CLEVELAND - GAME RECAPS

September 24th - Toronto Blue Jays 3, Cleveland Indians 2 (11) - Attendance 32,425

Cold and rain were on the weather menu as the Indians hosted the Jays in the first of three games. The Tribe sent Bartolo Colon to the hill against Roy Halladay and both pitchers were superb. Colon was perfect through two innings before Felipe Lopez singled to lead off the third, but Halladay was even better, as he was perfect through 5 1/3 innings before Einar Diaz doubled. In both cases, the threats were easily doused and after 6 innings the game was still scoreless.

Delgado swings

In the top of the 7th, Lopez walked with one out and reached third on Darrin Fletcher's single. Tony Fernandez pinch hit for Homer Bush and smacked a deep fly ball to center field to score Lopez with the first run of the game. Halladay remained in the game to start the 7th, but after a walk and a single he was replaced by Dan Plesac, who struck out Jim Thome for the second out, and then Paul Quantrill, who struck out Ellis Burks to end the inning.

Thome swings

After a scoreless 8th, Billy Koch was brought in to save the game in the 9th, but Roberto Alomar decided that extra innings were better as he crushed a homer to center field. Koch had a blown save, but he buckled down and retired Gonzalez and Thome to end the inning. 

Mondesi out trying to stretch a single

The 10th was scoreless, and Danys Baez was the Cleveland pitcher to start the 11th. After Vernon Wells popped out, Carlos Delgado doubled. Raul Mondesi came to the plate and after taking a pitch near his chin, he crushed a pitch at his eyes over the left field fence to give the Jays a 3-1 lead. John Rocker was brought in and retired the next two batters, but the Indians had a tough fight in their half of the 11th. Bob File who had pitched a perfect 10th was still in the game, but only for 1 batter as Jolbert Cabrera slugged his first dinger of the season to bring the Tribe back within a run. Scott Eyre was brought in to face the top of the Cleveland order and he quickly got Kenny Lofton out on a called third strike, much to the dislike of the crowd, who felt the umpire was too generous with his strike zone. Vizquel was scheduled to bat, but Tim Laker pinch hit and he too was called out. Alomar was the last chance and he grounded out to third on the first pitch - game over and the Jays win a great one 3-2 in 11 chilling innings. A 9/10 game to celebrate our 30th and final major league park!

September 25th - Cleveland Indians 11, Toronto Blue Jays 7 - Attendance 35,729

More cold weather as Chris Carpenter started against Tribe rookie Ryan Drese. The Jays got to Drese early as Jose Cruz Jr. led off the game with a single and Alex Gonzalez followed with a hit-and-run single that sent Cruz to third. After Shannon Stewart struck out, Carlos Delgado scored Cruz with a groundout and the Jays were up 1-0. 

The Indians tied the game in the second on a Jim Thome double and an Einar Diaz RBI-single. Russ Branyan also doubled, but Carpenter managed to retire Jolbert Cabrera and John McDonald to escape the jam.

In the third, Robbie Alomar lined a ball hard off Carpenter's pitching arm, but Carpenter remained in the game after a visit from the trainer. Thome singled and Karim Garcia walked but Diaz then hit into a fielder's choice, leaving the sacks juiced. 

In the fourth, Carpenter did not come out as the Alomar liner had obviously affected him more than he let on. Pascual Coco relieved and that was good news for the Indians who managed 3 runs off him in the 5th on three singles, a walk, and a passed ball. Drese pitched well for the Jays and continued into the 7th, where the first three batters all singled to bring the Jays within 4-2. Acting manager Grady Little finally gave Drese the hook and in came Paul Shuey, who promptly threw Homer Bush's sacrifice bunt down the right field line allowing another run to score. After a walk to Cruz, Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Shannon Stewart than singled in two runs, advancing to second on the throw home. Shuey left to a chorus of boos, and Ricardo Rincon came in to finish the frame, but not before Stewart scored on a botched double steal when McDonald's throw home sailed wide. It was a 6 run outburst for Toronto who were now up 7-4.

Cruz safe at home after Diaz tried to trip him

But the Indians were hoping to clinch the title in the coming weekend series against the Twins and they were not done yet. In the 7th, Branyan crushed a homer to right-center, and then Cabrera doubled, scoring later on Kenny Lofton's single. It was 7-6 Jays after 7 innings, but things didn't feel right. 

Dan Plesac walked Alomar to start the 8th and then struck out Thome. Alomar was caught trying to steal third as he left before Plesac had released the ball and Plesac was able to turn around in time. It looked good with two out and nobody on, but then the Tribe exploded: a walk, a double to tie the game, a walk, a hit batsman, a bases-loaded walk to give the Tribe the 8-7 lead, and finally a 3-run single by Lofton - the Indians were up 11-7 and Bob Wickman pitched a perfect ninth to get the save.

This was a great game as well, but the outcome was disappointing, so it only gets a 7/10.