Cleveland's Lofton does his part to break curse

The veteran -- trying to become a champion for the first time and trying to make Cleveland a champion for the first time since 1964 -- hit a two-run homer as the Indians took a 2-1 series lead.

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: October 16, 2007 - 12:28 AM

CLEVELAND - Kenny Lofton never won a World Series in 10 previous trips to the postseason, so perhaps he, more than any other Cleveland player, can understand this city's hunger for the next championship.

Cleveland hasn't won the big one in any major sport since the Browns won the 1964 NFL title, but Lofton brought the Indians a step closer Monday night with one big swing in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Lofton hit the first pitch he saw from Daisuke Matsuzaka for a rare home run, a two-run shot in the second inning that gave Cleveland a lead it would never relinquish in a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

The Indians added two more runs in the fifth then withstood Boston's comeback attempt to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 tonight.

Jake Westbrook was the pitching hero. A big question mark for Cleveland coming into this series, he held the Red Sox to two runs over 6 2/3 innings, getting 15 of his 20 outs on ground balls.

Westbrook went just 6-9 during the regular season and took Cleveland's only loss in the division series against the Yankees. This time, he used his sinker to coax three crucial double-play grounders, ending the first, second and sixth innings.

Jason Varitek's two-run homer in the seventh trimmed Cleveland's lead in half, but rookie Jensen Lewis got the final out that inning, Rafael Betancourt retired Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez in order in the eighth, and Joe Borowski pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

Matsuzaka gave up four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, and with his pitch count at 101, manager Terry Francona pulled him in the fifth inning for the second time this postseason.

"It's a lot of pitches, a lot of deep counts," Francona said. "Saying that, he made the one glaring mistake to Lofton."

Lofton had not homered since the Indians acquired him from the Texas Rangers on July 27 for catcher Max Ramirez. This was his first long ball in 200 at-bats, counting 26 this postseason.

"The guys have been ragging me ever since I've been here," Lofton said. "I hit seven [homers for Texas] before I got here. Two days ago, I told [Ryan] Garko, 'I don't know what's going on. One day I'm going to square one up, and it's going to go out of here.'

"And that's what happened today."

This city's love for Lofton was evident even before his home run. Every time he steps to the plate, he is greeted with cheers of "Kenny! Kenny!" That sound was still emanating when he drilled the fastball from Matsuzaka.

Lofton, 40, was here in 1995 when the Indians lost the World Series to the Braves. He was gone to Atlanta himself when the Indians lost the World Series to the Marlins in 1997.

And he was back in Cleveland from 1998 to 2001, when the Indians made the playoffs three times but never made it past the ALCS.

Lofton has become his own traveling curse.

In 2002, he was with the Giants, when they San Francisco Game 6 of the World Series and then lost Game 7 to the Angels. In 2003, he was with the Cubs, when Steve Bartman interfered with that foul ball in Game 6 of the NLCS against the Marlins.

In 2004, Lofton was with the Yankees when they blew their 3-0 lead in the ALCS against these same Red Sox. But he has brought all that postseason experience to a young team.

"He's a big-game player. He likes the stage," said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. "He understands how to slow himself down. He understands just what it takes to have the right heartbeat. ... Our first game here at home in this series, that [homer] really got us kick started."

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com

Recent Twins stories

Yankees top Phillies 7-3 for their 27th championship - October 16, 2007

Yankees top Phillies 7-3 for their 27th championship - Powered by Hideki Matsui's record-tying six RBI, New York won a record 27th World Series crown. More