Blake's slam caps grand day

His two-out home run in the fifth inning led Cleveland to an 11-6 win.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- There were times last season when Casey Blake came up to bat with runners on base and felt overmatched.
"I didn't have a whole lot of confidence," he said. "I'd be lying if I said that every time I came up, I didn't think about how I'd been struggling. When you fail, you feel like you let your team down and you feel like you let the fans down.
"I guess I was pretty hard on myself."
Blake entered 2005 with a new contract (the first time he'd felt secure as a major leaguer) and a new position (shifting from third to left field). He adjusted to the position change well enough, but batted just .241, including .171 with runners in scoring position.
"You can blame it on the position change; you can make 100 excuses," he said. "I flat out didn't play well."
Off to good start
Blake wanted to get off to a better start this season. So far, so good.
He went 4-for-9 in the opening three-game series against Chicago. He managed just one hit in Friday's home opener against the Twins, but it was the game's biggest, a grand slam with two outs in the fifth that propelled Cleveland to an 11-6 win, its third straight.
"That [grand slam] came at the biggest spot in the game," said Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner, who added two homers. "It was huge."
Hafner had a career day, going 4-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs. It was his eighth two-homer game of his career, his sixth four-hit game and his first four-run game. But the most important number on Friday was 11, which helped make up for a shaky start by Paul Byrd.
"It was phenomenal to get that type of run support," said Byrd, who signed a two-year deal with the Indians in the off-season. "You only get that two or three times a year, so it was nice that they were able to pick me up. I appreciated that."
Byrd a little shaky
Byrd, who went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA for the Angels last season, gave up six runs in six innings. He got a lift in the second inning from center fielder Grady Sizemore, who robbed Justin Morneau of a double with a leaping catch at the wall.
Morneau must have learned from his mistake. He hit two home runs later in the game that were well out of Sizemore's reach.
"See, I needed that," Byrd said of Sizemore's play. "I don't know if you noticed, but I didn't get my first strikeout until the fourth or fifth inning. I need guys to make plays for me out there."
Byrd got good defense, but he also got a little help from his counterpart. Twins starter Kyle Lohse struggled all day, giving up eight runs in 42/3 innings. For his career, Lohse is 2-6 at Jacobs Field.
"We did a good job of keeping it going," said Indians manager Eric Wedge. "The grand slam was big, but the guys kept putting up good at-bats."
Rain held off
Few would have expected the offensive outburst before the game as rain pounded Cleveland in the morning and into the afternoon. But the skies cleared an hour before the game started and it didn't start raining until just after the game ended.
"It was pretty dicey," Blake said of the weather. "If it had been colder, it would have been pretty miserable."
When asked if the fog was blowing out, Blake said, "With Hafner, it doesn't matter. He can hit it out when the wind is blowing in."
Blake was smiling when he said it, a rare sight for him last year.
But, then, it was that kind of day.
"I love opening day," said Byrd. "You've got a packed house and it's a playoff-type atmosphere. I'd love to see the fans come out for more."
scalzo@vindy.com