The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 32

San Francisco 27 LA Rams Kansas City 20 Seattle Buffalo 17 Tampa Bay J3 JO 9 Dallas 17 Phoenix NFL Detroit 33 Colts 24 NY Giants 13 Cleveland 10 Miami 16 Green Bay 13 Washington 34 Cincinnati 27 New England 24 Houston 20 Atlanta 21 LA Raiders 17 New Orleans 26 Minnesota 0 Philadelphia 23 Pittsburgh 14 Denver 27 San Diego 19 Kansas City 2 Seattle 1 Toronto 3 Oakland 2 NATIONAL LEAGUE Montreal 6-5 Chicago 2j3 Pittsburgh 2 Philadelphia 1 St. Louis 2 New York 1 Houston 4 Cincinnati 1 Los Angeles 3 Atlanta 0 San Diego 6 San Francisco 3 PIRATES CLINCH Drabek hurls 2-1 win over Phillies to secure NL East title Page 2 AMERICAN LEAGUE New York 7 Boston Cleveland 2 Baltimore Minnesota 9 Texas California 4 Chicago Milwaukee 9 Detroit The Indianapolis Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1991 Sports lions lay lousy day ob Colte Tnrlv starts, fades 1 lL i A 1 i if if if)t Ikii fast in 33-24 loss By MIKE CHAPPELL STAR STAFF WRITER It may have been raining outside the Hoosier Dome Sunday afternoon, but for a few minutes all was right with the world. Jeff George was winging the ball downfield -to wide receivers, no less and the Indianapolis Colts were sailing toward heretofore unchartered waters the end zone on their first possession against Detroit. Eleven plays. 56 yards, Eric Dlck-erson blasting in from the 2.

With 9:13 to play in the opening quarter, the Colts were caressing their first lead of the season and their first touchdown since the first quarter of the season's first game. "When you start off like that," Dickerson said, "you hope it's 'Here we But in the National Football League, you can always start off hot." The trick is keeping the heat turned up. The Colts didn't, and paid the price. They were ulti mately burned by Barry Sanders and the Lions, 33-24, booed by the home folks and bridled with their fourth consecutive loss. Just when you thought It was safe to venture out on Game Day "When we started off like that," said George, "I thought it was going to be our day." "We all felt good, real good," added H-back Anthony Johnson.

The feeling quickly subsided. The Colts would nudge their lead to 10-0 on their second possession when Dean Blasuccl followed Chris Goode's Interception with a 20-yard field goal, but the seeds for another long Sunday afternoon were already being scattered across the AstroTurf. Blasucci's chip-shot came after George's 17-yard dart to Jessie Hester moved Indianapolis to a flrst-and-goal at the Detroit 3. "You've got to get It in when you get down there," said George, who sandwiched an incomple-tion around two Dickerson carries which netted nothing. "You've got to take advantage of opportunities early," agreed Coach Ron Meyer.

Indianapolis, which saw Detroit close to within 10-7 when Rodney Peete scooted around left end from the 7 'at the 1 1 :46 mark of the second quarter, wasted Eugene Daniel's Interception In the second period three plays, zero yards then squandered Jeff Herrod's recovery of a Sanders fumble to start the second half three plays, minus-seven yards. See COLTS Page 5 A l.t STAR STAFF PHOTO KELLY WILKINSON Barry Sanders cuts back en route to an outstanding afternoon. The Lions' back totaled 179 yards and two TDs in dissecting the Colts. Colts show they're very versatile losers Robin Miller BEFORE Sunday's game with Detroit, there were still some major question marks surrounding the Indianapolis Colts. Would they ever get a lead? If so, could they hold it? Or would they fold up? The correct answers turned out to be: Yes.

no and like a lawn chair. If nothing else, the 53,396 bodies inside the Hoosier Dome at least learned something new about their any angle. Ahead for the first time in 1991, Indianapolis coughed up a 10-0 advantage and the Lions wound up spitting out the hometowners 33-24. After spending their first three games unsuccessfully trying to come from behind, the Colts gave everyone a different perspective against Detroit. But they still managed to retain that familiar look: Crippled, confused and crappy.

The cold hard facts say the Colts are 0-4 and well on their way to NFL purgatory in 1991. A rag-tag offensive line, no Albert Bentley and more serious injuries than touchdowns. At Seattle next, home with Pittsburgh and then on to Buffalo it's not hard to see this thing really getting ugly. and four is not 0 and 1 0 but it's bad, especially with our talent." said wide receiver Bill Brooks, who winced See MILLER Page 5 team. It does, indeed, possess some versatility.

This bunch can go belly-up from Michael fights off rain, Al Jr. for win Dodgers finally stick it to Braves, Glavine Martinez helps LA increase West lead if-- By RICK SHAFFER STAR STAFF WRITER Elkhart Lake. Wis. For a so-called economy run, Sunday's TexacoHavoline 200 turned out to be a pretty exciting race. Michael Andrettl won the battle of pit-stop strategies and survived a late-race shower and a charging Al Unser Jr.

to take the race. He established a new CART record for victories In one season with seven. He also increased his lead in the CARTPPG point standings over Bobby Rahal, who finished fourth behind Andrettl's father and teammate, Mario Andrettl. The younger Andrettl, who collected $78,700 for the win. now leads Rahal 197-184 with Unser still In the running with 169.

Of course. Andrettl hasn't forgotten that two races remain with a maximum of 44 points available. "I'll worry about things like records when the season's over," said Andrettl, who averaged 126.205 miles per hour in the KmartHavollne LolaChevy. "It's all up to Bobby now. If we can just run around where Bobby is all the time if he runs fifth, we'll run fifth, if he runs up front, we'll run up front For Rahal, the pole-sitter, the race was an exercise In frustration.

I "I drove the whole race by the CARTPPG STANDINGS 1. Michael Andretti 197 2. Bobby Rahal 184 3. Al Unser Jr 169 4. Rick Mears 133 5.

Emerson Fittipaldi 123 6. Arie Luyendyk 109 7. Mario Andretti 108 8. John Andretti 101 9. Eddie Cheever 75 10.

Scott Pruett 61 fuel meter," said Rahal, who once again had a high finish In the STPKraco LolaChevy. "The car handled well, but right in the beginning I backed off (to save fuel)." Because the 14-turn, 4-mile Road America circuit Is notoriously difficult on fuel mileage, there was the usual concern among drivers over being able to race and finish. Two years ago. Andrettl had the race in hand but ran out of fuel on the final made an extra fuel stop with two laps left to guarantee he didn't. Unser, who had lost the lead on each of his first two ran out of time to pass AndrrtU and when a light rain began with a lap and a half to go.

he wisely decided not to challenge for the lead. "I almost crashed In the carousel (Turi 8)," Unser said. "I See CART Page 3 By WENDY E. LANE ASSOCIATED PRESS Los Angeles In their last regular-season meeting, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally found their stroke against the Atlanta Braves. Even Ramon Martinez got into the act, and in a big way.

The right-hander pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and hit the first homer of his career, helping the Dodgers extend their NL West lead over Atlanta to 1 Vi games with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Braves Sunday. Martinez (17-11) had allowed 10 earned runs in his last 5 innings, and hadn't won since Sept. 1 against Chicago. But he came up big when the Dodgers needed it most. His recent troubles caused some Initial nervousness, and he gave up a single and two of his six walks In the first inning.

"Early on, I was thinking. 'Here we go but he settled down and we got the two runs and from then on It was the old Ramon," catcher Gary Carter said. i Only this time, it was a better Ramon at the plate. Hitting .100 coming into the game, he wit 2-for-3 against Atlanta ace Tom Glavine (19-11). Including a solo shot to right-center field in the fourth inning for LA's last run of the game.

"I knew I hit it good, but I didn't think it was going out," said Martinez, still beaming after the game. "I Just made good contact." Despite his success at the plate, his pitching was what pleased him most, especially since a bruised right bleep had caused him to take two days' extra rest. "I was kind of pressuring myself In' the first Inning," he said. "I was kind of worried. After that, I threw nice and smooth." The Braves, who struck out eight times against Martinez, were held to an Infield single the rest of his outing.

"He was erratic and, I guess, wild enough that he was effective," Atlanta's Sid Bream said. "We didn't get a lot of good swings against him and that produces no runs." Steve Wilson pitched one Inning and Roger McDowell got the last three outs to finish the combined three-hitter for his eighth save. After a 3-0 loss In the series 4ee DODGERS Page 2 UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Tommy Lasorda punctuates his team's win after the Doogers extended their lead to 1 Vz games in the NL West..