TRIBE CENTRAL

The Unofficial Home of the Cleveland Indians

July 17

INDIANS 10, ASTROS 4

HOUSTON (AP) -- Bartolo Colon was in the midst of a dominant performance, until it came to an abrupt end.

Colon allowed one hit through five innings before being ejected, and Jim Thome, Marty Cordova and Travis Fryman had two RBIs apiece as the Cleveland Indians beat the Houston Astros 10-4 Tuesday night.

Plate umpire Andy Fletcher ejected Colon (8-7) after the first pitch of the sixth inning sailed behind Scott Servais' head and actually hit the bat.

"I don't know why they took me out," Colon said through an interpreter. "I was trying to go inside and the ball just slipped out of my hand. If I wanted to hit somebody, I can hit them anytime I want to. I wasn't throwing at him."

The tension began in the top of the inning when reliever Jim Mann, just up from Triple-A New Orleans, hit Juan Gonzalez and Marty Cordova with pitches.

Gonzalez injured his left hand and was forced to leave the game. Two days ago, Indians outfielder Ellis Burks fractured the top part of his thumb when he was hit by a pitch from Astros reliever Octavio Dotel.

Dugouts emptied after the pitch to Servais, delaying the game about five minutes.

"(Fletcher) said he threw the ball by his head," Cleveland manager Charlie Manuel said. "He said that was an automatic ejection, that he had to do it. But I said the ball missed his head by three feet, and I thought it even tipped the bat."

Manuel was told replays clearly showed the ball hitting Servais' bat.

"That just goes to show you I'm better than he is," Manuel said with a smile.

After forcing in a run by hitting Cordova, Mann allowed a two-run single to Fryman.

"We knew (Mann) was just called up today and he was probably pretty nervous," Fryman said. "We knew it probably wasn't intentional on his part. But I disagree with them throwing Bartolo out. I know the rule, but I disagree with it."

Colon struck out four and walked one.

"That was the best I've felt all year," he said. "I don't know how hard I was throwing, but I felt really good."

Kenny Lofton homered, Jolbert Cabrera doubled and tripled and four other Indians had doubles to lead a 13-hit attack.

Shane Reynolds (8-9) lost his fourth straight start, allowing eight runs on 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"Reynolds is struggling," Astros manager Larry Dierker said. "Everything he threw was up and if we look at the tape it'll show that. But they hit some of his good stuff, too. Cleveland is a team that can do that to you."

The Indians scored twice in the first inning on Gonzalez's sacrifice fly and Thome's RBI single.

In the third, Thome's RBI double scored Gonzalez. Cordova and Einar Diaz had RBI singles to make it 5-0.

Daryle Ward got Houston's first hit when he doubled to left field, a line drive that left fielder Cordova had in his glove but dropped after a sprint to his right.

A third-inning walk to Tony Eusebio was Houston's only baserunner before that.

Lofton's seventh home run of the year made it 6-0 in the sixth. Cabrera then hit a triple to center and came home on Alomar's double for a 7-0 lead that finally chased Reynolds.

Fryman's two-run single increased the lead to 10-0.

Craig Biggio, Julio Lugo and Moises Alou drove in runs for the Astros against Steve Woodard.