CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians took their flair for the dramatic to the extreme in their first game against the Boston Red Sox, winning in the postseason for the first time in 41 years on Tony Pena's homer with two outs in the 13th inning, beating Boston 5-4.
Pena, who spent four years with the Red Sox from 1990 to 1993, drove a 3-0 pitch from Zane Smith just over the bleacher railing in left field Tuesday night. He hit just five homers in the regular season.
It ended the longest night game in postseason history and the 10th time this season that the Indians ended a game with a home run.
The game went to extra innings tied at 3, and the teams traded solo home runs in the 11th inning to extend it again. Boston's Tim Naehring homered off Jim Poole in the top half, and the Indians tied it in the bottom on Albert Belle's leadoff homer against Rick Aguilera.
The plot thickened when the Red Sox had the umpire confiscate Belle's bat; Belle was suspended for seven games last year for using a corked bat against the Chicago White Sox. The bat was cut open and cleared by the league early Wednesday morning.
Cleveland starter Dennis Martinez lasted six innings, allowing two runs and five hits, walking none and striking out two. Boston starter Roger Clemens went seven innings, giving up three runs and five hits, walking one and striking out five.
Yankees 9, Mariners 6. In New York, Don Mattingly and the New York Yankees would not be denied, despite the greatness of Ken Griffey Jr.
The wild-card Yankees overcame Griffey's two home runs and beat the Seattle Mariners 9-6 in their AL playoff opener.
A standing, stomping crowd of 57,178, the largest at Yankee Stadium since it was remodeled for the 1976 season, saw David Cone pitch New York to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 series.
Mattingly, playing in the postseason for the first time in his 14-year career, delivered an RBI single and a double. Playoff veterans Wade Boggs and Ruben Sierra both homered and Bernie Williams doubled home the go-ahead run during a four-run seventh inning that made it 8-4.
Griffey went 3-for-5, drove in three runs and scored three times for the Mariners, who arrived at their New York hotel shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Braves 5, Rockies 4. In Denver, Greg Maddux wasn't at his masterful best. Chipper Jones, however, was.
Jones' second solo home run broke a 4-4 tie in the ninth to win it for Atlanta. But the Braves had to sweat out this victory when the Rockies loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Closer Mark Wohlers retired the first batter, then gave up back-to-back singles to Mike Kingery and Bichette. Wohlers walked Larry Walker to load the bases and fanned Andres Galarraga.
Rockies manager Don Baylor, who had played all five of his substitutes, was forced to pinch-hit Lance Painter, one of 12 pitchers on the Colorado roster and the starter for Game 2 on Wednesday night. He struck out as well, and the Braves made their great escape.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Jones homered to right-center off Rockies closer Curtis Leskanic. Jones also homered in the sixth during a rally that produced a 3-3 tie.
Maddux, the best pitcher in the majors who was 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA this season, wasn't masterful. But he was artful in escaping repeated jams thanks to 14 groundouts, including four double plays. Maddux lasted seven innings, allowing nine hits and three runs.
Reds 7, Dodgers 2. In Los Angeles, the Cincinnati Reds sent a quick message Tuesday night -- their shaky play during the season's final month meant nothing.
The Reds scored four runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Hal Morris and a two-run homer by Benito Santiago to beat Los Angeles.
Cincinnati had lost 10 in a row on grass and 18 of its last 31 overall during the regular season, but the four-run rally in the first and the pitching of Pete Schourek made those factors moot.
Schourek, 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA against the Dodgers this season, allowed only five hits in seven innings, walking three and striking out five in his first career postseason game.
Pena, who spent four years with the Red Sox from 1990 to 1993, drove a 3-0 pitch from Zane Smith just over the bleacher railing in left field Tuesday night. He hit just five homers in the regular season.
It ended the longest night game in postseason history and the 10th time this season that the Indians ended a game with a home run.
The game went to extra innings tied at 3, and the teams traded solo home runs in the 11th inning to extend it again. Boston's Tim Naehring homered off Jim Poole in the top half, and the Indians tied it in the bottom on Albert Belle's leadoff homer against Rick Aguilera.
The plot thickened when the Red Sox had the umpire confiscate Belle's bat; Belle was suspended for seven games last year for using a corked bat against the Chicago White Sox. The bat was cut open and cleared by the league early Wednesday morning.
Cleveland starter Dennis Martinez lasted six innings, allowing two runs and five hits, walking none and striking out two. Boston starter Roger Clemens went seven innings, giving up three runs and five hits, walking one and striking out five.
Yankees 9, Mariners 6. In New York, Don Mattingly and the New York Yankees would not be denied, despite the greatness of Ken Griffey Jr.
The wild-card Yankees overcame Griffey's two home runs and beat the Seattle Mariners 9-6 in their AL playoff opener.
A standing, stomping crowd of 57,178, the largest at Yankee Stadium since it was remodeled for the 1976 season, saw David Cone pitch New York to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 series.
Mattingly, playing in the postseason for the first time in his 14-year career, delivered an RBI single and a double. Playoff veterans Wade Boggs and Ruben Sierra both homered and Bernie Williams doubled home the go-ahead run during a four-run seventh inning that made it 8-4.
Griffey went 3-for-5, drove in three runs and scored three times for the Mariners, who arrived at their New York hotel shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Braves 5, Rockies 4. In Denver, Greg Maddux wasn't at his masterful best. Chipper Jones, however, was.
Jones' second solo home run broke a 4-4 tie in the ninth to win it for Atlanta. But the Braves had to sweat out this victory when the Rockies loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Closer Mark Wohlers retired the first batter, then gave up back-to-back singles to Mike Kingery and Bichette. Wohlers walked Larry Walker to load the bases and fanned Andres Galarraga.
Rockies manager Don Baylor, who had played all five of his substitutes, was forced to pinch-hit Lance Painter, one of 12 pitchers on the Colorado roster and the starter for Game 2 on Wednesday night. He struck out as well, and the Braves made their great escape.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Jones homered to right-center off Rockies closer Curtis Leskanic. Jones also homered in the sixth during a rally that produced a 3-3 tie.
Maddux, the best pitcher in the majors who was 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA this season, wasn't masterful. But he was artful in escaping repeated jams thanks to 14 groundouts, including four double plays. Maddux lasted seven innings, allowing nine hits and three runs.
Reds 7, Dodgers 2. In Los Angeles, the Cincinnati Reds sent a quick message Tuesday night -- their shaky play during the season's final month meant nothing.
The Reds scored four runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Hal Morris and a two-run homer by Benito Santiago to beat Los Angeles.
Cincinnati had lost 10 in a row on grass and 18 of its last 31 overall during the regular season, but the four-run rally in the first and the pitching of Pete Schourek made those factors moot.
Schourek, 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA against the Dodgers this season, allowed only five hits in seven innings, walking three and striking out five in his first career postseason game.
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