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  Monday, Aug. 7 7:05pm ET
Indians' streak matches season high
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

CLEVELAND (AP) -- A few weeks ago, Jim Thome's daring dash home might have ended with him being called out at the plate. Or injured and carried off the field on a stretcher to join Cleveland's standing room only disabled list.

But things are getting better for the Indians, who are creeping back into the playoff race.

Jim Thome
Bill Haselman appears to tag the Indians' Jim Thome out at the plate in the seventh, but Thome was called safe by umpire Brian Runge.

Thome, one of Cleveland's slowest runners, scored on Travis Fryman's sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Steve Woodard and four relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Indians extended their winning streak to six with a 2-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

"We're starting to come on," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "We're playing better and we're getting some breaks. When our pitching is good, then we've got a chance."

Woodard, thrust into a starting assignment on just two days' rest, pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and Tom Martin, Steve Reed, Steve Karsay and Bob Wickman pitched hitless ball the rest of the way as Cleveland recorded its first shutout since May 11.

Woodard was moved up in the rotation when scheduled starter Dave Burba had to be pushed back until Wednesday because of a finger blister.

Acquired July 28 in a six-player deal with Milwaukee, Woodard was sharp in his first outing for the Indians, but lasted just three innings in his last start Friday night against Anaheim. Manuel said before the game he didn't know what to expect.

What Manuel and the Indians got was Woodard's best outing this season.

"I'm glad I got the opportunity to go back out there," Woodard said. "I had a chance to redeem myself and I did. This is a great feeling."

Cleveland, which hadn't won six in a row since April 7-12, moved within 2½ games of Oakland, which leads the AL wild-card race. The Indians are 7-3 since making a flurry of trading deadline moves.

Reed (2-0) and three other relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless innings, with Wickman, who also came over from the Brewers, pitching the ninth for his third save. During the winning streak, Cleveland's pitchers have a 2.67 ERA and have not allowed a run in 16 innings.

"I've been saying for two weeks that for us to get back in the wild-card race, we need to win seven, eight, nine games in a row," Thome said. "This team believes in itself."

Gabe Kapler extended his hitting streak to 21 games for the Rangers, who left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth while wasting a strong performance from starter Rick Helling (13-8).

"I pitched well enough to win," said Helling, who allowed four hits in seven innings but lost for the first time in seven decisions.

Helling retired 12 straight before his first and only walk -- to Thome -- opened the seventh. One out later, a perfectly executed hit-and-run single by Wil Cordero sent Thome to third.

Fryman then hit a fly ball to medium right where Chad Curtis was in perfect position to make a strong throw home. He fired to the plate on the fly, but it was a little high, giving Thome the chance to slap the plate as he slid by.

TV replays appeared to show that catcher Bill Haselman actually tagged Thome on the left shoulder, but plate umpire Brian Runge ruled Thome safe.

"I didn't want to go and take another look at it," Manuel said. "The guy called him safe and that was good enough for me."

Rangers manager Johnny Oates refused to give his take on the call.

"Go ask the umpire," was all Oates would offer. "He is the only one who has the final say."

In the eighth against Mike Venafro, Thome slapped an opposite-field RBI single to left, scoring Omar Vizquel from second.

Woodard got out of trouble in the fourth by snaring a line drive by Rusty Greer to start an inning-ending double play. Then in the fifth, after the Rangers put two on with none out, left fielder Cordero made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Ricky Ledee of extra bases.

Woodard then struck out Haselman and walked Michael Lamb before fanning Royce Clayton on a 3-2 pitch.

After struggling all season with the Brewers, Woodard feels like he's gotten a second chance to make something of this season.

"It's been a very, very good change and I'm happy with the ways things have worked out," he said.

Game notes
Texas and Cleveland met for the first time since swapping Ledee and David Segui on July 28. Ledee went 0-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth. Segui went 0-for-4. ... Greer's double in the sixth was his 1,000th career hit. He is the sixth player in Texas history to reach the plateau. ... Ledee, now with his third team -- Yankees, Indians and Rangers -- this season, is also wearing his fourth number. He wore No. 17 in New York, Nos. 22 and 23 with Cleveland, and has No. 12 with Texas. ... Helling has thrown an AL-high 2,800 pitches this season, an average of 112 per start
 


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