October 25 in Cleveland Indians history: Ogea beats the Marlins by himself

October 25

1995 World Series Game 4, Jacobs Field: Braves 5, Indians 2

After winning in extra innings the night before, the Tribe sent out midseason pickup Ken Hill out to face Steve Avery in an effort to tie the series at two games apiece. Hill walked a bit of a tightrope in the first. Marquis Grissom singled and stole second. Luis Polonia popped out and when Chipper Jones lined to center, Grissom took third. Fred McGriff was carefully pitched to, earned a free pass, but David Justice forced McGriff at second to end the threat. Both Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel hit it sharply, but lined out. Carlos Baerga singled and Albert Belle walked. Eddie Murray, like Justice hit into a force play and both sides had left two on.

Hill worked around a leadoff walk to Ryan Klesko and Avery worked around a two out single by Alvaro Espinoza in the second. Hill got three ground balls around a leadoff single by Grissom and a walk to McGriff in the third and Avery had the first clean inning by either side. Javy Lopez was stranded after a one out double in the fourth while a Murray walk was also left alone. The game was still scoreless headed to the fifth.

Again Hill worked around a lone baserunner, a Polonia single. And Avery eschewed Espinoza again after he reached on an error by Mark Lemke. Hill kept up his consistency in the fifth, one lone baserunner. Unfortunately it was a solo shot by Klesko to give the Braves a minuscule 1-0 lead. Avery labored in the sixth as well. He walked Omar to start the inning, but Baerga hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Belle homered to right to tie the score. Murray worked a walk and was balked to second. Manny Ramirez was given first base so Avery could strike out Herb Perry to finish the inning at a 1-1 tie.

Mike Hargrove elected to let Hill come out for the seventh, which turned out to be a poor decision. He struck out Rafael belliard, but walked Grissom. Then Polonia hit one into the right-center gap to score Grissom. Out went Hill and in came Paul Assenmacher. He gave Chipper first freely and then Alomar couldn't handle one of his pitches, both runners moving up. Assenmacher gritted out the McGriff at bat, whiffing him. But Justice hit a two run single and when Klesko also whiffed, the Braves had a 4-1 lead.

Given a lead, Bobby Cox went on the defensive. Mike Devereaux took Polonia's spot in left and Greg McMichael came in for Avery. Jim Thome pinch hit for Espinoza and laced a double to center. But three grounders by Alomar, Lofton and Omar failed to get Thome home. Julian Tavarez came out for the seventh and like Assenmacher, labored. He struck out Lopez, but Lemke continued his hot series, singling to left. Belliard bunted him over and Grissom had an infield single. After Grissom stole second, Devereaux worked a walk to load the bases for Chipper. Hargrove called on Alan Embree and Jones almost hit it out, but Manny cuaght it to keep the lead at three.

McMichael continued to confound the Tribe hitters, getting three more groundouts from Baerga, Belle and Murray on just eight pitches. The Braves netted one more insurance run in the ninth as McGriff led off with a double and scored when Lopez also hit a two-bagger. Closer Mark Wohlers came in for his fourth straight game and Manny tagged him with a deep shot to left to start the bottom of the ninth. Pinch hitter Paul Sorrento gave the home crowd a little hope with a double. But Wohlers knuckled down and struck out both Thome and Alomar before Lofton lined out to end the game. The Tribe was now down 3-1 and Greg Maddux was ready to pitch game five.

1997 World Series Game 6, Pro Player Stadium: Indians 4, Marlins 1

After a travel day, the Tribe needed to sweep two in Florida to break their 49 year drought. Things did not look good as once again Chad Ogea was matched up against Kevin Brown. Although Ogea beat him in game two, beating the All-Star twice could prove tough.

Brown opened the top of the first by whiffing Bip Roberts, getting Omar Vizquel to line out to center, walking Manny Ramirez and getting David Justice hit into a force. Ogea had a quick 1-2-3 in his half, a Devon White fly to center, a foul out to right by Edgar Renteria and Gary Sheffield lining out to deep left.

In the second, Matt Williams beat out an infield hit to third and Jim Thome walked. After Sandy Alomar flew out, Marquis Grissom walked to load the bases. Ogea helped his own cause by lining a single to right, plating both Wiliams and Thome. Roberts hit into a 4-6-3 double play, but the Tribe had drawn first blood, 2-0. Ogea retired Bobby Bonilla on a grounder and Jeff Conine on a deep fly to center. He walked Moises Alou, but Charles Johnson popped out meekly to third.

In the third, Omar rapped a double to right and stole third. Manny hit a scrifice fly to deep left-center and the Tribe now was up 3-0. Ogea stuck out Craig Counsell and retired Brown on fly ball to deep left. White singled for the Marlins first hit and stole second, but Renteria lined out. Both Brown and Ogea breezed through the fourth inning, 1-2-3.

In the fifth, Ogea continued with his hot bat, smacking the first pitch to right for a double. Roberts moved him over on a single to left. Omar didn't get his fly to center quite deep enough, but Manny did, making it 4-0. Roberts was then picked off by Brown, ending the inning. With a four run lead, Mike Hargrove substituted Roberts for Tony Fernandez in the bottom of the fifth. The Marlins put together their first rally. Alou and Johnson both singled and Counsell's ground ball made it first and third with one out. Darren Daulton pinch hit for Brown and lined a sacrifice fly of his own to right. White singled Counsell to third but Renteria grounded out, leaving the score at 4-1.

Felix Heredia took the hill for the sixth and had a quick 1-2-3, striking out both Williams and Thome. Ogea came out for the sixth, but after walking Sheffield, Hargrove went to the pen and Mike Jackson. Bonilla popped out and pinch hitter Jim Eisenreich worked a walk. Alou moved both Sheffield and Eisenreich over on his grounder to second, but Omar threw out Johnson on a grounder deep in the hole at short to save the run(s).

Heredia continued mowing down the Tribe in the seventh, another 1-2-3 with Alomar and Jackson both whiffing. In the bottom half, Counsell led off with a single to center and pinch hitter John Cangelosi also singled. Hargrove didn't flinch, he left Jackson in and he struck out both White and Renteria. Jackson made it interesting by walking Sheffield to load the bases, but Bonilla popped out to short center to end the inning.

Jay Powell came out for the eighth and Fernandez led off woth a single, but was forced by Omar. After manny flew out, Omar stole second, but was stranded as Justice struck out. Paul Assenamcher had a much less eventful inning than Jackson, only allowing a two out single by Johnson.

Williams led off the ninth with a double and Ed Vosberg came on in relief. He struck out Thome and walked Alomar to get to Grissom, who moved Williams to third on his fly ball to center. Kevin Seitzer pinch hit and grounded out, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth with the Tribe nursing a 4-1 lead. Jose Mesa entered and on the first pitch, pinch hitter Cliff Floyd grounded out. White then tripled to the right-center gap to make it interesting. But Mesa struck out Renteria on three pitches and Sheffield grounded out, forcing a game seven.