Cabrera helps Rays play HR derby vs. Indians

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Asdrubal Cabrera hit one of three solo home runs for Tampa Bay in his return to Cleveland, leading the Rays to a 4-1 victory over the Indians on Friday night.

Cabrera, who played for the Indians from 2007 until being traded to Washington last July, broke a 1-all tie with a two-out homer in the second.

Joey Butler homered in the first inning and Steven Souza Jr. added a home run in the ninth for Tampa Bay, which has won seven of eight.

Rookie right-hander Nathan Karns (4-3) allowed one run in 5 1-3 innings for his first win since May 13.

Four relievers followed with Brad Boxberger pitching the ninth for his 17th save.

Boxberger walked two, but struck out Michael Bourn to end the game.

The Rays lead the AL East by one game over the New York Yankees.

Carlos Carrasco (8-6) gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings. Cleveland fell to 13-20 at home and hasn’t won consecutive games since a three-game winning streak May 30-June 2.

Jason Kipnis was 3 for 4, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. He has hit safely in 23 consecutive home games.

Indians honor AL pennant-winning 1995 team

Twenty years later, the 1995 Indians are regarded as one of the most memorable teams in franchise history — even if they fell short of delivering a World Series title.

Several members of that American League pennant-winning team, including Jim Thome, Kenny Lofton and manager Mike Hargrove, were in town Friday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the achievement. The Indians beat Boston and Seattle in the AL playoffs before losing the World Series to Atlanta in six games.

The Indians thrilled fans with comeback wins on what seemed to be a daily basis and captured the franchise’s first pennant since 1954. Cleveland finished 100-44 and won the AL Central by 30 games, clinching the division on Sept. 8, in a strike-shortened season. That season’s team began a sellout streak that reached 455 consecutive games.

“There were so many great memories,” Thome said. “We had a special team with a lot of talented players. The ballpark was packed every night and we fed off our fans.”

The Indians featured a high-powered offense that included Thome, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and Carlos Baerga, along with Lofton’s speed on the bases and in center field and the defensive wizardry of shortstop Omar Vizquel. Dennis Martinez, Orel Hershiser and Charles Nagy anchored the rotation, while Jose Mesa emerged as one of the game’s best closers that season.

“Cleveland had waited a long time,” Lofton said. “We got a new stadium (in 1994). We felt something special was going to happen. It all came together that season. We always felt like we were going to win. We never felt like we were out of a game.”

Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Dave Winfield were on the team while Thome, whose statue stands outside the ballpark, and Vizquel could also be headed to Cooperstown someday.

Hargrove played for the Indians from 1979-85 and became manager in 1991. He still remembers the impact of the ’95 team.

“I talked to a fan a couple of years before that who told me he went to games in 1954 with his dad when the Indians won the pennant and how he hoped there would be a day he could see a team like that with his son,” Hargrove said. “The night we clinched the division I thought, ‘I hope that guy is here with his son.”’