CLEVELAND — The Indians won a wealth of tight games en route to a Central Division championship and a return trip to the playoffs last year by rallying late to tip the scales in their favor.
It seemed like old times Monday at the newly named Progressive Field.
Using their 2007 formula to perfection, the Indians started 2008 on a high note, scoring three times in the eighth inning for a 10-8 victory over the White Sox on opening day in Cleveland.
The hero was an unlikely one in No. 9 hitter Casey Blake, whose three-run double with two outs in the eighth snapped a 7-all tie in front of a sellout crowd of 41,872 fans.    
“We picked up right where we left off, I guess,” said Indians manager Eric Wedge, whose team came from behind to win 44 games last year, going 23-17 in games decided in the last at-bat. “We’ve played a number of tight games, but these guys do a good job with that. They play it all the way through.
“Our guys did a great job of stepping up at the end. Casey came up big. It took a strong collective effort to win a game like that.”
Had this been last season, the Indians would have probably preferred someone other than Blake at the plate in the pivotal situation.
The third baseman hit just .190 with runners in scoring position and .163 with runners in scoring position and two out.
But Blake bucked last year’s trend, locating a 1-2 offering from Sox reliever Octavio Dotel and lifting it high off the wall in left field to clear the bases.
“It’s a heck of a feeling,” said Blake, who came inches from a grand slam. “It’s why you play the game. You’ve got to want to be in that situation.”
The Indians’ celebration was a bit subdued, with all-star catcher Victor Martinez leaving the game in the second inning with left hamstring soreness, following an awkward slide into second base. He is listed as day-to-day.
Neither starting pitcher, Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia nor Chicago’s Mark Buehrle, figured in the decision, though Sabathia’s outing was far more effective.
The defending AL Cy Young Award winner lasted 51/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits, while striking out seven.
With Jim Thome out of the equation, the left-hander was superb, but the former Indian made his presence felt mightily in his first two at-bats — both of them resulting in two-run home runs off Sabathia.
Thome’s first homer – a 414-foot shot to right-center — put Chicago in front 2-0 in the opening inning, but it was a short-lived advantage.
With Buehrle unraveling, the Indians scored seven times in the second inning, sparked by homers from Franklin Gutierrez and Grady Sizemore. Gutierrez’s three-run homer was one of three hits for Cleveland’s right fielder, who was making his opening-day debut.
“It doesn’t get any more embarrassing than this for a starting pitcher,” said Buehrle, who lasted just 12/3 innings and allowed the seven runs on seven hits, entering the game with an 0-2 record and 6.08 ERA in his last four head-to-head matchups with Sabathia.
Thome’s second homer brought the Sox to within three runs in the third, with Chicago chipping away at a projected top-flight Cleveland bullpen and tying the game with two in the seventh inning off Jensen Lewis. Lewis left two on in the inning, with Paul Konerko driving them in off Rafael Perez with a double to right.
With the game tied at 7, the Sox got the first opportunity to take the lead, loading the bases with none out and Cleveland setup man extraordinaire, Rafael Betancourt, on the mound.
The Indians intentionally walked Nick Swisher to load the bases and brought the infield in. It appeared the plan paid off when Orlando Cabrera bounced a ground ball to shortstop Jhonny Peralta, but Peralta’s throw to catcher Kelly Shoppach was wide of the plate.
Shoppach recovered to get his glove near Joe Crede, who was called out by home plate umpire Gerry Davis.
Though Shoppach contended that he barely tagged Crede with some part of his glove, Chicago’s third baseman didn’t agree.
“I think so,” said Crede, when asked if he was safe at the plate. “I didn’t feel anything. I went in and looked at the replay and still didn’t see it. He didn’t get me.”
Chicago was still in business with just one out, but on a double-play grounder from Thome, Cabrera was called out for interfering with Peralta and the Indians were granted the two outs. Replays showed Cabrera grabbing at Peralta’s leg as he slid by.
Unlike Chicago, Cleveland didn’t miss its opportunity to pounce in the eighth.
Shoppach and Peralta led off the bottom of the inning with singles before Ryan Garko struck out, Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to left and Gutierrez walked to load the bases.
Blake followed with the big hit — his only one of the game.
“We’re able to live in the moment and play in the moment,” Shoppach said. “It’s just a testament to our offense sticking with it.”
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

NEXT UP

WHO: Cleveland vs. Chicago
WHEN: Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Progressive Field
PITCHERS: Carmona (19-8, 3.06 ERA) vs. Vazquez (15-8, 3.74)
TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

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