Lofton Leads Tribe Past Rangers

May 3, 1999 / 7:06 PM EDT / CBS/AP

After a not-so-stellar 1998, Kenny Lofton is off to a superb start in 1999.

Lofton had four hits for the second time this year and a season-high four RBIs, including a sacrifice fly that put Cleveland ahead for good, as the Indians beat the Texas Rangers 10-4 Monday.

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Lofton, who had been 0-for-12 since homering Friday, went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs scored. He raised his average to .369 well above the .282 he hit last year,

Lofton is among the AL leaders in average, hits, on-base percentage, triples, steals and multihit games.

"Kenny worked very hard in the offseason and very hard in spring training, probably as hard as I've ever seen him work," said Indians manager Mike Hargrove. "He paid a lot of attention to detail, especially with his hitting, and I think we're seeing those efforts pay off."

The Indians had 16 hits, including two each by Enrique Wilson, Roberto Alomar, Manny Ramirez, Travis Fryman and Sandy Alomar. Every starter had at least one except Jim Thome, who walked four times, and they all scored.

The outburst helped Jaret Wright (3-0) win his second straight, although he almost didn't make it out of the third inning, when he gave up all four Texas runs on two walks and a throwing error. Wright got out of the jam with two strikeouts.

"Right there, you're thinking a couple of wheels have come off, don't let them all fall off," Wright said. "After that, you try to put it behind you and start over."

Wright did that, facing the minimum over his next three innings. Over six innings, he allowed six hits and four runs, three earned, while striking out four and walking two.

The Rangers didn't do much against relievers Mark Langston or Steve Karsay either as they never had another runner get past first. Texas also committed a season-high four errors.

"It was not a crisply played game," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said.

Loftoopened the game with a single then hit his third homer of the season in the second to cap a four-run rally off Mike Morgan (4-2). Sandy Alomar and Einar Diaz drove in the first two runs.

After Texas tied it at 4, Lofton put the Indians ahead for good in the fourth with a long fly ball to right that scored Richie Sexson. Lofton singled and scored on Fryman's single in the sixth to make it 6-4.

Ramirez hit a two-run single in the sixth, giving him a major league-leading 34 RBIs this season. Lofton added his fourth RBI in the seventh and the Indians final run scored on third baseman Todd Zeile's error in the eighth.

Cleveland's victory split the four-game series and made the Indians 7-4 on their season-high 11-game, three-time-zone road trip. They also played in Oakland and Boston.

"Any time you take a convoluted road trip like this and come out 7-4, I think you've got to be happy," Hargrove said.

Both teams are off Tuesday, and the Indians sure can use it. David Justice sat out this game with a sore neck, Omar Vizquel was benched with a sore right quadriceps and Wil Cordero continues to have problems with his right wrist since being hit by a pitch Wednesday.

Morgan, who left the stadium early the previous two days with stomach flu, lost his second straight since becoming the majors' first four-game winner.

Pitching on three days rest for the first time since July 1992, Morgan gave up five runs four earned on eight hits over three innings. He struck out three and walked one.

"I don't make excuses," Morgan said. "Once I take the ball, I'm ready to go."

Lofton's homer was the 39th allowed by Texas, the most in the majors. The Rangers have given up at least one in eight straight games.

The Rangers' runs came on a two-run single by Mark McLemore, Wright's throwing error on a Rusty Greer grounder and a sacrifice fly by Juan Gonzalez.

Notes: Ramirez snagged Gonzalez's blooper in short right field just before it hit the ground for the last out of the fifth, but he narrowly avoided a collision with Roberto Alomar, who had called for it. ... Morgan had not faced Cleveland since July 27, 1988. He hasn't beaten the Indians since Sept. 8, 1987. ... Sandy Alomar was at designated hitter for the first time this year. ... Rafael Palmeiro, who got his 2,000th career hit Sunday, is No. 11 among active players. But because he's only 34, he has the best chance at 3,000 after Tony Gwynn (2,965 hits), Wade Boggs (2,941) and Cal Ripken (2,883).