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Monday, Apr. 3 3:05pm ET
Solo HRs by Fryman, Lofton lead Indians | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Having Mike Hargrove in the dugout on opening day didn't produce a discernible change in the Baltimore Orioles, who experienced the same problems they encountered last year. And it didn't change the Cleveland Indians, who looked very much like the same team that last year romped to its fifth straight AL Central title with Hargrove as manager. Baltimore ace Mike Mussina retired 23 of his first 25 batters, but Travis Fryman and Kenny Lofton hit solo homers to lead the Indians to a 4-1 victory Monday. During his 8½-year run in Cleveland, Hargrove built the Indians into an offensive-oriented unit that relied heavily on the long ball. He was fired in October, but that philosophy remains under Charlie Manuel, who won his debut as a major league manager. "It doesn't really matter who we play as long as we win," Manuel said. "Beating Mike doesn't play a big part in it. We beat the Baltimore Orioles. That's the way I look at it." That's what he told reporters, anyway. "Charlie was all excited, saying, 'Thanks man, thanks man,' " Lofton said. "I said, 'Charlie, it's only the first game.' " Lofton, who tore a rotator cuff in the playoffs last year, initially was expected to be out until the All-Star break. His homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie, and he drove in a run in the eighth when the Indians pulled away by scoring two runs on four straight two-out singles. The Orioles, meanwhile, displayed two annoying habits they exhibited in 1999 under former manager Ray Miller. Baltimore, which ranked third in the AL last season in leaving runners on base, stranded nine against the Indians and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles also went 1-9 against Cleveland last year, a trend that continued on opening day. This time, however, Hargrove was on the losing end. The view from the other dugout was rather routine for Hargrove, who is attempting to turn things around for a franchise coming off two straight losing seasons. "It was normal. Everything I saw them do, I've seen them do for the last eight years so it didn't surprise me," Hargrove said. "The only un-normal thing about it was that we didn't win." Down 2-1, the Orioles had two on and two out in the seventh before Cleveland's Omar Vizquel ran from shortstop to medium left field to make a diving catch of a blooper off the bat of Delino DeShields. "In watching Omar all these years, nothing he does surprises me," Hargrove said. "I was just wishing he had been six inches to his left when the play started." Mussina pitched well, but it wasn't good enough to give Hargrove a victory in this much-anticipated matchup against his former team. Mussina allowed only two hits through the first seven innings -- both homers -- before tiring in the eighth. Singles by Fryman, Sandy Alomar and Lofton put Cleveland up 3-1 and chased Mussina. Mike Trombley, making his debut with the Orioles, subsequently allowed an RBI single to Vizquel. Winner Bartolo Colon allowed one run and three hits in five innings, walking six and striking out six. Steve Karsay, the fifth Indians pitcher, worked the ninth for his second major league save. The Orioles went up 1-0 in the second when Colon walked two and Brady Anderson hit a two-out RBI single. After another walk, B.J. Surhoff struck out with the bases loaded. "You walk guys, you're living on the edge. If I'm able to get a hit there, it's a lot different game," Surhoff said. Mussina retired the first seven Cleveland batters before Fryman tied it in the third by driving a 2-0 pitch over the wall in center. Mussina then mowed down the next 10 batters before Lofton connected. Cal Ripken, who entered the game needing nine hits to reach 3,000 for his career, hit a bloop double in the second inning and went 1-for-4. His hit total, posted in large block numerals on the warehouse beyond the right-field wall, now stands at 2,992.
Game notes | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Cleveland Clubhouse Baltimore Clubhouse RECAPS Cleveland 4 Baltimore 1
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