AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Indians Survive Detroit Opener

Usually it’s the sort of thing that happens outside of Tiger Stadium, and only when Detroit has won a World Series.

But these are not normal times in baseball, and Detroit fans saluted the Tigers on Tuesday with the smallest, rowdiest crowd for a home opener in 23 years.

The Tigers returned the salute by losing, 11-1, to the Cleveland Indians.

Things got so out of control that Cleveland center fielder Kenny Lofton feared for his safety and Indian General Manager John Hart called the American League office to demand protection.

Cecil Fielder was booed, fans threw objects and repeatedly ran onto the field--at least 20 were taken off by security--and Tiger President John McHale Jr. even considered calling off the game. Even a request for calm over the public address system had no effect.

Before the game, fans tossed magnetized schedules onto the field. Later, they interrupted play with a barrage of beach balls and toilet paper--and worse.

Lofton said whiskey bottles, baseballs and even a large metal napkin dispenser were thrown at him from the bleachers.

“I’ve never played in worse conditions,” Lofton said. “I’ve never seen anything like this. I wasn’t focused on the game today. I was just worried about what was going on. When you’re trying to injure somebody, that’s ridiculous.”

As for the game, Cleveland hit four home runs, including a three-run drive by Jim Thome in the first inning. Dennis Martinez (2-0) gave up one run and seven hits, striking out six in seven innings for Cleveland, which beat Sean Bergman (0-2).

Boston 8, New York 0--Two swings of the bat, one each by John Valentin and Mo Vaughn, former Seton Hall teammates, gave the Red Sox their runs at New York where Boston tied a major league record, accomplished previously 41 times, with two grand slams in the same game.

Valentin’s grand slam in the third inning off Yankee starter Sterling Hitchcock (0-1) gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead, and Vaughn hit his grand slam off reliever Brian Boehringer in the fourth.

Kansas City 4, Minnesota 3--Before the smallest Metrodome crowd in nine seasons, 8,862, Pat Borders hit his first home run with the Royals and Phil Hiatt and Gary Gaetti also homered for them in support of Mark Gubicza (1-0), who gave up four hits in six innings.

Toronto 9, Chicago 8--Roberto Alomar ducked an Isidro Marquez (1-1) pitch at his head while leading off the ninth inning, then hit the next pitch for his first home run of the season as the Blue Jays rallied from a five-run deficit to win at home.

Mike Timlin (1-0) pitched two shutout innings for the victory.

Seattle 15, Texas 3--Tino Martinez’s two-run single triggered a 13-run barrage in the final two innings for the Mariners, who thumped the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

Martinez’s hit with the bases loaded broke a 2-2 tie as the Mariners beat Texas for the seventh time in a row at The Ballpark and 13th time in their last 14 games overall.