Indians Rifle Past Royals In 10

Ah, those baseball traditions that make opening day at home so special.

The red-white-and-blue bunting. The ceremonial first pitch. The sellout crowd. The fireworks. The balloons. The pregame introductions of both teams.

The game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning?

It's becoming an opening-day ritual in Cleveland.

Travis Fryman hit a three-run homer in the 10th off rookie Jose Santiago to give Cleveland its sixth straight win, 5-2 Monday over the Kansas City Royals in the home opener at Jacobs Field.

"Some of that old Jacobs Field magic," said Sandy Alomar.

Last year on opening day, Jim Thome connected off Anaheim's Troy Percival in the 10th.

Enrique Wilson hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the eighth for the Indians, who for seven innings looked anything like the team that destroyed the Minnesota Twins during the weekend.

After averaging 9.7 runs in its first six road games, Cleveland needed Fryman's heroics to improve to 6-1 this season.

"Personally, I don't like the dramatics," Fryman said. "I'd rather win by 10 runs."

Roberto Alomar made his home debut for the Indians, but missed a chance to end the game in the ninth when he grounded out with the bases loaded and two outs. He went 1-for-4 with a walk.

"I really wanted him to be the opening day hero," said Sandy. "But it was a special day occasion for our family."

"It's like a dream come true for us," Roberto said. "For us to put on a Cleveland Indians uniform . . . I feel real good about it."

In the 10th, Thome walked with one out, and Wil Cordero followed with a single to left. Fryman, who had grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to kill a threat in the fourth, then hit the first pitch from Santiago (0-1) over the wall in right-center.

"I knew it won the game," Frman said. "I didn't know if it was a homer, but I knew it was in the gap to score Jim. Then it went out. That's OK, too."

Paul Shuey (1-0) struck out four in two dominating innings of relief to get the win. The right-hander, who hasn't allowed a run in 5 1-3 innings this season, threw 23 of his final 29 pitches for strikes.

Jermaine Dye homered for the Royals, who had their three-game winning streak stopped.

Wilson hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Scott Service for the Indians, who after scoring 35 runs in three games over the weekend in Minnesota, were blanked over the first 6 1-3 innings by Kansas City starter Jose Rosado.

Wilson, best known for his mad dash around the basepaths to score the winning run in Game 2 of the AL championship series last October at Yankee Stadium, followed a walk to Kenny Lofton by lining a 3-2 pitch from Service over the wall in right.

It was just the third career homer for Wilson, and his first batting left-handed. He was only in the lineup because starting shortstop Omar Vizquel has a sore quadriceps muscle.

"The play in New York where I scored was the most exciting play of my career, but this was exciting, too," he said. "I came back to the bench and Jaret Wright said, `I see you still have your power."'

Indians center fielder Kenny Lofton and Sandy Alomar combined on a huge defensive play in the eighth inning. Joe Randa triple and tried to score on Johnny Damon's fly to left, but Lofton made a perfect throw to Alomar, who expertly blocked the plate to keep the score tied 2-2.

"I didn't think there was a chance to getting him," Indians manager Mike Hargrove said. "(Plate umpire) Durwood Merrill said the runner never got to the plate."

Reliever Mark Langston, recalled earlier in the day when Ricardo Rincon went on the 15-day disabled list, pitched 1 1-3 innings of relief for Cleveland. Langston, signed last week to a minor-league contract, got out of a jam in the seventh when he got the first batter he faced Carlos Beltran to hit into an inning-ending double play.

"I went to the Red Sox-Devil Rays game yesterday (in Tampa) and got a call to go to the airport," Langston said. "I rushed home, got my baseball stuff and was on a 7:50 flight. It felt good to come in and contribute."

Indians starter Dave Burba, who struck out 10 in six innings in his first start last week in Anaheim, allowed two runs and seven hits with five strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings.

Rosado gave up six hits, walked two and struck out six.

Notes: Former Indians pitcher and long-time broadcaster Herb Score, seriously injured in a near-fatal car accident last October, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Score said he received thousands of cards and letters from well-wishers during his recovery. "If not for the prayers of all those people, I wouldn't be here now," he said. ... Cleveland went 5-10 i extra-inning games last year. ... Indians left fielder David Justice remains day-to-day with a strained left calf muscle. Justice was injured in the season opener. Manny Ramirez is 12-for-23 with five homers in his career vs. Rosado. ... Rincon went on the DL with a swollen left elbow. An MRI revealed no irregularities and Indians GM John Hart said Rincon could be throwing again in 5-to-7 days.

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