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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND -- Why would Juan Gonzalez want to leave the Tigers now?
Bobby Higginson's third two-run homer of the game ignited
Detroit's six-run seventh inning as the Tigers rallied from seven
runs down for an improbable 14-8 win over the Cleveland Indians and
a split of their day-night doubleheader.
Higginson, who went 0-for-3 in the first game, also homered in the fourth and fifth innings as the Tigers came back from a 7-0 deficit.
"It's our biggest win of the year," said Higginson, who popped
out in the eighth while going for a fourth homer. "To come back
from 7-0 in the second game of a long, long day shows a lot of
character. It was a tremendous effort all around."
The victory came while rumors continued to swirl about Gonzalez,
who could soon be headed to the New York Yankees in a 3-for-1
trade.
Following the game, Tigers manager Phil Garner's office door was
closed for more than 10 minutes, fueling speculation that the deal
had been consummated. Garner said he was talking to Detroit GM
Randy Smith, but not about Gonzalez's situation.
"We didn't even bring it up," Garner said.
Gonzalez, who fouled a ball off his left ankle during the night
game, politely declined comment about the possible deal.
Wendell Magee's three-run homer capped Detroit's seventh as the
Tigers scored 12 unanswered runs to hand Cleveland its most
devastating loss in an already disappointing season.
"We're hurtin', man," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said.
"When you're up 7-0 you're supposed to win."
In the first game, Bartolo Colon mixed his blazing fastball with
a nasty curve to overpower Detroit between rain delays, and Jim
Thome had three RBI in Cleveland's 8-1 win.
The Tigers trailed 7-0 after three innings before Higginson
began the comeback with a two-run shot in the fourth off Paul
Rigdon. Higginson wasn't done, connecting again in the fifth off
Rigdon to bring the Tigers within 7-5.
With Detroit down 7-6 and a runner on second in the seventh,
Higginson hit his 15th homer of the season into the Detroit bullpen
off left-hander Mike Mohler (0-1).
Higginson, bidding to become the first AL player to hit four
homers in a game since the Indians' Rocky Colavito in 1959, got
under a 3-1 pitch and popped to short center in the eighth.
"I got the take sign on 3-0," Higginson said. "It was a good
pitch and I was going for No. 4 there. No big deal. I'm impressed
with what I did, but I'm more impressed that the homers helped us
win the ballgame."
It was Higginson's second career three-homer game. He also did
it on June 30, 1997, against the New York Mets.
Tony Clark's RBI double off Steve Reed put the Tigers up 9-7,
and Magee followed with his fifth homer, a drive onto the home run
porch in left that stunned the Jacobs Field crowd and prevented the
Indians from gaining any more ground on first-place Chicago in the
AL Central.
David Justice hit a three-run homer and Thome added a solo shot for the Indians.
C.J. Nitkowski (4-7), who entered trailing 7-0, allowed one run
and five hits in four innings.
Gonzalez, who would go to the New York Yankees if a tentative trade is finalized, went 2-for-9 in the two games.
Justice hit a three-run homer in the first, and the Indians
appeared to be in control when Enrique Wilson doubled home two runs
during a four-run second that gave Cleveland a 7-0 lead.
But Higginson's first homer, a two-run shot in the fourth, made
it 7-2 and the Tigers added another run in the inning on Wendell
Magee's RBI single.
Rigdon, who breezed through Detroit's lineup in the first three
innings, gave up consecutive one-out doubles in the fifth before
Higginson connected for his second homer of the game and 14th this
season to bring the Tigers within 7-6.
"I had a feeling we were going to get him, because his stuff
isn't so great," Higginson said.
Garner, too, said he had a feeling the Tigers could rally.
"I felt like we were going to come back and win that second
game," Garner said. "I don't know why."
In the day game, Colon (7-4) had to wait through rain stoppages
of nearly two hours during his 6 1/3 innings that stretched over
4:16. The right-hander allowed one run and four hits, walked three
and struck out 10.
"The first rain delay was tougher than the second," Colon said
through an interpreter. "I finally realized that there is another
pitch other than the fastball. Hitters can no longer sit on one
pitch."
Russell Branyan hit a long homer off Steve Sparks (0-1) and
Thome drove in two runs during a four-run fifth inning as the
Indians snapped a five-game home losing streak.
Enrique Wilson had three hits and scored three runs for
Cleveland.
Game notes
Hideo Nomo made his second career relief appearance in the
eighth inning of the night game. The only other time Nomo pitched
out of the bullpen was on Sept. 27, 1998, for the Mets at Atlanta.
... Dave Mlicki was scheduled to start the second game for Detroit
but was scratched with a severe sinus infection. ... Justice has 10
homers in his last 20 games and has already matched his home-run
total of last year. ... The Indians have now blown eight leads of
four runs or more. ... Indians RHPs Paul Shuey (hip surgery) and
Sean DePaula (elbow tendinitis) each pitched one inning for
Double-A Akron on Saturday as they began 30-day rehab stints.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 8
Detroit 1
Detroit 14
Cleveland 8
(2nd game)
NY Yankees 12
Chi. White Sox 8
Kansas City 8
Oakland 3
Toronto 6
Boston 4
Seattle 2
Baltimore 1
Tampa Bay 9
Texas 7
Minnesota 11
Anaheim 5
St. Louis 6
Los Angeles 1
Philadelphia 8
Montreal 1
San Francisco 13
Houston 4
Cincinnati 11
San Diego 5
Florida 7
Chicago Cubs 4
Milwaukee 2
Atlanta 1
NY Mets 10
Pittsburgh 8
Colorado 4
Arizona 0
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