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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Juan Gonzalez didn't gloat, laugh or smile.
He didn't have to.
|  | | Juan Gonzalez lashed out a run-scoring double in the first inning despite a chorus of boos from the Detroit fans.
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The Cleveland Indians slugger proved he can still do it, despite
one lackluster and unhappy season in Detroit.
Gonzalez, heckled before the game and booed throughout it, went
1-for-3 with two RBI in his return to Comerica Park as the
Cleveland Indians beat the Tigers 5-3 Thursday night.
He drove in the first run with a double to left off Chris Holt
(1-1) in the first and hit a sacrifice fly off Todd Jones in the
ninth.
"He did what a professional is supposed to do," Cleveland
manager Charlie Manuel said. "He spoke back with his bat."
Gonzalez, who turned down a $143 million, eight-year extension
from Detroit a year ago, was the center of attention.
He didn't make any gestures toward the fans or even appear to
notice that he was being jeered by a crowd, announced at 15,639 but
probably closer to 10,000.
"It was hard," Gonzalez said. "But I concentrated on my game.
... I understand. Fans are fans."
He hit .289 last year with 22 homers and 67 RBI, way down from
the statistics that earned him two American League MVP awards in Texas. Gonzalez
became a free agent after the season and signed a $10 million,
one-year contract with the Indians.
Gonzalez played like the player he was with the Rangers and like
the player the Tigers hoped he would be when they traded for him
before opening their new stadium last season.
"I'm glad to see my coaching worked, a year late," Detroit
manager Phil Garner joked. "He had a bad year last year, that's
all there is too it. It was a good effort, we tried to make it
work, it didn't work."
Gonzalez said he liked the Detroit area, the fans and the
Tigers' management. But he wasn't and still isn't a fan of
cavernous Comerica Park.
"This place is too big, especially for right-handed hitters,"
he said. "When you don't have a chance to hit homers, it's
discouraging."
Roberto Alomar hit a three-run double and Bartolo Colon struck
out eight for Cleveland, which took a 4-0 lead as it ended a
three-game losing streak and extended Detroit's skid to four.
The Indians took a 4-0 lead in the fourth and held onto the
victory after the Tigers scored one in the fifth and two runs in
the seventh, leaving two on base.
Colon (1-1) allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings,
and Bob Wickman got three outs for his third save in three chances,
getting Shane Halter to ground into a game-ending double play with
two on.
"We really needed that," Manuel said, referring to Colon's
outing. "He took us exactly where we wanted him to."
Holt gave up four runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Heath
Murray kept the Tigers in the game with 2 2/3 innings of hitless
relief.
Holt ran into problems when he hit Einar Diaz with two outs in
the fourth. Omar Vizquel and Jolbert Cabrera loaded the bases with
singles and Alomar made it 4-0 with his double.
Detroit closed in the fifth when Brandon Inge hit a
400-foot-plus double and scored on Roger Cedeno's single.
Cedeno also had a run-scoring single in the seventh, which chased
Colon. Damion Easley followed with a single off Steve Karasy that
made it 4-3.
Cleveland's Paul Shuey, the fourth pitcher of the inning, struck
out Tony Clark on a full count with two on and two outs.
"That was a big K," Manuel said. "That was some good
pitching. When Shuey has good command of his pitches, he'll make
you chase the ball."
Game notes
Clark extended his hitting streak to eight games. ...
Cleveland's Russell Branyan has struck out a league-high 17 times.
... The first seven runs were scored with two outs. ... Colon had
given up nine runs and 15 hits in 15 innings during his first two
appearances. ... Holt, who was part of a six-player deal with
Texas, won his first start against Chicago last week after giving
up three runs in eight innings. ... Cleveland left-hander C.C. Sabathia is
scheduled to start against right-hander Jeff Weaver on Friday.
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RECAPS
Seattle 7
Oakland 3
Boston 8
Baltimore 2
Cleveland 5
Detroit 3
Kansas City 0
Toronto 0
Anaheim 13
Texas 3
Colorado 6
St. Louis 4
Milwaukee 12
Houston 4
San Diego 8
San Francisco 3
Cincinnati 11
Pittsburgh 6
NY Mets 1
Atlanta 0
Los Angeles 5
Arizona 4
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