.


``Today, I didn't do anything the whole game,'' he said. ``I was trying to get a base hit to make my day.''

His teammates made his day afterward, all right. Scutaro was plowed and punched in a crazy celebration near first base. His batting helmet was still on, which made the hits hurt -- so he quickly threw off the hat and headed to the clubhouse.

The A's improved to 8-2 in extra innings this year. Rookie Huston Street (4-1) pitched two innings for the victory.

Oakland tied it in the ninth against closer Bob Wickman, who had converted his previous 11 saves but blew his fourth save opportunity of the year.

``Last night I got them out on the same balls I threw today,'' Wickman said. ``Today, I had a two-run lead and lost it.''

Wickman allowed three straight singles starting the ninth, including an RBI drive to left by Payton that snapped an 0-for-18 slump. Jason Kendall singled in the tying run two batters later.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Jul 27, 7:35 pm EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Bobby Kielty hit a solo homer and Nick Swisher hit an RBI double in the first to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. Swisher hit another double in the third, and Dan Johnson had a career-high four hits for the A's, who improved to 11-3 since the All-Star break.

Aaron Boone hit a two-run homer and Scott Elarton pitched seven strong innings, but the Indians couldn't hold a two-run lead. Boone also added singles in the sixth and seventh innings, and has hit safely in 13 of his last 17 games. Grady Sizemore had three hits and Victor Martinez and Coco Crisp two each for Cleveland.

The Indians stopped Oakland's seven-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory Tuesday night, then quickly got to starter Dan Haren, whose league-best winning streak was preserved at seven games when his team tied it late.

Haren allowed a career-high 12 hits in his first career meeting with Cleveland, but is 7-0 in his last 12 starts. He hasn't lost since a 2-1 defeat to Tampa Bay on May 26.

Elarton was efficient after losing his previous two starts. He allowed two runs on seven hits before giving way to Arthur Rhodes, booed as he took the mound to face his former team.

Elarton, who beat Oakland on May 28 at Jacobs Field, has lasted at least seven innings in each of his last five starts.

After Swisher's second double, Elarton retired 10 of the next 12 batters he faced before allowing Kielty's seventh homer of the year with two outs in the sixth.

The Indians got to him for six hits in the first two innings, including Boone's 10th homer of the year in the second, a shot to left.

Haren lasted just 5 1-3 innings for the second straight outing. He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter, and the A's avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time since July 6-7 at Toronto. They haven't dropped a home series since May 13-15 against the Yankees.

<SMALL>Notes</SMALL> Haren's hits also were a season high for Oakland. He allowed 10 hits in a game six times, the last being July 10 at Chicago. ... A's CF Mark Kotsay missed his third straight game because of a sore back. Kotsay, who was rehabbing away from the ballpark Wednesday, had an MRI exam Tuesday that revealed almost the same problem that sidelined him from May 19 to June 5, 2003, while with San Diego. ``He's slowly getting better, just not as fast as we'd like,'' trainer Larry Davis said. ``We'll see how he is Friday. If he's not ready then, we'll give him a couple more days off. We're at a point in the season where you don't want to doom someone and have them go out there and play at 85 percent. ... The game drew 40,331, including a walk up of approximately 15,000 for the club's sixth annual root beer float day, which raised $51,700 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Tribe Bounces Back, Beats Seattle, 6-5

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>

Cliff Lee was in fine form early.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 29, 2005

Jose Hernandez delivered a pinch-hit single to drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Indians bounced back to beat Seattle, 6-5, Thursday night. The Indians' bullpen nearly blew its second game in a row, allowing the Mariners to come back from a 5-2 deficit to tie the score.
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Jeff Liefer opened the Indians' eighth with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Brandon Phillips, who was bunted over to third by Aaron Boone. After Casey Blake struck out, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove called on left-hander Ron Villone to face lefty-swinging Ben Broussard. Tribe skipper Eric Wedge countered with right-hander Jose Hernandez, who strode to the plate hitting .330 against lefties this year and promptly stroked an RBI single.

Bob Howry (6-2) got the last out of the seventh inning, worked a perfect eighth and turned it over to Bob Wickman, who had blown a save the previous day in Oakland.

This time, the right-hander got his 26th save, allowing only one runner to reach -- on a throwing error by shortstop Jhonny Peralta. But he got Ichiro Suzuki to hit into a double play to end it -- only the second time all season that the Mariners' star outfielder grounded into a twin-killing.

Scott Sauerbeck relieved starter Cliff Lee with two on and two outs in the seventh and Cleveland leading, 5-2 -- but yielded a three-run homer to Raul Ibanez to tie it, 5-5.

Cleveland took a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Ron Belliard doubled, Peralta walked and Victor Martinez hit a 1-2 pitch for his 12th homer. Martinez had three of Cleveland's 11 hits.

Lee held Seattle scoreless for the first 4 1/3 innings. Then Mario Olivo, hitting only .143 (21-for-147) hit his fifth homer. Suzuki followed with a triple and scored on a groundout to cut the Indians' lead to 3-2.

Belliard hit a two-run single in the seventh to make it 5-2. Broussard and Jason Dubois each singled and both were bunted over by Grady Sizemore to set up Belliard.

Cleveland got consecutive singles by Martinez and Peralta with one out in the ninth, but Phillips swung and missed at three pitches and Boone struck out on five pitches to end the chance to pad the 6-5 lead.

Yuniesky Betancourt, called up from the minors before the game by Seattle, hit a second-inning triple off Lee in his first at-bat in the majors. Betancourt is no relation to Indians reliever Rafael Betancourt, who hails from Venezuela. The Mariners' 23-year-old infielder fled Cuba on a raft in 2003 and lived in Mexico before signing a $2.86 million contract with Seattle in January.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (60-47) lost at home to Pawtucket, 3-2, as Fernando Cabrera (6-1, 1.12 ERA) gave up a tiebreaking ninth-inning homer. It was the only hit allowed by the right-hander in three innings. He struck out three without a walk. Starter Jeremy Guthrie (5.40 ERA) struck out eight without a walk over six innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. Mike Kinkade (.277) went 3-for-4 and Jose Morban (.288) had two hits including a solo homer, his second, for the Bisons.

CLASS AA AKRON (58-45) edged visiting Harrisburg, 4-3, as Ryan Mulhern (.259) hit a two-run homer, his sixth, in the bottom of the eighth inning. Eider Torres (.261) also had two hits for the Aeros. Mariano Gomez (2-2, 6.38 ERA) gave up one unearned run over two innings, but got the win. Starter Dan Denham (3.05 ERA) gave up two runs (one earned) over seven innings. He allowed fives hits and no walks, striking out seven.

CLASS A KINSTON (14-19) got only one hit, a fourth-inning single by Rodney Choy Foo, in a 6-0 loss at Wilmington. Tom Mastny (5-3, 2.47 ERA) gave up only one run over 5 2/3 innings. Chris Niesel (4.95 ERA) allowed five runs, though only two were earned, over 1 2/3 innings. First baseman Stephen Head (.360), who was hit in the back of the head with an errant pickoff throw while on base Wednesday night, did not play. Team officials said he was available and should soon return to the lineup, possibly as early as Friday.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (15-17) edged visiting Delmarva, 7-6, as Brian Finegan (.299) singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Tim Montgomery (.286) had two hits, including a two-run homer, his fourth, while Josh Noviskey (.252) hit a solo shot, also his fourth, and drove in two runs. Matt Whitney (.229) had three hits and Finegan, Montgomery, Ricardo Rojas and Trevor Crowe all had stolen bases for the Captains. Jesus Soto (1-0) pitched one perfect inning for the win and Kieran Mattison (3.50 ERA) worked a scoreless ninth for his 18th save. Captains starter Aaron Laffey gave up six runs over 5 1/3 innings to hike his ERA from 2.54 to 2.90 and T.J. Burton (3.56 ERA) worked a scoreless 1 2/3 innings.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (20-17) blanked visiting Auburn 5-0 as Ryan Edell (1-1, 2.17 ERA) gave up six hits without a walk and struck out six over 5 1/3 innings. Jason Stanford made his second rehab start for the Scrappers and gave up one hit in one inning. Matt Loberg (2.30 ERA) allowed one hit over the final 2 2/3 innings for his fourth save. Derrick Peterson (.267) had two hits and two RBI, while Jose Constanza (.256) and Andy Lytle (.222) also had two hits apiece. Constanza also had two stolen bases, giving him 13 in 14 attempts for Mahoning Valley.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (15-21) beat Bluefield, 4-1 at home. Christopher Hicks (1-3, 4.01 ERA) pitched five scoreless innings, giving up two hits, two walks, and striking out eight. Albert Vargas (1.02 ERA) yielded one run over three innings and Mike Finnochi (1.84 ERA) struck out two in a perfect ninth for his first save. Nick Petrucci (.233) hit a solo homer, his sixth. Jansy Infante (.273), Niuman Romero (.271) and Petrucci all had two hits apiece.
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[JCOSU86]

Jeff Liefer opened the Indians' eighth with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Brandon Phillips, who was bunted over to third by Aaron Boone. After Casey Blake struck out,....

I barely survived the ensuing heart attack I had when I read this...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Three Homers Power Indians To Victory

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Kevin Millwood ... another sharp start.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Jul 30, 2005

The Indians hit three homers to stake Kevin Millwood to a nine-run lead and went on to a 10-5 victory at Seattle. Millwood, reliever David Riske, manager Eric Wedge, bench coach Robby Thompson and Mariners pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa all were ejected after a beanball battle began in the seventh inning.
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Hasegawa was tossed in the top of the seventh for hitting Grady Sizemore with the first pitch after Jason Dubois´ home run put Cleveland ahead, 10-1. Millwood was ejected for retaliating by hitting rookie Yuniesky Betancourt with the first pitch in the bottom of the inning. Wedge also was ejected because the incident happened after benches had been warned. Thompson took over the managerial duties.

Riske was ejected after hitting Ichiro Suzuki in the back with a pitch in the ninth inning. Thompson also was tossed.

While the Indians didn't score again after Sizemore was plunked, the Mariners got two runs after Millwood played target practice and Raul Ibanez hit a two-run single off Arthur Rhodes in the ninth.

Millwood (5-9, 3.18 ERA) gave up two runs and seven hits over six innings. He struck out three without a walk to defeat the Mariners for the second time this week. The Indians had scored only two runs and were shut out three times during the right-hander's four-game losing streak earlier this month -- which came to an end Sunday when Millwood beat Seattle at Jacobs Field, 6-3.

Martinez went 3-for-5 with four RBI, hitting a three-run homer (No. 13) in the fourth inning. In 11 career games at Safeco Field, the switch-hitter has a .370 average (17-for-46) with six homers and 18 RBI. In 20 games against Seattle overall, he has hit .360 (27-for-75) with eight homers and 26 RBI.

Sizemore led off the game with his 11th homer and went 3-for-4 as Cleveland totaled 17 hits. Dubois went 3-for-5 with his ninth homer and second since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs on July 18.

Ron Belliard, Jeff Liefer and Jhonny Peralta all had two hits for Cleveland, which pounded Seattle starter Aaron Sele for nine runs and 12 hits over four innings. Randy Winn went 4-for-5 for the Mariners.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (61-47) defeated visiting Pawtucket, 7-2, as Jason Cooper (.265) went 4-for-4, scored three runs, drove in three and hit two homers, his eighth and ninth since being called up from Akron, where he had hit 11 homers. Ryan Garko went 1-for-3 and is batting .367 (29-for-79) in July. Fausto Carmona (4-1, 2.09 ERA) gave up two runs over six innings, striking out six. Jose Diaz (5.40 ERA), Andrew Brown (3.76 ERA) and Jake Robbins (2.33 ERA) each worked one scoreless inning of relief.

CLASS AA AKRON (59-45) had an 11-run seventh inning and buried Binghamton, 16-4. Ryan Mulhern (.283) went 4-for-5, scored three runs, drove in three and hit two homers, giving him eight since being called up from Kinston, where he had hit 17 homers. Mulhern has hit in 11 of his last 12 games, including seven straight. He is batting .386 (17-44) with five homers and 11 RBI over his last 12 games. Brad Snyder (.263), who had six homers at Kinston, hit his seventh for the Aeros and drove in four runs with two hits. Eider Torres (.268) went 4-for-6 with three runs and four RBI, Pat Osborn (.282) had two hits, two runs and two RBI and Javier Herrera (.241) two hits, a run and RBI. Jake Dittler (6-7, 3.29 ERA) gave up two runs over seven innings and Rafael Perez (1.15 ERA) allowed two runs, one earned, over two innings.

CLASS A KINSTON (14-20) lost at Wilmington, 6-2. Argenis Reyes (.303) had two of Kinston's five hits. Stephen Head (.352) returned to the lineup and went 1-for-4. He had missed one game after being hit in the head with an errant pickoff throw Wednesday night. Kyle Collins (5-7, 3.99 ERA) gave up five runs on three hits and two walks without getting a batter out. Starter Nick Pesco (3.83 ERA) allowed one unearned run over six innings. Matt Davis (6.42 ERA) and Tony Sipp (2.53 ERA) each worked one scoreless inning.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (15-18) lost to visiting Delmarva, 11-4, as catcher Wyatt Toregas was charged with four passed balls -- giving him 24 for the season. Starter Dan Cevette (3-4, 3.22 ERA) gave up six runs (four earned) over three innings, Adrian Schau (5.37 ERA) allowed one run over three innings and Adam Hanson (6.30 ERA) yielded four runs (two earned) over three innings. Trevor Crowe (.273) went 1-for-4 with two RBI and Josh Noviskey (.253) was 1-for-3 with two RBI for the Captains.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (20-18) lost at home to Auburn, 7-1. Omar Casillas (.242) had two of the Scrappers' three hits. Tom Cowley (2-2, 5.40 ERA) gave up two runs in three innings of relief and was the loser. Starter Joe Ness (2.08 ERA) gave up one unearned run over three innings. Nelson Hiraldo worked a scoreless 1 1/3 innings, but Josh Kite yielded four runs in just 1 1/3 innings.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (15-21) had its home game against Bluefield postponed by rain.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Seattle 3, Cleveland 2</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>July 30, 2005

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Jul 30, 7:29 pm EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>SEATTLE (AP) -- Ichiro Suzuki is ready for another run at a batting title.

The nine-time batting champion -- seven in Japan; two in the majors -- hit a pair of solo home runs Saturday to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2.

Hitting .385 in July, he has raised his batting average 22 points this month to .316. He is within range of league leader Johnny Damon of Boston, hitting .337 entering the day.

``To be able to do the things I do and win the title, that would be the best-case scenario,'' Suzuki said through an interpreter. ``But worrying about what others think or what kind of numbers I need to put up, I really don't think that way. I want to be able to play my game.''

Suzuki's fourth-inning leadoff home run also broke a 75-year-old major league record. That gave him 1,058 hits in his career, the most ever for a player in his first five big-league seasons, breaking the mark set by Paul Waner from 1926-30. Waner reached 1,057 hits in 747 games, while Suzuki has played 737 games.



``I didn't know about that record,'' said Suzuki, the defending AL batting champion who broke the single-season hit record last year with 262. ``When I heard of this record I thought to myself, 'Man, there's a lot of records out there.'''



The home run, his eighth this season and the first hit allowed by C.C. Sabathia (6-9), cut Cleveland's lead to 2-1 and was the longest of his career, a 428-foot shot off the glass windows of Safeco Field's right-field second deck restaurant. His previous longest was a 424-foot shot Aug. 15 against the Yankees' Kevin Brown.

After Mike Morse tied it at 2 with a leadoff home run in the fifth, Suzuki hit his second shot into the right-field seats in the sixth to put the Mariners ahead. It was the third multihomer game of Suzuki's career and also the third time Sabathia has allowed three home runs.

``Ichiro is not a home run hitter,'' manager Mike Hargrove said. ``His whole game is hitting it on the ground, keeping in on the line, taking the extra base, stealing and scoring runs. But he has good pull power.

``Getting base hits is not an easy thing to do. He makes it look easy sometimes, but it's not easy,'' Hargrove added. ``If it was easy everyone would hit .300 or .400 and get 250 hits a year. Since he has been here in the States, not even counting what he did in Japan, he has been absolutely amazing.''

Sabathia, who has a career-high five straight losses, has had trouble with Suzuki, who is hitting .419 with two doubles, three triples and three home runs against him.

``With him, it's whatever he feels like that day,'' Sabathia said. ``If he wants to take you to left and you throw a fastball away, he'll do that. You have to feel him out.''

Jason Dubois started the Indians' two-run rally in the third with a single just over second baseman Yuniesky Betancourt's reach. Sizemore, on a 1-0 pitch from Mariners' starter Ryan Franklin (6-11), hit a one-hop double against the right-field wall and Ronnie Belliard followed with a two-run double into the left-center gap.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Jul 30, 7:27 pm EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Franklin would settle down, although the Indians continued to reach base. They left 11 on, at least one in every inning.

``The thing with Ryan is you know you're going to get the most of what he's got that day,'' Hargrove said. ``He is as ready to pitch and compete as any I've ever been around.''

Ben Broussard defused a Cleveland rally in the sixth. He reached first on a one-out single then Casey Blake followed with a single to left. Broussard rolled around second and tried to take third but was thrown out easily.

``There was no reason. The play was in front of him, not behind him,'' Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. ``It was just a very poor decision.''

Ron Villone took over for Franklin with two outs in the seventh and struck out Victor Martinez. J.J. Putz relieved Villone with two on and one out in the eighth, walked Blake to load the bases but struck out Dubois and Grady Sizemore. Eddie Guardado picked up his 23rd consecutive save in the ninth. <SMALL>Notes</SMALL> There were no incidents after Friday's game, when Indians pitchers hit two batters and Seattle hit one, leading to five ejections. ... Suzuki is hitting .385 for July after a .243 June. He has the highest average among active players in July at .350.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Indians Don't Deal, But Keep Winning

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Casey Blake, after hitting his 12th homer.

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chuck Murr Indians Ink
Date: Aug 1, 2005

Jhonny Peralta drove in four runs to lead Cleveland to a 9-7 win in Seattle as the resurgent Indians -- without adding any help at the trading deadline -- stayed right in the thick of the AL wild card race. General manager Mark Shapiro didn't make a deal despite fielding plenty of calls from other teams.
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"We tried to acquire some young guys who could fit the equation now," Shapiro told reporters in a conference call. "We weren't able to get those guys with what we thought was a reasonable price. There weren't that many to go after."

Shapiro said his phone kept ringing right up to the deadline, but he was not impressed by what was being offered.

"I had more volume of calls with interest in our players than I did targeting specific guys out there we'd like to trade for," Shapiro said. "There were times I was more optimistic than others, maybe later in the week last week. As we went into the weekend, I was not very hopeful. There are not many teams that feel they're out of it, that's the overriding factor."

The Indians remained four games behind wild-card leader Oakland by taking three of four from the Mariners.

Peralta (.298) hit a three-run double to spark Cleveland to an early lead and the bullpen held off Seattle's frequent comeback challenges.

Victor Martinez and Jeff Liefer each singled home a run in the first inning, but Jake Westbrook (9-12) yielded two runs in the bottom of the first to tie it.

The Indians came right back against Seattle starter Joel Pineiro in the second inning. Aaron Boone singled, Ben Broussard walked and both were bunted over by Casey Blake. Grady Sizemore then drew a walk to load the bases and Peralta drove them all home with a double to left for a 5-2 lead.

"Jhonny has been a very solid player for us," manager Eric Wedge told reporters. "He's someone who has stepped up in the middle of our lineup. With each day you can see him grow as a major leaguer."

The Mariners pulled within 5-3, but Blake hit his 12th homer in the fourth inning, Ron Belliard singled home a run in the fifth and Cleveland scored twice more in the sixth.

Seattle got within 9-7 before relievers Rafael Betancourt, Arthur Rhodes, Bobby Howry and Bob Wickman combined to pitch a scoreless final 3 1/3 innings with Wickman getting his 27th save.

MINOR MATTERS

CLASS AAA BUFFALO (62-48) edged visiting Indianapolis, 2-1, as Ramon Vasquez (.222) singled home the winning run with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Garko (.293) opened the ninth with a single and went to third on a single by Jose Morban (.300), who then stole second. After Javier Cardona (.179) struck out, Joe Inglett (.311) was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up Vasquez. Andrew Brown (3-2, 3.70 ERA) struck out two in a perfect top of the ninth for the win. Starter Billy Traber (5.95 ERA) allowed one run over six innings and Fernando Cabrera (1.07 ERA) worked two hitless innings.

CLASS AA AKRON (61-45) rolled to a 9-3 win at Binghamton. Shaun Larkin (.225) hit his sixth homer, a grand slam, and Jonathan Van Every (.242) hit his 20th homer, a solo shot. Franklin Gutierrez (.250) had three of the Aeros' 11 hits and got his 14th stolen base of the season. Brian Slocum (7-5, 4.85 ERA) gave up two runs over five innings, striking out six. Mariano Gomez (6.10 ERA) allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings and Travis Foley (4.46 ERA) worked a perfect 1 2/3 innings for his first save. He got a save because he entered the game with Akron leading 4-3 before the Aeros scored five ninth-inning runs.

CLASS A KINSTON (14-22) lost at Wilmington, 3-1 -- its fifth loss in a row since a 25-4 victory on July 26. Nate Panther (.250) had two of Kinston's five hits and Rodney Choy Foo (.262) drove in the K-Tribe's run. Starter Adam Miller (4.20 ERA) allowed only one unearned run over six innings. He gave up two hits and one walk, striking out two. Tony Sipp (5-3, 2.69 ERA) gave up two runs over one inning and Matt Davis (6.31 ERA) pitched one hitless inning.

CLASS A LAKE COUNTY (15-20) lost at home to Delmarva, 3-2. The Captains got only four hits. Starter Chuck Lofgren (2.08 ERA) pitched five no-hit innings, striking out four -- but he also walked five and yielded one run. T.J. Burton (3-7, 3.75 ERA) allowed two runs over two innings before Jesus Soto and Kieran Mattison each worked one scoreless inning.

CLASS A MAHONING VALLEY (20-20) gave up four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and lost at Vermont, 5-2. Chris Clem (.299) had three hits and Jose Constanza (.257) went 2-for-4 for the Scrappers. Starter Justin Pekarek (1.73 ERA) struck out nine over six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, In 26 innings overall this season, he has walked only seven and struck out 36. Matt Haynes (3.12 ERA) gave up two runs, one earned, ove 1 2/3 innings and Matt Loberg (0-2, 2.25 ERA) got only one out and gave up three unearned runs to lose it.

ROOKIE LEAGUE BURLINGTON (16-22) won at Pulaski, 9-0. P.J. Hiser (.333) drove in five runs with three hits, including his 11th homer, a two-run shot. Niuman Romero (.280) went 2-for-2 and scored three runs. Luis Valdez (2-4, 3.44 ERA) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six over five scoreless innings. Mike Storey (4.22 ERA) gave up one hit and struck out five over the final four innings to earn his first save.
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