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  Monday, Sep. 4 1:05pm ET
Lofton's streak stopped at 18 games
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Dave Burba wanted his first AL shutout Monday, but was happy to settle for a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that enabled Cleveland to maintain its wild-card lead.

"I planned on going to the ninth with a chance for a shutout," Burba (13-6) said after pitching 7 2/3 strong innings. The Indians won for the 13th time in 16 games.

Travis Fryman rips an RBI triple in the second inning to score David Segui and give the Indians an early lead on the Devil Rays.

Kenny Lofton's record run-scoring streak came to an end, but the Indians remained two games ahead of Boston and Oakland in the AL wild-card race.

Lofton failed to score for the first time in 19 games. Lofton went 1-for-5 and remained tied with Red Rolfe of the 1939 New York Yankees for the major league record for scoring in 18 consecutive games.

Burba (13-6) allowed one run and seven hits -- three to rookie Steve Cox. The right-hander struck out four and walked two to bail out a beleaguered bullpen. Cleveland used eight pitchers Sunday in a 12-11 victory over Baltimore in 13 innings.

"That was big because we had to rest those guys out there," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "I'm sure he wanted to keep going, but he did his job."

Burba did not quibble with the decision to bring in Paul Shuey, who pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings.

"Naturally I wanted to keep going, but I'll take one run over seven and something innings every time," Burba said. "The big thing is winning and getting to the playoffs. That's all any of us in the clubhouse is concerned with, believe me."

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the second off Albie Lopez (11-10). With one out, David Segui singled and scored on a triple by Travis Fryman. Fryman scored when Russell Branyan grounded a single to right.

Fryman, Branyan, Roberto Alomar, Segui and Manny Ramirez each had two of Cleveland's 13 hits. Ramirez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games.

Jim Thome's bases-loaded single drove in two runs in the seventh. Segui followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

"We got some key hits with runners on, sure, but this one was Burba's game," Thome said. "He just did a great job."

Cox hit his ninth homer with two outs in the eighth to spoil Burba's bid for his first shutout in more than five years.

"I just saw the ball good against him," Cox said. "I didn't swing at too many bad pitches."

Lopez allowed two runs and eight hits in three innings. The right-hander left with a strained left calf and fell to 0-2 with a 2.16 ERA in seven career outings against his former team.

"It's still sore," Lopez said. "Covering first base is where it happened."

Lopez twice had to race over to cover the bag on grounders by Omar Vizquel in the first two innings.

Lopez had pitched five or more innings in all 18 of his previous starts.

Game notes
Rain delayed the start by nine minutes. ... Branyan made his first career start in left field for the Indians. ... Cox went 3-for-3 and has hit .368 (25-for-68) in his last 21 games. ... Burba's only shutout came Aug. 18, 1995 -- a two-hitter for Cincinnati against Houston. ... Ramirez has hit .441 (30-for-68) during his 19-game streak.
 


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