LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) _ Matt Nokes, at age 36, says he's on top of his game.

He could be right. Nokes drove in four runs Thursday night as a split squad of Cleveland Indians played the Detroit Tigers to a 6-all tie in 11 innings.

The teams combined for 23 hits off 16 pitchers in the contest that lasted 3 hours, 36 minutes. There were 20 strikeouts.

Bobby Higginson hit a three-run homer, his first, for Detroit. Nokes had a three-run double and an RBI single for the Indians.

An RBI single by Carlos Mendez scored Jesus Azuaje in the Detroit ninth, tying it at 6.

Nokes, who played from 1985-95 with Detroit, the New York Yankees, Baltimore, Colorado and Milwaukee, is focused on getting back to the big leagues. He hasn't been in a minor league camp since 1983.

He played the past two years in the independent Northern League before signing a minor league contract and getting an invitation to spring training by the Indians.

Dave Burba, whose 1999 season ended with a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm during a playoff game at Boston, was hit hard for the second straight start the Indians.

Burba, who led the Indians with 220 innings pitched last season, gave up four runs on four hits _ including Higginson's homer. He walked two and struck out three.

Burba said the arm, which didn't require surgery, was fine. For the spring, he has been tagged for eight runs on 10 hits over six innings.

C.J. Nitkowski, who threw two scoreless innings against Houston in his first start, wasn't nearly as sharp in his second start. Nitkowski, the only left-hander in the Detroit rotation, gave up three runs on four hits _ one the three-run double by Nokes. He walked three and struck out three.

Juan Gonzalez, limited to DH duty because of a strained left hamstring, made his first start in right field for the Tigers. He didn't have any fielding chances and went hitless in two at-bats, striking out against Burba in the third. Karim Garcia played right field the rest of the way.

Some of the Indians traveled to Fort Myers earlier in the day where they were defeated 5-1 by the Minnesota Twins. But manager Charlie Manuel skipped that long bus ride in favor of the night game at Joker Marchant Stadium, about 20 minutes from the Indians training camp in Winter Haven.

This was just the second day back on the job for Manuel who had colon surgery Feb. 28.

His doctors are allowing Manuel as much physical activity as he feels comfortable with. He will be required to ungergo a follow-up surgical procedure sometime this summer.