Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Starting quarterback Charlie Batch celebrates his touchdown on a quarterback sneak at the end the second quarter with running back Verron Haynes. Click photo for larger image. More Steelers news Steelers remain slow starters Steelers Notebook: Ward moves past Stallworth Steelers' next opponent: Ravens lose to Jaguars, 30-3 Game Nine photo journal Stats and more in the Sports Forecaster NFL Watch

Quarterback Charlie Batch not only replaced Ben Roethlisberger, but he also played like him last night, leading the Steelers to a 34-21 victory against the Cleveland Browns.

Batch left the game at halftime with a broken bone in his right hand, but he did enough in those first two quarters to win his second start in a row in place of the injured Roethlisberger.

Batch completed 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards, and his quick thinking at the end of the first half might have saved a touchdown for the Steelers. His quarterback sneak with six seconds left gave them a 17-7 lead.

The Steelers climbed into a first-place tie with Cincinnati in the AFC North at 7-2. Cleveland, losing for the fourth time in five games, tumbled to 3-6. The Browns lost to the Steelers for the 10th time in the past 11 games.

After playing six close games, the Steelers ran away with one for the first time since Sept. 18 in Houston. They overcame a 7-0 deficit to take a 17-7 halftime lead. Reuben Droughns scored on a 5-yard run for Cleveland. Jerome Bettis and Batch each scored from a yard out, and Jeff Reed kicked a 42-yard field goal, all in the second quarter.

The Steelers broke it open on the third play of the second half. With Tommy Maddox at quarterback, Antwaan Randle El took a handoff from Duce Staley and threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward.

Reed added a 33-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but his 44-yard attempt late in the game was blocked by Orpheus Roye and returned 59 yards for a touchdown by Leigh Bodden, who played at Duquesne University. The Steelers' Verron Haynes scored on a 10-yard run with 1:53 left, and Antonio Bryant caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trent Dilfer for Cleveland with 21 seconds left.

Ward caught eight passes for 124 yards. He passed John Stallworth with 543 career receptions for the team's record. It was Randle El's first pass attempt this season and second touchdown toss of his career.

Droughns' 5-yard touchdown run for the Browns was the fifth time in the past nine games that a Steelers opponent scored a touchdown on its opening drive.

The Browns converted twice on third down in the drive. Dilfer found Bryant on the left side, and the former Pitt receiver fought for an extra few yards that got him a first down. Then on third-and-7, the Steelers blitzed six and Dilfer threw deep to Bryant. Cornerback Ricardo Colclough tripped and fell, allowing Bryant to catch it for a 35-yard gain to the Steelers' 17.

Four plays later, Droughns carried safety Chris Hope on his back into the end zone for a 7-0 Cleveland lead.

The Steelers followed on their series with an apparent 20-yard touchdown pass from Batch to Hines Ward. But Ward did not field the ball cleanly, bobbling it and then falling out of bounds. Browns coach Romeo Crennel challenged the ruling of a touchdown and it was overturned by replay.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch couldn't conceal his disappointment after officials ruled he was short on a first quarter quarterback sneak that failed to convert on fourth down. Click photo for larger image.

It cost the Steelers dearly because, on fourth down-and-1 at the 11, they quickly lined up to go for it, and, with a quick snap, Batch lurched forward but was stopped for no gain as the Browns took over. Cleveland could have broken out to a 14-0 lead but Dilfer badly overthrew an open Braylon Edwards down the middle on third down to end its second series.

The Steelers tied the score on their first drive of the second quarter.

Receiver Cedrick Wilson, who complained last week of not getting the ball enough, caught a 43-yard pass to the Browns' 12 when he came back on a ball that was thrown too short.

Bettis, in the game for that series, ran 10 yards to the 2, and two carries later crashed into the end zone from the 1 for the touchdown.

The Steelers took a 10-7 lead on Reed's 42-yard field goal with 2:11 left in the second quarter. They then took advantage of Cleveland's hurry-up offense.

From his 22, Dilfer threw a pass that was tipped by safety Troy Polamalu, turning it into a pop-up. Linebacker Joey Porter intercepted it.

Starting from the Browns' 40, the Steelers converted their first third-down in two games when Batch beat the blitz to complete a 14-yard pass to Ward. Ward converted another when he stretched out to catch a pass at the 7. Ward then caught a pass to the 1 and started celebrating in the end zone, thinking it was a score.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Tommy Maddox looks for a receiver after replacing the injured Charlie Batch in the second half of last night's game against the Cleveland Browns. Maddox completed 4 of 7 passes for 22 yards and had an interception erased by a Browns penalty. Click photo for larger image.

With the clock running down and no time outs left, his teammates got Ward's attention and, on third down, Batch sneaked in for a touchdown that made it 17-7 with six seconds left in the half.

The Steelers then scored on their next drive -- the first of the second half -- in spectacular fashion.

It came on the third play and on first down at their 49. Maddox handed off to Staley, who handed off to Randle El deep in the backfield. El made it look like a run, then threw deep to Ward. He caught the ball at the 10 as cornerback Ray Mickens trailed badly, and Ward completed the 51-yard touchdown.

Late in the third quarter, safety Chris Hope slammed into Bryant after a 21-yard reception, forcing a fumble. Bryant McFadden picked it up and ran 9 yards to the Cleveland 18. They turned that into three more points when Reed kicked a 33-yard field goal with 14:48 left.

The Browns closed to 27-14 on Bodden's 59-yard return with the blocked kick, but Cedrick Wilson recovered Cleveland's onside kick, and Haynes ended a 29-yard drive by running for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth down.

	Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Injured Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger jokes around on the sidelines with Charlie Batch after the back-up quarterback engineered a 17-point comeback, then was forced to leave the game with a broken bone in his throwing hand. Click photo for larger image