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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Trying to gain ground is bringing out the best
in the Indians.
Kenny Lofton singled over a drawn-in infield to drive in the
go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and Cleveland beat the Anaheim
Angels 6-3 Saturday for its fourth straight win.
|  | | Omar Vizquel singles in the eighth off the Angels' Mark Petkovsek to drive in Wil Cordero with an insurance run. |
"Breaks are starting to go our way," Lofton said. "Part of
that is we're making things happen. We know we have to win."
Lofton's broken-bat blooper off Scott Schoeneweis (5-6) fell
behind shortstop Kevin Stocker and scored Sandy Alomar from third
base for a 3-2 lead. Lofton had three of Cleveland's 16 hits as the
Indians handed Anaheim its fourth straight loss.
"It is kind of like a playoff atmosphere lately," Alomar said
of Cleveland's first four-game winning streak since July 9-15
against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Indians last won four
straight over AL teams during a six-game streak from April 7-12.
Justin Speier (2-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Paul
Shuey struck out both batters he faced to close the eighth.
Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel and Jolbert Cabrera added RBI singles in
the bottom half off Mark Petkovsek for a 6-2 lead. Matt Walbeck hit
a run-scoring grounder in the bottom half.
"I didn't pitch well enough to win," Schoenweis said.
"Again."
The left-hander, whose last win was May 25, allowed three runs
and 11 hits in seven innings.
"I think we're still sound," Angels manager Mike Scioscia
said. "No need to panic. As we start to play better baseball, it
will wash away this losing streak."
Chuck Finley allowed only two singles in the first five innings
against his former team. The left-hander, who had not made it out
of the sixth inning in three previous starts, faltered again in the
sixth and wasted a 2-0 lead on Tim Salmon's 24th homer, an
opposite-field drive to right, and Garret Anderson's RBI single
that followed an error by Lofton in center.
"I was breezing along with two outs and needed 25 more pitches
to get out of the inning," Finley said. "The big thing is we won.
We have to make up some ground and I hope we have not dug too big
of a hole."
Finley allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in six
innings. He struck out six.
Lofton singled in the first, stole second (he had two steals), took third on Travis
Fryman's bunt single and scored as Roberto Alomar hit into a double
play. Thome hit a broken-bat, RBI single in the third.
Manny Ramirez ran through a stop sign by third-base coach Jim
Riggleman and was an easy out as he crashed into Walbeck attempting
to score on Thome's hit.
Ramirez left in the eighth with a sore left hamstring from that
play. He was on the disabled list May 30 to July 12 with a strained
left hamstring.
"I think that play shook him up a little," Indians manager
Charlie Manuel said. "We'll have a better idea on how Manny is
feeling tomorrow."
Rookie Chan Perry followed with his first major league hit and
Sandy Alomar also singled, but Cabrera hit into a inning-ending
force play.
Game notes
Perry, called up from the minors Friday, made his
major-league debut in right field. He is the brother of White Sox
third baseman Herbert Perry, a former Indian. ... Ron Gant's
second-inning single was his first in nine at-bats in the AL since
Anaheim acquired him July 30 from Philadelphia. ... Indians catcher
Sandy Alomar threw out both runners attempting to steal on him. He
is 17-for-73 on steal attempts this season. ... Anaheim is 4-9
since the All-Star break in games decided in the seventh inning or
later.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Anaheim Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Kansas City 7
Boston 5
Toronto 8
Texas 5
Cleveland 6
Anaheim 3
Tampa Bay 5
Baltimore 4
Seattle 6
NY Yankees 5
Detroit 4
Minnesota 3
Chi. White Sox 4
Oakland 3
St. Louis 5
Atlanta 0
Colorado 7
Philadelphia 6
Chicago Cubs 6
San Diego 3
Pittsburgh 7
San Francisco 2
Florida 10
Cincinnati 5
Montreal 10
Houston 9
NY Mets 6
Arizona 2
Milwaukee 4
Los Angeles 2
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