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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Don't forget which team has ruled the AL Central
the last five years. The Cleveland Indians aren't in their familiar
perch atop the division, but they showed again whey they're still
the team to beat.
"It just reminded us that we're a good team that can score
runs. It reminded them that we are a good team," Travis Fryman
said after his homer sparked a five-run sixth as the Indians
salvaged a victory in a three-game series with Chicago, winning
12-3 on Sunday.
"We know we have to raise the bar, raise our standard of play a
little," Fryman said. "Every once in a while you need a reminder
to learn that things don't come that easy."
The Indians have been wearing out the disabled list all season _
nine trips already -- and on Sunday, they wore out Chicago's
pitching.
"It's been very frustrating. I've never seen so many players go
down successively. To still hold together says a lot about our
team," said Cleveland's Kenny Lofton, who had four of the Indians'
15 hits Sunday.
The White Sox, still one-half up after winning Friday 5-3 and
Saturday 14-3, didn't help themselves with the sloppy fielding and
mental lapses that has been their bugaboo for three years.
"Everything has to go right for you if you're going to sweep,"
Chicago manager Jerry Manuel said. "It's real difficult to beat a
good team three straight."
Slow-working Indians starter Bartolo Colon (5-2) struggled. He
threw 118 pitches in five innings, giving up four hits. He struck
out eight, walked five and ran his career record to 6-0 against the
White Sox.
Fryman's two-run homer off reliever Sean Lowe gave the Indians a
5-1 lead in the sixth and set a club record -- Cleveland has now
homered in 19 straight games.
After singles by Einar Diaz and Lofton, White Sox infielders
Jose Valentin and Herbert Perry made back-to-back errors for
another run, and Jim Thome then hit a two-run double for an 8-1
lead.
"The hit by Fryman was the biggest hit of the game and gave
them some breathing room," Jerry Manuel said.
Frank Thomas hit a two-run homer, his 10th, to pull the White
Sox within 8-3 against reliever Scott Kamieniecki in the seventh.
But Roberto Alomar and Manny Ramirez hit consecutive RBI doubles
in the eighth to restore the seven-run lead. Diaz hit a two-run
homer in the ninth.
"We'd heard how much they've improved," Cleveland manager
Charlie Manuel said. "It was kind of a measuring stick for us."
The teams will play seven more times in the next month.
"People always make it that we've cruised and winning the
Central came easy to us," Charlie Manuel said. "We still have to
go out and play. I've tried to imbed that into our guys."
Alomar also doubled in a run in the fifth off Kip Wells (3-4).
Fryman's fourth-inning sacrifice gave Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
Valentine walked and Thomas singled in the first and after a
wild pitch, Magglio Ordonez hit a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
Sloppy fielding also helped Cleveland to its first run after
Diaz singled with two outs in the third. Lofton hit a slow roller
to second baseman Ray Durham who tried to tag Diaz as he picked up
the ball, but it fell out of his glove and was ruled an infield
hit. Omar Vizquel then hit a two-out single to tie the game.
Game
notes
Roberto Alomar played despite a painful sprained left
wrist. Alomar suffered the injury swinging the bat just before he
homered Saturday night. X-rays taken Sunday were negative. ... The
Indians also homered in 18 straight games in 1996 and 1959. ... The
Indians have already used 18 pitchers this season. Five are rookies
and six have pitched in the minors at some point in 2000. The club
record for pitchers is 26 set in 1993. ... Indians left fielder
Richie Sexson made a great catch of Chris Singleton's fourth-inning
liner, going full speed into the gap and then laying out with a
full stretch to get to the ball and save an extra-base hit. ...
Valentin has 13 errors this season. A day after driving in six runs
and missing the cycle for the second time this season by a single,
Valentin walked and struck out four times. ... Wells lasted just 4
2/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs.
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Toronto 12
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