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  Sunday, Jun. 25 1:05pm ET
Wilson makes up for blown lead
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Enrique Wilson didn't have to run the bases like a mad man. This time, he got to enjoy hitting a home run.

Wilson, whose other homer this season was an inside-the-parker, homered on the first pitch of the eighth inning Sunday, giving the Cleveland Indians a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers, who still have Juan Gonzalez.

Rob Fick
Cleveland's Russell Branyan is tagged out by Rob Fick after trying to score on a fly ball by Kenny Lofton.

Gonzalez, who could soon be traded to the New York Yankees, didn't play after fouling a ball off his left ankle during the second game of Saturday's day-night doubleheader.

Gonzalez was still hobbling around the Tigers clubhouse after the game, and didn't appear to be leaving town anytime soon.

"See you guys tomorrow," Gonzalez told reporters.

After the Tigers had tied it at 1 in the top of the inning against Steve Karsay (1-4), Wilson drove a fastball from Matt Anderson (3-1) over the wall in right for his second homer.

Wilson's other homer this season didn't clear the wall May 21 against the New York Yankees.

"This homer felt better than all the hits I've had in a while because it helped us win," said Wilson, a utility infielder who made his fifth start as Cleveland's DH. "We really needed to win after losing yesterday. This was very important."

Anderson thought he had made a pretty good pitch to Wilson.

"It was down and in," Anderson said. "He just went down and got it."

The Indians, who blew several early scoring chances against Detroit starter Jeff Weaver, won for just the fifth time in 15 games and kept pace with first-place Chicago in the AL Central.

Cleveland rookie Jim Brower pitched seven shutout innings but got a no-decision when Karsay gave up an RBI double to Tony Clark in the eighth.

Brower gave up just four hits and pitched out of a couple jams. The right-hander walked three and struck out four -- three in the sixth when he left the bases loaded.

"The defense made a lot of great plays behind me," Brower said. "They really picked me up."

Karsay gave up a one-out single to Juan Encarnacion in the ninth before getting the final two outs for his first win since last Aug. 19.

"I wish I could have got a win for Brower," Karsay said.

The Indians were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-3 with the bases loaded against Weaver before finally scoring in the seventh.

The Tigers weren't much better, stranding nine and not producing a fly ball with a runner at third and one out in the fourth.

Detroit has now scored two or fewer runs in 32 of its 71 games this season.

"We're the worst in the league in on-base percentage," said Tigers manager Phil Garner. "We're the worst in the league in getting runners in from third and on and on. The game is very simple. Get on. Get over. Get in. There's no trick to it."

Jolbert Cabrera, who entered the game in the third when Omar Vizquel got hurt, opened the seventh inning with an infield single and Roberto Alomar sacrificed.

Following an intentional walk, Jim Thome hit a grounder to second baseman Damion Easley, who threw to shortstop Deivi Cruz for the force at second. Cruz got the out, but dropped the ball while taking it out of his glove.

When Cruz didn't immediately pick it up, Cabrera sprinted home and scored with a head-first slide.

"The way we've been going, I tried to do something they wouldn't expect," Cabrera said. "It was a gamble, but we have to make something happen. I had to take a chance."

The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Brower struck out Clark and Easley to keep it scoreless.

Detroit left fielder Rich Becker kept the Indians from scoring in the fourth when he caught Lofton's one-out fly and threw out Russell Branyan at the plate.

Again, the Indians loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but came away empty when Wilson grounded out to second.

Notes: Brower's throwing error in the third was the Indians' first miscue in 66 innings. ... With Detroit staying until Monday night, Tigers manager Phil Garner planned to attend the "Three Tenors" concert at Cleveland Browns Stadium following the game. ... Vizquel left the game in the fourth inning after bruising his right knee during an at-bat in the third. ... Detroit 3B Dean Palmer was struck on the left elbow by a pitch from Brower in the second and strained his groin while sliding into second on a double play. He was replaced in the third by Shane Halter and is day-to-day.

 


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