CLEVELAND — The Cleveland baseball club knows how to do home openers. After more than 100 years of practice, it probably should.
But there’s always a catch. It’s called the visiting team, in this case the Twins, a formidable enemy, who came to Jacobs Field Monday with a 5-1 record, putting them in a tie for the Central Division lead with Cleveland.
It’s so early in the season, making a serious reference to the standings is a meaningless exercise. But what the heck, the Twins have been touted by many to be the successors to the Cleveland as division champions, so a four-game April series might provide a few clues to the strength of each club.
Early in the game, Ryan Drese seemed to be on a futile quest for a way to stop the Twins, who looked as if they would dominate the Tribe. But Minnesota’s lead melted away before the onslaught of the Cleveland’ power attack, the Tribe coming from behind twice to gain a 9-5 victory.
Cleveland power? Isn’t this the team that was declawed over the winter by the losses of Roberto Alomar, Juan Gonzalez and Marty Cordova?
Ever since the Winter Meetings, the overused phrase “little ball” has become synonymous with Cleveland baseball. So much so that some Tribe players have heard enough.
The Cleveland whacked three lethal home runs off noted left-hander Eric Milton (1-1, 7.36 ERA) to produce eight runs Monday.
In Cleveland’s first at-bat, Omar Vizquel drove in Matt Lawton with a triple, and Ellis Burks slammed a two-run homer to erase the 2-0 lead Minnesota had forged in the top of the first.
After the Twins scored two more runs off Drese in the third to retake the lead, Travis Fryman lifted a prodigious bases-loaded fly into the left-field bleachers for the sixth grand slam of his career.
Lawton administered the final nail in the Minnesota coffin, a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Oh well, little ball will have to wait another day.