Belle Makes Earth Move Tie-Breaking Slam Keeps Tribe Alive, Sends Fans Into Foot-Stomping Frenzy

Maybe the Cleveland Indians just needed to go home.

From the first ball they hit to Albert Belle’s grand slam, everything seemed to go right for the Indians at Jacobs Field.

Belle’s tie-breaking grand slam set off a foot-stomping, cup-throwing party Friday as Cleveland avoided elimination and beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-4 in Game 3 of their A.L. playoff series.

“We came to find out what loud, noisy fans can mean to a team when we were in Baltimore,” Indians manager Mike Hargrove said, remembering the raucous atmosphere in which his team lost two straight at Camden Yards. “Our guys were trying to let our people know that we need all the help we can get.”

Cleveland went 100-44 last year and made it to the World Series, then led the majors with 99 wins this season. But after losing the first two games of the divisional series at Baltimore, Cleveland stood at the brink of elimination.

The environment in Baltimore was hostile, all the way to the airport.

“We were on the tarmac in Baltimore getting ready to leave,” Hargrove said. “The maintenance people took out their brooms right on the tarmac and started sweeping. You obviously don’t feel too good about that.”

Things were different at home.

Jacobs Field shook with cheers as the Indians waited at home plate for Belle, one of the most popular - and volatile - sports figures this city has known.

When the ball landed in the stands, the press box windows received a shower of beer from cups abandoned in the heat of celebration.

Belle emerged from the dugout for a curtain call, waving his arms and a white towel in the air. It was a rare gesture for this private and often controversial player.

“I don’t know how he feels in that situation because he doesn’t say much to me, either,” said Charlie Manuel, Cleveland’s hitting coach. “He hits ‘em out and we congratulate him. That’s as far as it goes.”

The defending A.L. champion Indians pulled within 2-1 in the best-of5 series, which continues today at Cleveland. Charles Nagy pitches for the Indians against David Wells in a rematch of Game 1.

With the bases loaded in the seventh, Belle drove a 1-2 fastball from hard-throwing reliever Armando Benitez 398 feet to left to break a 4-4 tie.

While the crowd cheered Belle, it was not so kind to Roberto Alomar. Outrage directed his way started during the player introductions and continued every time he did anything.

Fans booed throughout each of Alomar’s at-bats, some running down the aisles behind the Baltimore dug-out to taunt the Orioles second baseman. One fan held up a sign that said, “No spitting.” Another placard proclaimed, “U spit, U sit.”

At one point while Alomar was batting, a group of fans in the bleachers turned their back on him.

Indians 9, Orioles 4

Baltimore Cleveland

ab r h bi ab r h bi ByAdsn cf 3 0 0 1 Lofton cf 3 2 0 0 Zeile 3b 5 0 1 0 Seitzer dh 4 1 2 3 RAlmr 2b 3 0 0 0 Thome 3b 2 0 0 0 RPmro 1b 4 0 0 0 Cndele ph 0 1 0 0 Bonilla rf 4 1 1 0 Kent 3b 1 0 0 0 CRpken ss 4 1 1 0 Belle lf 4 1 2 4 Murray dh 4 1 2 0 Franco 1b 4 0 0 0 Surhoff lf 4 1 2 3 MRmrz rf 4 1 1 1 Dvraux pr 0 0 0 0 SAlmr c 4 0 0 0 Hoiles c 2 0 1 0 Vizquel ss 4 3 3 0 Alxndr pr 0 0 0 0 Vzcaino 2b 4 0 2 1 Parent c 1 0 0 0 Totals 34 4 8 4 Totals 34 9 10 9

Baltimore 010 300 000 - 4 Cleveland 120 100 41x - 9

E-Zeile (2), Bonilla (1). DP-Baltimore 1, Cleveland 1. LOBBaltimore 7, Cleveland 7. 2B-Vizcaino 2 (2). HR-Surhoff (3), Belle (2), MRamirez (2). SB-Murray (1), Lofton 3 (5), Belle (1), Vizquel (3).

Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO Mussina 6 7 4 3 2 6 Orosco L,0-1 0 0 3 3 3 0 Benitez 1 1 1 1 0 1 ARhodes 1/3 1 1 1 1 0 TeMathews 2/3 1 0 0 0 1

Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO JMcDowell 5-2/3 6 4 4 1 5 Embree 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 Shuey 2/3 1 0 0 2 0 Asmchr W,1-0 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 Plunk 1 0 0 0 0 2 Mesa 1 1 0 0 0 1

Orosco pitched to 3 batters in the 7th.

HBPby JMcDowell (ByAnderson).

T-3:44. A-44,250 (42,865).