TRIBE SNAPS 10-GAME 'L' STREAK
Eckersley, LaRoche Outduel Blyleven
BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Apr. 28 (AP) - Dennis Eckersley allowed one run and struck
out 11 over 7 1/3 innings and Dave LaRoche recorded the final five outs as the
Cleveland Indians snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the
Minnesota Twins at Metropolitan Stadium. It was Cleveland's first win
since opening day--April 10--when Eckersley and LaRoche combined to defeat the
Detroit Tigets, 3-2, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
The Indians scored first when, in the top of the third, Twins starter Bert
Blyleven walked Rick Manning to open the inning. Manning stole second,
advanced to third on Duane Kuiper's sacrifice bunt and scored on Buddy Bell's
base hit.
The Twins had four batters reach base in the fourth, but were unable to dent
home plate against Eckersley. Rod Carew led off and reached on an infield
single but was thrown out trying to steal second base. Steve Braun
followed with a single to left and moved to third on Butch Wynegar's base hit to
center. Dan Ford drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases with one out
but Eckersley struck out Dave McKay and Bob Randall to end the threat.
Minnesota finally drew even in the sixth. Carew led off with another
single and, after Braun struck out, Wynegar's double to right-center put runners
on second and third. Ford then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring
Carew with the tying run.
Cleveland came right back to regain the lead in the top of the seventh, with
help from the Twins defense. Doug Howard led off and reached second when
second baseman Randall's throw to first ended up in the dugout. John
Lowenstein replaced Howard as the runner at second. Frank Duffy's
sacrifice moved Lowenstein to third, but Manning's roller to a drawn-in Danny
Thompson at short forced Lowenstein to hold his base. But Kuiper came
through with a two-out single to center, scoring Lowenstein. The unearned
run put the Indians on top, 2-1.
Eckersley managed to strike out Larry Hisle to open the eighth, but it took nine
pitches and he was obviously growing fatigued. LaRoche replaced him on the
mound and set down Carew and pinch hitter Craig Kusick to end the inning.
Blyleven retired Cleveland in the top of the ninth and in the bottom half of the
frame, LaRoche set down Wynegar and Ford before yielding a single to pinch
hitter Steve Brye. But LaRoche moved ahead of Randle, 0-2, and then
finished him with a weak grounder to third that Bell handled easily to end the
game and the long losing streak.
Though the principle attention was given to the end of the Indians losing
streak, it did not escape notice that the Twins have now managed to score only
26 runs, total, in 14 games. They stand dead last in the American League
West at 4-10.
4/28/1976, Cle76-Min76, Metropolitan Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Indians 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 8 0 9 0 1976 Twins 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 8 2 7 0 Indians AB R H BI AVG Twins AB R H BI AVG Manning cf 4 1 1 0 .220 Bostock cf 4 0 2 0 .244 Kuiper 2b 4 0 2 1 .196 Hisle lf 4 0 0 0 .241 Bell,B 3b 4 0 1 1 .373 Carew 1b 4 1 2 0 .273 Carty dh 4 0 0 0 .125 Braun dh 3 0 1 0 .167 Hendrick lf 4 0 1 0 .195 Kusick ph 1 0 0 0 .167 Spikes rf 4 0 2 0 .326 Wynegar c 4 0 3 0 .340 Ashby c 4 0 1 0 .270 Ford rf 2 0 0 1 .154 Howard,D 1b 3 0 0 0 .067 McKay 3b 3 0 0 0 .111 Lowenstein pr 1 1 0 0 .091 Brye ph 0 0 0 0 .250 Duffy ss 3 0 0 0 .114 Randall,B 2b 4 0 0 0 .263 35 2 8 2 Thompson,D ss 3 0 0 0 .178 32 1 8 1 Indians INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Eckersley W 2-1 7.1 8 1 1 1 11 125 80 1.67 LaRoche S 2 1.2 0 0 0 1 0 32 19 0.00 9.0 8 1 1 2 11 157 99 Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Blyleven L 1-3 9.0 8 2 1 1 4 119 78 3.24 9.0 8 2 1 1 4 119 78 Cle: Lowenstein ran for Howard,D in the 7th Lowenstein moved to 1b in the 7th Min: Kusick batted for Braun in the 8th Brye batted for McKay in the 9th E-Carew, Randall,B. 2B-Wynegar(3). 3B-Spikes(2). RBI-Kuiper(5), Bell,B(5), Ford(3). SB-Manning(3). CS-Bostock, Carew. K-Bell,B, Carty, Spikes, Ashby, Hisle 4, Carew, Braun, McKay 3, Randall,B, Thompson,D. BB-Manning, Ford, Brye. SH-Kuiper, Duffy. SF-Ford. GWRBI: Kuiper Temperature: 48, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 16 MPH. Attendance: 5,826 Game Time: 2:28