Indians Upend Cubs

Run, Robbie, Run!

That's what thousands of voices screamed in unison during the 11th inning Saturday as Roberto Alomar dashed around the bases like he was back playing on a Little League diamond in Puerto Rico.

Alomar went from home to third without hitting the ball out of the infield in the 11th and scored on Wil Cordero's one-out single, sending Cleveland to an improbable 8-7 win over the Cubs.

"It was one of the strangest plays I've ever seen," said Chicago first baseman Mark Grace, the first player to touch the ball on the wild play. "The ball jumped up on me, then all hell broke loose."

With one out in the 11th, Alomar hit a hard grounder off Sanders (1-4) that Grace could only knock down. Grace scrambled to get to the ball and made a quick sidearm throw to Sanders, who dropped it while covering the bag.

As the ball rolled away, and with Sanders slow going after it, Alomar broke for second.

"It was my judgment," Alomar said. "I saw the ball and I knew I had a chance to make it. As soon as I saw the ball, I made up my mind. The ball was maybe eight steps from him."

As Alomar was sliding in headfirst at second, Sanders attempted an off-balance throw to get him and flung the ball into left field.

Alomar popped up at second and easily dashed to third as the Jacobs Field crowd roared at seeing major leaguers revert to their Little League days in seconds. Sanders was charged with two errors on the play and Alomar was credited with a hit, his third of the game.

"It was good enough to get to third," Alomar said. "If I had a chance to go home, I would have gone."

Indians first base coach Brian Graham said he didn't offer any instruction to Alomar.

"That's just great instinct on his part," Graham said. "I didn't have to say a thing, that's just his intuition.">

Cubs manager Jim Riggleman had Sanders walk the next two batters

Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome intentionally to load the bases and brought left fielder Jose Hernandez in as a fifth infielder.

But Cordero, who had been 0-for-4, ripped a 1-2 pitch down the line in left, giving the Indians their 20th come-from-behind win this season.

"The situation was good for me," said Cordero, who after popping up with two on to end the ninth was told by Ramirez, "that's OK, you're going to win the game for us."

Mike Jackson (1-2) got the win, one night after blowing his first save since Aug. 1.

"You have to stay confident in yourself," said Jackson, who got out of jam in the 11th by getting Sammy Sosa to ground into a double play. "I'm human. We all make mistakes."

Jackson also escaped trouble in the 10th by getting Gary Gaetti, who beat him with a ninth-inning homer on Friday, to bounce back to the mound.

"I faced the same guy who beat me today and it worked out," Jackson said.

David Justice homered and Kenny Lofton had three hits as the Indians snapped a four-game home losing streak.

Sosa went 1-for-5 and has never homered against the Indians. He is hitting just. 207 (28-for-135) in his career against Cleveland.

After getting a gift run in the eighth on a controversial play at the plate, the Indians tied it in the ninth off Rick Aguilera when the Cubs made two errors.

Henry Rodriguez drove in three runs and Glenallen Hill homered for the Cubs.

Chicago scored four runs in the first inning and appeared to be on its way to beating Dwight Gooden for the first time since 1992 when the Indians rallied.

Gooden is 28-4 vs. the Cubs, the most wins by any active major league pitcher against an other club. The right-hander was not involved in the decision after allowing five earned runs and seven hits in five innings.

Indians third baseman Travis Fryman struck out three times, grounded into two double plays and had an error.

Fryman hit a double play in the eighth after the Indians pulled within 7-5 on a controversial play at the plate.

Ramirez's hard slide into home jarred the ball loose from Chicago catcher Benito Santiago, who made the tag and then dropped the ball after tumbling backwards. TV replays showed Santiago held the ball long enough to record the out.

Chicago starter Jon Lieber allowed eight hits in six-plus innings.

The Cubs took a 4-0 lead in the first on Sosa's RBI single, a two-run double by Rodriguez and Hill's sacrifice fly.

Justice hit a two-run homer, his 12th, in the second to bring the Indians within 4-2.

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