October 19 in Cleveland Indians history: Ogea and Roberts even up the '97 Series

October 19

1997 World Series Game 2, Pro Player Stadium: Indians 6, Marlins 1

After dropping the first game, the Indians needed a win in game two to earn the much needed split before heading back to Cleveland for three games. Chad Ogea took the hill to face a tough Kevin Brown

As in game one, the Tribe scored in the top of the first. Bip Roberts struck out, but Omar Vizquel doubled to right. Manny Ramirez's grounder to short moved Omar to third where he singles easily on a single to right by David Justice, who was promptly thrown out trying to swipe second. The Marlins tied it up in the bottom half though. Devon White struck out but Edgar Renteria singled to center. After Ogea plunked Gary Sheffield he got Bobby Bonilla to fly out to center. Jeff Conine then plated Renteria with a single up the middle before Moises Alou flew out.

After some action in the first, both Brown and Ogea settled down. A one out single by Jim Thome in the second was wiped out on a Sandy Alomar 5-4-3 double play. In the bottom of the third, Ogea worked out of a tiny jam. A one out double by Renteria and a walk by Sheffield was quelled by fly balls from Bonilla and Conine. He also stranded a leadoff double by Alou in the fourth.

After facing the minimum in the previous three innings (Omar's single in the fourth was also erased on a double play), they finally got to Brown in the fifth. Matt Williams opened with a blooper to right. After Thome struck out, both Alomar and Marquis Grissom singled, scoring Williams. Ogea successfully moved them over on a bunt. Eschewing a walk to Roberts, Bip made Brown pay by singling up the middle to score two more runs. Omar walked but Manny lined out to keep the score at 4-1

White singled to start the fifth, but Ogea struck out Renteria and got the pitcher's best friend (PBF) from Sheffield, a 5-4-3 double play. In the sixth, the Tribe tacked on two more on an Alomar homer to deep left. Alou hit a double off Ogea in the bottom half, but it was with two out and Charles Johnson weakly grounded out to end the inning.

Felix Heredia took over for Brown in the seventh and pinch hitter Tony Fernandez doubled to the gap in left-center. But he was stranded as Heredia retired Omar, Manny and Justice in order. Fernandez stayed in the game at second as Ogea retired Craig Counsell on a flyball and pinch hitter Jim Eisenreich on a grounder. After White hit the sixth double off Ogea, Mike Hargrove summoned Mike Jackson. He got Renteria to line out to deep right to end the inning.

Antonio Alfonseca worked around a pair of singles by Williams and Grissom in the eighth. Jackson came back out for the bottom half. Sheffield had a leadoff single, but Jackson struck out Bonilla, retired pinch hitter Darren Daulton on a deep fly to left and induced Alou to hit into a force.

Fernandez got his second hit, a single off Alfonseca in the ninth, but he too was wiped out in a PBF by Manny. Jose Mesa came out to close things out. Pinch hitter Gregg Zaun grounded to Fernandez and then Counsell walked. But Mesa struck out pinch hitter Cliff Floyd and White grounded out to end the game. The Tribe was headed home with the split.