|
|
|
|
 |
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Weekly Lineup Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search Clubhouses |
| Sport Sections |
|
|
| |
Saturday, Jul. 22 7:05pm ET
Indians lose fourth straight game | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- David Ortiz is on a tear and Ron Coomer and the Minnesota Twins are reaping the benefits. Coomer had four hits and Ortiz added three, giving him 13 hits in 17 at-bats, as the Minnesota Twins beat Cleveland 10-6 Saturday night. It was the Indians' fourth straight loss. "This is great for the team," said Coomer, who bats ahead of Ortiz. "We really need him in the middle of the lineup. He's just having quality at bat after quality at bat. He's swinging really well right now." Ortiz is hitting .765 in the last four games and has reached base safely in 14 of 18 plate appearances. He also has 13 RBI in 16 games. "I've been hot before, every player has, but I don't know if I've been this hot," said Ortiz, who struck out in his final two at-bats. "I come to the stadium knowing I'm going to play and that gives me confidence." Ortiz had an RBI single in a four-run first inning, another single in the second and a double in the fourth. He also scored twice. Coomer had two doubles, two singles and drove in two runs for the Twins, who collected a season-high 18 hits. "We all hit the ball and we needed it all," Coomer said. Richie Sexson's grand slam off Twins starter Mike Lincoln in the fourth inning erased a 5-2 deficit. However, Minnesota scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth, then added two unearned runs in the fifth, thanks to a rare error by shortstop Omar Vizquel. Vizquel failed to handle a short hop on a spinning, yet fairly routine grounder by Matt Lawton, snapping a 95-game errorless streak, second longest in major league history. Vizquel's last error came on Sept. 25, 1999, at Toronto. "It was a tough play, a slider that hit off the end of the bat," Vizquel said. "One of my goals since I stepped into the big leagues was to go a whole season without an error." Lawton said the ball squibbed off his bat and was a tough chance, even for Vizquel. "If that guy doesn't make the play, you know something's wrong," Lawton said. "If it wasn't spinning, he makes the play easy. But, it was an error." Rey Ordonez of the New York Mets owns the major league record at 101 games (June 14, 1999-March 29, 2000). Vizquel, a seven-time Gold Glove winner, was tied with Cal Ripken (1990) for the longest streak in American League history. Vizquel's streak covered 428 chances. "I couldn't hardly believe it," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "I felt for him." Manny Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his 20th of the year and second in two nights. Ramirez has seven homers and 15 RBI in nine games since coming off the disabled list. His homer gave the Indians a 2-0 lead, but Minnesota sent 10 men to the plate in the bottom of the first to score four runs against starter Tim Drew. Coomer, Ortiz and Jacque Jones all had run-scoring hits and Chad Allen added a sacrifice fly. Minnesota made it 5-2 in the third on back-to-back singles by Allen and Jones, and Cristian Guzman's sacrifice fly. Corey Koskie and Allen had run-scoring hits in the fourth, and another scored on a balk by reliever Kane Davis (0-3) as the Twins went back on top 8-6. Vizquel's error in the fifth allowed Jones to score from third with two outs, and Coomer followed with his second double of the game. Reliever Johan Santana (2-2) picked up the victory with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. Bob Wells pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings for his seventh save in 11 chances. Game notesSexson was in a 14-for-70 (.200) slump prior to his 16th homer. ... Drew lasted just three innings, giving up 10 hits and five runs. ... Coomer's four-hit game was the sixth of his career. ... Jones had three singles as Guzman was the only starter to go hitless. ... Manager Tom Kelly was back in the Metrodome, but not on the bench for the second straight game. After missing nine games due to his father's heart surgery in Florida, Kelly decided to take another day off. ... Interim manager Ron Gardenhire is 6-4. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Cleveland Clubhouse Minnesota Clubhouse Vizquel's near-record errorless streak ends at 95 games
RECAPS Kansas City 8 Detroit 5
Detroit 10
Minnesota 10
| |||||