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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The challenge of getting the Cleveland Indians
back to the postseason is bringing out the best in Roberto Alomar
and Chuck Finley.
Alomar homered twice and went 3-for-4 while Finley combined with
Paul Shuey on a four-hitter as the Indians beat Tampa Bay 6-2
Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory.
|  | | Roberto Alomar hits a two-run home run off Tampa Bay's Ryan Rupe in the third inning. Alomar also hit a solo shot in Cleveland's 6-2 win. |
"This is the time of year you have to get it done," Finley
said.
Cleveland, leading the AL wild-card race by three games over
Boston and Oakland, is 23-10 since Aug. 2.
The Indians are 8-1 against the Devil Rays this season and 20-8
since Tampa Bay started play in 1998.
Finley (12-10) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings
and struck out seven to win for the third time in his last four
starts. He is 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA in his career against Tampa Bay.
"I want to do well against everybody," Finley said. "And when
you start thinking you got it made against a certain team, that's
when you can get in trouble. I wanted to stay aggressive because
I've seen enough of our team this year to know that if I do my job,
my teammates are going to find a way to win."
Bench coach Bill Russell managed the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay
manager Larry Rothschild began serving a three-game suspension from
the commissioner's office stemming from the Devil Rays' brawls
against Boston on Aug. 29.
"It stinks. If you're managing a team, you want to manage,"
Rothschild said. "You don't want to watch. Win or lose, you want
to be out there."
Cleveland went ahead in the third inning on Alomar's two-run
homer off Ryan Rupe, a 430-foot drive to right.
"It was a fastball and I can't remember hitting a ball that
far," Alomar said.
Rookie Steve Cox tied it with a two-out, two-run homer in the
fourth.
"Looked like Finley kind of hung a breaking ball there,"
Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "But he was challenging
hitters more with his fastball, getting ahead in the count."
Alomar singled and stole second in the fifth, then scored on Jim
Thome's RBI single off Travis Harper (0-1).
Alomar led off the seventh with his 18th homer, a 419-foot drive
into the seats in right-center for his third two-homer game this
season and 10th of his career. Travis Fryman and Wil Cordero each
had run-scoring singles later in the inning.
Devil Rays starter Rupe left after three innings with stiffness
in his right biceps.
"He's just got to get checked out right now," Rothschild said.
"We're not sure until he gets looked at."
Game notes
Finley improved to 8-2 in 13 starts at Jacobs Field this
season. ... Tampa Bay is 31-71 (.304) against left-handed starters
in team history, including 10-22 this season. ... Cleveland's Manny
Ramirez went 0-for-3 with a walk, stopping his 20-game hitting
streak. ... Tampa Bay's Bobby Smith struck out three times against
Finley and has fanned six times in going 0-for-7 in the series. ...
Manuel said that RHP Charles Nagy will make one more rehab start at
Triple-A Buffalo on Friday night and is scheduled to return to the
starting rotation Sept. 14 against Boston. Nagy had elbow surgery
May 19.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
D-Ray Williams suspended 5 games for charging Pedro
RECAPS
Minnesota 4
Baltimore 1
Oakland 6
Boston 4
Cleveland 6
Tampa Bay 2
Anaheim 1
Detroit 0
Toronto 7
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Chi. White Sox 13
Texas 1
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NY Yankees 2
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NY Mets 8
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Milwaukee 6
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