Friday, June 14, 2002
Indians 2, Orioles 1, 10 innings
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND — Passports in hand, the Cleveland Indians embarked on a four-city, 12-game, 14-day road trip that will take them to Montreal for the first time and from one end of the country to the other.
And perhaps define their season along the way.
“It's going to be tough,” Ricky Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez, off to a horrible start with the Indians, atoned for some of mistakes Thursday by scoring on rookie Chris Magruder's triple in the 10th inning to give Cleveland a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
However, Gutierrez paid the price for his hustle. He strained his groin.
“It's kind of been that way all year, we get something going and we have a setback,” he said.
Gutierrez drew a one-out walk in the 10th off Willis Roberts (3-2), and Magruder, in a 3-for-29 slump, hit liner to right that bounced off the rubberized warning track and rattled around in the corner.
As the ball eluded right fielder Gary Matthews Jr., Gutierrez was waved home and scored easily, but he grabbed his upper leg after crossing home plate.
The Indians backed away from mobbing Gutierrez as a trainer came out and helped him limp off.
“It's been a rough year for me,” said Gutierrez, who signed a three-year, $11 million contract this winter to replace Roberto Alomar at second base. “I've been pinch-run for, pinch-hit for. Hopefully, I can get things turned around.”
Jerrod Riggan (1-0), recalled earlier in the day from Buffalo when Paul Shuey went on the 15-day disabled list, pitched the 10th and got his first AL win.
Ellis Burks homered for the struggling Indians, who went 3-4 on their homestand and will start an important trip on Friday in Colorado. They'll also play three games in Florida, Montreal and Boston before returning to Jacobs Field.
“It's going to be interesting,” Omar Vizquel said. “I think we'll play well.”
The Indians had better or could be in danger of dropping farther back in the AL Central. Cleveland enters play Friday five games back of division-leading Minnesota.
Gutierrez has grounded into a league-leading 11 double plays, and he entered Thursday's game with eight errors and only nine RBIs.
Before he came to the plate in the 10th, Indians manager Charlie Manuel said some of the Indians were kidding Gutierrez about being replaced by a pinch-runner.
“I told him, 'Show me you can run and I won't pinch-run for you if you score,”' Manuel said. “So he was trying to score.”
Gutierrez said he felt his muscle tighten as he rounded third, and he peaked toward right to locate Matthews and the ball.
“It kind of kicked off the wall and got by me,” Matthews said. “I still thought I had a chance to get him, but it wasn't close.”
Cleveland's Chuck Finley moved past Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson into 23rd place on the career strikeout list, fanning eight in 6 2-3 innings to raise his total to 2,505 in 16 seasons.
The 39-year-old left-hander, who could be traded before the July 31 deadline, is one of just 24 pitchers to surpass 2,500 strikeouts.
But Finley walked four, including three in the seventh inning when he forced in Baltimore's tying run.
Baltimore starter Jason Johnson, making just his second start since April 20, held the Indians to one run and three hits in a season-high eight innings.
“That's the best control I've had since my first start this season,” said Johnson, who missed six weeks with a broken middle finger. “It was a little disappointing not to win, but I'm really happy with how I did.”
Notes: The game was a makeup of a May 16 rainout and Thursday's lone major league game. ... Next up for Finley is Hall of Famer Tim Keefe (2,533) in 22nd place, and Jerry Koosman (2,556) in 21st. Atlanta's Greg Maddux (2,565) is 20th. ... The Orioles had been 6-0 in extras.
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Indians 2, Orioles 1, 10 innings
