#458---CLE @ TOR, 5/18/1997

 

The Indians got to Chris Carpenter for seven runs in two and a third thanks to two homers from Matt Williams and one from Sandy Alomar. Solo homers from Orlando Merced and Ed Sprague off Chad Ogea in the first helped keep Toronto in touch at 7-3. The fourth and fifth were quiet with just one baserunner between the two sides before Jim Thome padded the lead with a solo homer in the sixth.

In the seventh, Alex Gonzalez doubled and Otis Nixon singled to knock Ogea out. Alvin Morman got Orlando Merced to fly out, and then Eric Plunk was summoned to face Joe Carter. Carter’s homer cut it to 8-6.

Paul Spoljaric pitched two perfect innings to keep the Blue Jays in it, while Carlos Delgado led off the eighth with a double off Paul Assenmacher. It’s cut off from the scan, but Mike Jackson (circled 5) became the next Cleveland pitcher and pitched two perfect innings of his own to record the save.