Wright relied on an effective changeup, allowing three hits in six innings,
and Brian Giles homered Wednesday night to pace the Cleveland Indians to
a 4-3 victory over the Brewers.
``I threw the changeup and it felt pretty good,'' said Wright, a 21-year-old
right-hander making his third career start. ``I was using the changeup in
situations and I kept throwing it for a strike.''
Wright (2-0), making his first start since cutting his right index finger
attempting to bunt on July 1 against Houston, allowed two runs and struck
out six.
``I knew I didn't have to hit. I just concentrated on pitching,'' said Wright,
still bothered slightly by his finger. ``It was real sore every inning.
I had to rub it up because it would get sore. I think it's pretty much healed.''
Jose Mesa started the seventh following a 1-hour, 8-minute rain delay and
pitched 12/3 innings. Mike Jackson gave up a two-out RBI pinch-hit single
to Jesse Levis in the ninth before getting his 12th save.
Giles hit his 11th homer and added an RBI double for the Indians, who won
for the fifth time in six games.
Ben McDonald (8-7) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.
``He kept us right there in the ballgame,'' Brewers manager Phil Garner
said of McDonald, who pitched six hitless innings in his previous start
before leaving with shoulder stiffness. ``He didn't have his good splitter
really until about the sixth inning. I thought he did a very good job. We
were right there in the ballgame, we just couldn't do anything offensively.''
Trailing 2-1, Cleveland scored two runs in the fifth inning. Sandy Alomar
doubled leading off and Giles followed with an RBI double. After Omar Vizquel
sacrificed, Marquis Grisson walked and Tony Fernandez followed with a single
to score Giles.
Jim Thome was walked intentionally to load the bases, but McDonald escaped
when Manny Ramirez bounced into a double play.
Cleveland added a run in the eighth off Bryce Florie on Matt Williams' RBI
single.
Milwaukee, now 8-28 when scoring three runs or less, went in front 1-0 in
the second when Jeromy Burnitz tripled with one out and scored on the play
when right fielder Ramirez's relay throw got away from second baseman Fernandez.
Cleveland answered in the third with Giles' homer.
``They told me when Dave (Justice) went on the DL, it was my job in left
field until he got healthy,'' said Giles, who has started 19 of the last
20 games in left. ``I'm OK with the way they're using me right now.''
The Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the third on Jack Voigt's RBI single. Wright
stranded runners on first and third by striking out Jeff Cirillo and retiring
Dave Nillson on a flyout to center.
``The third inning really kind of was the story of the ballgame for us,''
Garner said. ``We didn't break it open and we had a chance to break it open.''
``Wright threw the ball well tonight,'' Garner said. ``He threw a good changeup.
We didn't know how good it was, but it was a pretty good changeup. We helped
him out a little bit by taking some pretty poor approaches.''
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