Casey is mighty for Indians

Since April, they've overcome bad weather, late-inning deficits, and lingering doubts. It has been a season of comebacks for the Cleveland Indians, who pulled off their most important one yet.

"This symbolizes the way our year has gone," pitcher Paul Byrd said. "Just when you think we're going to fold, something miraculous happens."

Casey Blake homered with one out in the 11th inning as the Indians rallied for a 6-5 come-from-behind win last night in Cleveland over the Detroit Tigers, who slid 5 1/2 games back in an AL Central race that could soon be over.

Blake turned on a 1-and-2 pitch from Zach Miner (3-4) and drove it into the left-field bleachers for his second game-ending homer in four days, a shot that lowered the Indians' magic number to seven and inched them closer to their first postseason appearance since 2001.

The Indians, who collapsed in the final week of the 2005 season and missed the playoffs, trailed, 5-2, in the eighth before rallying to take the opener of a three-game series that could decide the division.

As Blake's homer cleared the wall and he began rounding the bases, the Indians poured onto the field as Cleveland fans danced in the aisles.

"It's probably the biggest game we've played all year," Blake said.

Nationals 12, Mets 4 - New York dropped its fourth consecutive game, making four more errors and wasting Carlos Beltran's 30th homer in a blowout by host Washington. Add in their six miscues Sunday, and the Mets set a franchise record with 10 errors over two games. They never had more than eight errors over two games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. New York, which saw its lead in the NL East chopped to 2 1/2 games, was coming off a three-game home sweep by second-place Philadelphia. And the three losses to the Phillies were quite similar to what happened last night - shaky bullpen work compounded by mental and physical miscues.

Phillies 13, Cardinals 11 - Aaron Rowand prevented the tying and go-ahead runs from scoring with a tumbling catch on the warning track that ended the eighth inning, and visiting Philadelphia narrowly avoided a monumental collapse. Ryan Howard hit a grand slam and a solo homer for the Phillies, who led, 11-0, in the sixth inning and were clinging to a 12-11 lead when Rowand hauled in Ryan Ludwick's drive with two on in the eighth.

Cubs 7, Reds 6 - Mark DeRosa hit a go-ahead single against a five-man infield - his fifth hit of the game - as host Chicago rallied for three runs in the ninth to hang onto first place by one game over Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Brewers 6, Astros 0 - Yovani Gallardo dominated host Houston for the second time in two weeks and Corey Hart hit a two-run double to lift Milwaukee. Gallardo (9-4) hasn't allowed a run in 21 innings.

Giants 8, Diamondbacks 5 - Randy Winn and Pedro Feliz homered off Tony Pena in the eighth and San Francisco rallied to beat host Arizona, which had its NL West lead slip to one game over San Diego.

Padres 3, Pirates 0 - Rookie Jack Cassel pitched six solid innings for his first big-league win, Khalil Greene hit a two-run homer, and host San Diego kept its 1 1/2-game lead in the NL wild-card race.

Mariners 4, Athletics 0 - Jose Lopez hit a three-run homer and Miguel Batista outpitched All-Star Dan Haren to end a five-start winless stretch as visiting Seattle won for just the sixth time in 23 games.

Braves 11, Marlins 6 - Andruw Jones hit a three-run homer, Jeff Francoeur reached 100 RBIs for the second year in a row, and John Smoltz (14-7) pitched six strong innings to lead host Atlanta.

Angels 10, Devil Rays 7 - Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman had three hits and Los Angeles lowered its magic number for clinching the AL West to five by beating Tampa Bay in Anaheim, Calif.

White Sox 11, Royals 3 - Jermaine Dye, Danny Richar, and Josh Fields homered in an 11-run fifth inning as visiting Chicago won a battle of AL Central cellar dwellers.

Twins 5, Rangers 4 - Ian Kinsler misplayed Jason Bartlett's popup with two outs in the ninth, allowing Lew Ford to score the winning run for host Minnesota.