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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Just three more games and the road-weary
Toronto Blue Jays will finally be able to go home and get some
rest. They need it.
Carlos Delgado had four RBIs and Shannon Stewart went 4-for-5
with two RBIs Thursday night as the Blue Jays, nearing the end of a
grueling, 13-day road trip, avoided a sweep and stayed atop the AL
East with a 9-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Delgado, who will make his first All-Star appearance next week,
singled in two runs in the third and added a two-run double in the
sixth for Toronto.
The Blue Jays, who have been in first place since June 23,
maintained their half-game lead over the New York Yankees.
"This has been a difficult trip for us," said Toronto manager
Jim Fregosi, whose team is 4-6 with three interleague games with
Montreal left before the break. "This was an important win for us
tonight and an important win for (Chris) Carpenter."
There weren't many Blue Jays around to talk about their latest
win. As a few headed into the trainer's room for treatment, Delgado
walked into the bathroom with ice bags on his right ankle, left
knee and right shoulder.
"Delgado has done eveything for us all year," Fregosi said.
"He's got nearly 80 RBIs. I know there are a lot of guys who would
settle for that in a whole year."
Stewart hit four singles, scored twice and delivered a key
sacrifice fly in the seventh that put the Blue Jays up 7-5. Jose
Cruz Jr. homered in the ninth to make it 9-6.
Cruz, who has 19 homers, needs one more before Monday to make
the Blue Jays the first team in history to have four players with
at least 20 homers at the All-Star break.
Alex Ramirez hit a two-run homer and Richie Sexson had a
pinch-homer for the Indians, who were 0-5-1 in six series before
taking the first two games against Toronto.
"We just couldn't stop them," Indians manager Charlie Manuel
said. "Of course they are a real good hitting team."
Chris Carpenter (7-7), who pitched just 10 innings combined in
his previous three starts, managed to stay around for 5 2-3 this
time. He allowed five runs and 11 hits.
"I've been struggling lately," Carpenter said. "Right now, it
seems like every time I make a mistake, they hammer it. But the
bottom line is, we won."
Billy Koch put two runners on in the eighth and pitched a
perfect ninth for his 19th save in 22 tries. It was the fifth time
this season Koch has pitched two innings for a save.
"I don't like to do that," said Fregosi, who swore during
spring training that he would only use Koch for an inning. "But I
thought it was important for us to win this game and I thought he
gave us the best shot to do that."
Dave Burba (8-4) gave up six runs and 10 hits in a shaky 5 2-3
innings. "I struggled to get ahead in the count," Burba said. "Things
just didn't go my way."
Sexson's pinch-hit homer in the seventh off John Frascatore
brought the Indians within 7-6. But the Blue Jays added a run in
the eighth when Brad Fullmer singled home Raul Mondesi, who scored
three runs.
The Blue Jays, who didn't put the Indians away early and ended
up losing Wednesday after leading 5-0, went up 3-0 in the third on
Mondesi's RBI double and Delgado's two-run single.
Consecutive RBI doubles by Ricky Ledee and Thome in the bottom
of the inning made it 3-2.
But Toronto continued to knock around Burba in the fourth,
loading the bases and taking a 4-2 lead on Stewart's run-scoring
single. Burba avoided more damage with a pair of strikeouts and got
out of the inning by getting Mondesi to hit into a force. The Indians closed to 4-3 in the fifth when Jim Thome doubled
and scored on Travis Fryman's single.
Game notes
Indians RF Manny Ramirez began a rehab stint at Triple-A
Buffalo and went 2-for-5 with a double, homer and three RBIs as the
designated hitter during a doubleheader for the Bisons. Ramirez,
out since May 28 with a strained left hamstring, could be back
right after the All-Star break. ...... Toronto SS Alex Gonzalez
left in the fourth with tightness in his right groin. It was just
his second game since June 24 after missing nine games. Fregosi
said Gonzalez may not be back until after the All-Star break. ...
Sexson's 15th homer this season was also the first pinch-shot of
his career, and the first by an Indians pinch-hitter this season.
... Stewart has 12 career four-hit games.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
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NY Yankees 13
Baltimore 9
Toronto 9
Cleveland 6
Boston 8
Minnesota 7
Anaheim 5
Seattle 1
Montreal 4
Atlanta 2
San Francisco 6
Colorado 5
Los Angeles 9
San Diego 3
Cincinnati 12
St. Louis 6
Arizona 2
Houston 1
Milwaukee 4
Philadelphia 2
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