Friday, August 25, 2006
Cleveland's 15-13 victory was a major league shock.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- In baseball's long history, only two teams have scored 10 runs in the first inning and lost.
The first time, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was in 1989, when the Pittsburgh Pirates were beaten 15-11 after putting up 10 in the first against Philadelphia.
It happened again Wednesday night in Kansas City, where the Cleveland Indians made a stunning comeback in a 15-13 victory over the Royals in 10 innings.
"This was awesome," said Aaron Boone, who clubbed one of the three home runs that propelled the Indians.
The comeback
Down 10-1 after Travis Hafner's solo home run in the first inning, the Indians scored two more in the second on back-to-back homers off starter Jorge De La Rosa by Boone and Grady Sizemore. Three more runs crossed the plate in the fourth, and Hector Luna had an RBI double in the fifth.
"They just kept creeping back, creeping back, creeping back," said Mike Sweeney, who had four RBIs.
Cleveland scored two more in the sixth and suddenly it was 13-9, setting up a four-run ninth inning off relievers Joe Nelson and Ambiorix Burgos that put the game in extra innings.
"It's an unbelievable effort," said Indians manager Eric Wedge. "That's why you play nine innings. Once we scored and made it 10-3, you know you're starting to chip away at it."
Ten Cleveland batters had at least one extra base hit in the four-hour game, including pinch hitter Shin-Soo Choo's two-out RBI triple off Burgos that tied it 13-all.
Nobody was happier than Indians starter Paul Byrd, who lasted only 2/3 of an inning while getting charged with nine of the 10 runs in the first.
"I've never been down 10-1 and had our team come back," said Byrd. "I deserved to lose. I can't remember ever winning a game where it looked that bleak."
Kansas City batted around twice and had 19 hits. But never in the Royals' 37-year history had they squandered so big a lead or had so many hits in a losing effort.
"I thought the game was over," said Byrd. "I'm in shock that our team came back."