CLEVELAND (AP) -- Somebody's watching over the New York Yankees.

Shane Spencer bounced a two-run double off third base and Mariano Rivera survived a shaky ninth when pinch-runner Alex Ramirez got doubled off second base for the final out as New York held on for a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

	Ramiro Mendoza gave the Yankees six solid innings despite a near three-hour rain delay at the start.

"We were lucky, and I'm glad we were lucky," said New York manager Joe Torre. "I don't want to re-live that ninth."

New York is 16-8, but the Yankees haven't played like World Series champions this season. And Torre knows that sooner or later the ball is going bounce the other way.

"It's luck and it evens out during the course of the year," Torre said.

After Ramiro Mendoza (3-2) gave him six solid innings, Torre used Mike Stanton and Jeff Nelson in the seventh before choosing to use Rivera for the final five outs.

Rivera barely got out of the eighth by retiring Manny Ramirez on a bases-loaded comebacker, but was back in trouble in the ninth when David Justice singled and Jim Thome doubled.

With the Yankees conceding the tying run and the clock ticking past a possible 1 a.m. curfew following a 2-hour, 44-minute rain delay, Rivera struck out Sexson for the first out.

Fryman followed with a sinking liner to left that looked like it would at least tie the score. But Spencer grabbed it on the run, and when he looked up both Ramirez and Justice were standing on third.

"Derek (Jeter) was jumping up and down yelling for the ball," Spencer said. "I was going to throw it over the backstop."

Spencer then threw a one-hopper to Jeter, who stepped on second base and pumped his fist as he made the final out.

"Weird," Jeter said. "When he first hit it, I thought it was going to drop. It's a tough read."

Alex Ramirez never stopped running once he got to the Indians clubhouse and was unavailable for comment.

"That's a tough play," said Indians manager Charlie Manuel. "The only thing you can do is go halfway. He was off and running though. Evidently, he thought it was a hit."

Jaret Wright (2-2) pitched eight solid innings, but Cleveland's offense once again couldn't get anything going. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out five.

"Sure I wanted a win," Wright said. "Everybody on this team hates to lose."

Rivera earned his league-leading eighth save and New York's relievers have given up just six runs in 31 1/3 innings over the last 10 games.

A slow-moving storm front pushed the first pitch back, but nothing could postpone another Yankees' victory at Jacobs Field. New York improved to 22-9 at Jacobs Field, the best record of any Indians opponent.

It was the fourth straight one-run game for the Indians, who have scored just 12 runs in their last five games.

Fryman had three hits for Cleveland, batting only .230 as a team in 10 home games.

Spencer's first double of the season, a grounder that hugged the line before hitting the bag at third, gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the fifth.

Tino Martinez singled and Jorge Posada doubled into the left-field corner. Wright just missed on an 0-2 pitch to Spencer, who after fouling off three pitches, pulled a ball down toward third that probably would have been stopped by Fryman but hopped into left.

Game notes
The 9:49 p.m. start was the latest in Jacobs Field history, eclipsing a 9:48 starting time on June 24, 1994, also against the Yankees. ... New York is avoiding Chuck Finley (3-0) on this trip through Cleveland. Finley, who is 16-9 in his career against the Yankees, will make his next start Thursday at Toronto. ... Knoblauch started at second and didn't seem to be bothered by his slightly sprained left hand and wrist. ... Interestingly, it's the Yankees who are honoring the memory of the late Bob Lemon by wearing black arm bands this season. Lemon, who died Jan. 11, spent his entire Hall of Fame pitching career with Cleveland, winning 207 games. He managed the Yankees to a World Series title in '78.