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Cleveland at Tampa Bay

Scoreboard
Cleveland3001000000490
Tampa Bay «3001000001582
Devil Rays 5, Indians 4 (10)
 

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are finally playing with confidence.

Tino Martinez's bases-loaded single in the 10th inning Sunday gave the Devil Rays a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians and their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Rocco Baldelli hit a one-out double off David Riske (0-2). After Aubrey Huff was intentionally walked and Jose Cruz Jr. walked to load the bases, Martinez lined a single to right on a 1-2 pitch.

"When you win a few games in a row, your team builds confidence and things take off," Martinez said. "You take the field with a lot more confidence. We've taken the field the last two days expecting to win."

The Indians have lost five straight for the second time this season.

The Devil Rays' previous four-game winning streak came last July 29-Aug. 1.

"Success breeds confidence," manager Lou Piniella said. "I know this, I'm going to enjoy my off day (Monday) a whole lot better."

Tampa Bay second baseman Damian Rolls had the wind knocked out of him in a scary collision with Cruz in the seventh.

Rolls was running full speed into right field while chasing a short fly hit by Ronnie Belliard that Cruz caught. Rolls' sternum and right jaw were bruised when he ran into Cruz and went down to the ground.

"Felt like I was hit by a train," Rolls said. "I'm fine. I'm going home to go to sleep."

Rolls stayed down for several minutes while being examined. He got up and tried to persuade Piniella to let him stay in the game before walking off the field under his power.

"He wanted to stay in there ... how about that," Piniella said. "He said, 'I'm not getting enough at-bats.' I said, 'Well, we'll get you some more at-bats next week."'

Team trainers will monitor Rolls, who was replaced by Geoff Blum. No tests are planned.

Cruz remained in the game, but afterward said his right side and leg were sore.

"It was a borderline, in-between ball," Cruz said. "I started calling it as soon as I knew I had it and then - bam! I'm glad nobody really got hurt."

Cleveland starter Cliff Lee did not get a decision and remains 5-0 this season. He gave up four runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Lee is just the third Indians pitcher in the last 30 years to start a season 5-0. Dennis Martinez won his first nine decisions in 1995, and Greg Swindell started 6-0 in 1988.

Toby Hall homered and drove in two runs for the Devil Rays. He has three RBI in his last 14 games.

Tampa Bay's Mark Hendrickson allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings. Travis Harper (1-0) went three scoreless innings for the win.

Cleveland got a homer from Alex Escobar. It was his first since Sept. 17.

"We missed opportunities, again," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "That was the difference for us."

Lou Merloni had a run-scoring single and Travis Hafner hit a two-run double that put the Indians up 3-0 in the first.

The Devil Rays tied it in the bottom half. Huff had an RBI single, Martinez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Hall drove in a run with grounder.

The teams traded solo homers in the fourth. Escobar went deep in the top half before Hall got the Devil Rays even at 4 in the bottom of the inning.

"It's frustrating when the team scores runs and you should put up a zero in the next inning," Lee said. "Twice I didn't do that."

Blum preserved the 4-4 tie in the seventh with a strong defensive play to take a two-out single from Victor Martinez. With two runners on, Blum went behind second to field Martinez's grounder and made a perfect throw to shortstop Rey Sanchez for a forceout.

The play came just three batters after Blum replaced Rolls.

"The ball has a way of finding you in those situations," Blum said.

Notes

Indians LF Matt Lawton left after the top of the first with a strained right hip. He did not rule out playing in the next couple days. ... Hafner has 15 RBIs in his last 13 games. ... Tampa Bay's bullpen has thrown 22 straight scoreless innings.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
 
 
 
Players of the Game
Tampa Bay

T. Martinez
AB 4
R 0
H 2
HR 0
RBI 2
Cleveland

T. Hafner
AB 4
R 0
H 2
HR 0
RBI 2
 
Cleveland Indians
Ron Belliard, 2B5000002 .342
Omar Vizquel, SS5010001 .302
Matt Lawton, LF1110000 .325
    Jody Gerut, RF4010002 .279
Victor Martinez, C4100104 .285
Lou Merloni, 1B4111111 .278
Travis Hafner, DH4022001 .289
Casey Blake, 3B4000003 .235
Alex Escobar, RF-LF4111012 .241
Coco Crisp, CF4020010 .220
Totals394942316 
Batting
2B - Travis Hafner (13, Hendrickson)
HR - Alex Escobar (1, Hendrickson)
RBI - Lou Merloni (7), Travis Hafner 2 (29), Alex Escobar (12)
2-OUT RBI - Lou Merloni (4), Travis Hafner 2 (15), Alex Escobar (6)
SB - Coco Crisp (4, 2nd base off Hendrickson/Hall)
CS - Casey Blake (3, 2nd base by Harper/Hall)
Team LOB - 7
Cleveland Indians
Cliff Lee 7.2644361 3.21
David Riske (L,0-2) 1.2211210 8.35
IBB - Huff by David Riske
HBP - T. Martinez (by Cliff Lee)
Pitches-Strikes - Cliff Lee 111-80, David Riske 37-22
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Cliff Lee 7-10, David Riske 2-2
Batters Faced - Cliff Lee 33, David Riske 9
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Carl Crawford, LF5000010 .303
Damian Rolls, 2B2100100 .179
    Geoff Blum, 2B2000000 .191
Rocco Baldelli, CF5220000 .291
Aubrey Huff, 3B4121100 .223
Jose Cruz Jr., RF2000321 .229
Tino Martinez, 1B4022011 .305
Toby Hall, C4122001 .278
Jonny Gomes, DH3000013 .071
   a- Robert Fick, PH-DH1000010 .146
Rey Sanchez, SS4000011 .222
Totals36585577 
a-struck out for Gomes in the 9th
Batting
2B - Rocco Baldelli 2 (6, Lee, Riske)
3B - Aubrey Huff (1, Lee)
HR - Toby Hall (2, Lee)
RBI - Aubrey Huff (20), Tino Martinez 2 (24), Toby Hall 2 (11)
Team LOB - 9
Fielding
E - Rocco Baldelli (4, Misplayed grounder), Jose Cruz Jr. (3, Dropped fly)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Mark Hendrickson 7843121 5.15
Travis Harper (W,1-0) 3100110 4.02
Pitches-Strikes - Mark Hendrickson 100-58, Travis Harper 54-32
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Mark Hendrickson 11-9, Travis Harper 4-3
Batters Faced - Mark Hendrickson 31, Travis Harper 10
Game Information
Attendance - 10555
Game Time - 2:50
Temperature - 72
Umpires - Home - Alfonso Marquez, First Base - Rick Reed, Second Base - Mike Fichter, Third Base - Ted Barrett
Other Games
NYY 8 Final
Tex 3
Tor 2 Final
Bos 7
CHW 17 Final
Min 7
Det 1 Final
Sea 3
KC 2 Final (10)
Oak 3
Balt 3 Final
Ana 8
LA 1 Final
Atl 5
Colo 0 Final
NYM 4
Hou 0 Final
Cin 7
SF 0 PPD
Mon 0
SD 4 Final
Phi 6
Mil 2 Final
Pitt 1
Ariz 4 Final
Fla 3
StL 3 Final
CHC 4