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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- As Chuck Finley sprinted toward home plate to
help mob Jim Thome, it hit him again. This was exactly why he
wanted to pitch for the Cleveland Indians.
|  | | Chuck Finley struck out four in one inning -- for the third time in his career. |
"That was just a great game to be involved with," Finley said.
"A throwback game. Wow, was that exciting."
Thome's one-out homer into the Indians' bullpen followed Manny
Ramirez's shot to deep center in the ninth inning off John
Wetteland on Sunday as Cleveland rallied to beat the Texas Rangers
2-1.
The two drives -- the 201st career homers for both players -- helped Finley win his home debut for the Indians, who were held to
two hits through eight innings.
Despite striking out 13 and pitching a five-hitter, Finley (1-0)
looked like he was going to be a hard-luck loser when he walked off
the mound to a standing ovation in the ninth.
But Ramirez and Thome took care of things, giving Finley his
first win with Cleveland and giving Indians rookie manager Charlie
Manuel his first home win.
"If you would have told me we would go out there and hit
back-to-back homers off Wetteland to win it," Thome said shaking
his head, "I would have said you were crazy."
Then Finley must be.
Before Ramirez walked to the plate in the ninth, Finley said he
was hoping for the kind of Jacobs Field magic he saw the Indians
pull off while sitting in the visitors' dugout here.
"I said, 'Wouldn't it be nice if we got back-to-back homers and
walked out of here?' " Finley said.
Ramirez had struck out in his first three at-bats and was just
2-for-15 with nine strikeouts against Wetteland. But after taking a
close pitch for ball three, he drove a full-count pitch 432 feet
for his third homer.
Up came Thome looking to win it with one swing and did, lining a
2-2 pitch that with some urging from Cleveland's relievers just
cleared the wall. Wetteland had converted his previous 18 save
opportunities.
"Those two balls were hit, man," said Manuel. "We've had some
big days here, but I can't remember us hitting back-to-back homers
like that to win it."
When Thome's low liner finally went out, the Indians poured out
of the dugout to greet Thome, who had to fight his way through the
pack at home plate.
"I wanted to get out of there quick because I knew they were
going to beat me up," Thome said.
Texas starter Esteban Loaiza pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings and
struck out a career-high 10 for the Rangers, who were looking for
their first sweep in Cleveland since 1992.
But after Jeff Zimmerman got two outs in the eighth, Wetteland
couldn't close it. He entered the game with 21 saves against the
Indians, his most against any team.
Wetteland felt especially bad for Loaiza, who didn't allow a hit
until the fifth and struck out five straight in one stretch.
"That's the real difficult part," Wetteland said. "He threw
two hits up there. I feel terrible for him. I don't know what more
you could do to win a ballgame. It's my responsibility and I didn't
get it done."
Finley, who signed a three-year, $27 million free agent contract
with the Indians for a chance to win a World Series ring, broke his
own major league record by striking out four batters in one inning
for the third time in his career.
He already was the only pitcher to strike out four batters in
one inning twice.
"That's not something I really want to practice," Finley said.
Finley got some help from Roberto Alomar in the first. Alomar
made a diving stop behind second base on Ivan Rodriguez's grounder
and from the ground flipped the ball to Omar Vizquel who turned the
double play.
Then in the fifth, center field Jacob Cruz threw out Royce
Clayton at third.
"We made some great defensive plays," said Finley, who had his
58th career complete game. "I used to see those guys do that all
the time."
Game notes
Finley entered with an 8-17 record and 4.73 ERA against
Texas. ... Hall of Famer Bob Feller threw out the ceremonial first
pitch on the 60th anniversary of his opening day no-hitter in 1940
at Chicago's Comiskey Park. ... The Indians are continuing sales of
group tickets for September dates despite saying last week that the
entire 2000 home schedule was a complete sellout. ... Texas CF
Rusty Greer's surgery to remove bone spurs in his right ankle went
as expected in Dallas on Sunday. The team said Greer would be in a
walking cast for 5-7 days and will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. ...
Finley, who struck out 10 in his first start, had his 29th career
double-digit strikeout game.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
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RECAPS
Boston 5
Oakland 4
Cleveland 2
Texas 1
Tampa Bay 7
Detroit 6
NY Yankees 8
Kansas City 4
Seattle 19
Toronto 7
Anaheim 3
Chi. White Sox 1
Baltimore 5
Minnesota 0
Philadelphia 5
Montreal 4
NY Mets 12
Pittsburgh 9
Atlanta 2
Milwaukee 1
Florida 6
Chicago Cubs 5
St. Louis 9
Colorado 3
Colorado 14
St. Louis 13
(2nd game)
San Diego 13
Houston 3
Cincinnati 5
Los Angeles 3
Arizona 0
San Francisco 0
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