Sunday, July 20, 2003
New York handed the Tribe their fourth straight loss.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Derek Jeter dashed around the bases and never considered stopping.
Jeter scored from first on Jason Giambi's three-run single, and the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 7-4 Saturday for their fourth straight victory.
"I take a lot of pride in running the bases," Jeter said. "My mindset is always to take the extra base. It was a big run."
Alfonso Soriano hit a leadoff homer and Raul Mondesi also connected for the Yankees, who got seven innings from David Wells on Old-Timers' Day. Mariano Rivera bailed out a shaky Armando Benitez to close it as the Yankees improved to a season-high 24 games over .500.
Jody Gerut and Milton Bradley hit consecutive home runs to give the Indians a 4-2 lead, but All-Star C.C. Sabathia couldn't hold it as Cleveland dropped its fourth in a row.
Key inning
The Yankees loaded the bases with none out in the fifth, and Sabathia had a chance to escape unscathed after Enrique Wilson grounded into a double play. But Soriano worked a walk and Jeter lined an RBI single that cut it to 4-3.
With the bases loaded and the 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia working from a slow windup, Jeter took off at full speed from first on three straight 3-2 pitches to Giambi.
"In that situation, you need to be in the stretch," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "We'll make sure that doesn't happen again. Giambi is arguably their toughest hitter, so you want your pitcher to be as comfortable as possible."
After two foul balls, Giambi grounded a single up the middle. Jeter, one of baseball's best baserunners, was at second by the time the pitch reached the plate and scored easily with a feetfirst slide for a 6-4 lead.
"When he went from the windup I knew I was going to score on a single," Jeter said.
In fact, after Giambi fouled one pitch off, Jeter was so close to Soriano he told him he was going to catch him.
"I think he sped up after the second one," Jeter said.
Holding on
Facing a young lineup, Wells (12-3) had all the support he needed to improve to 19-4 lifetime against Cleveland. He wasn't sharp, giving up four runs and eight hits, but his control kept him in it -- he did not walk a batter and has issued just six free passes in 134 innings this season.
"You try not to let them get that bat head out there because they are swinging for the fences," Wells said. "You've got to trick 'em."
Benitez, who threw two scoreless innings in his Yankees debut Friday night, brought uneasy boos from the crowd of 54,981 when he walked No. 9 hitter Jhonny Peralta leading off the eighth.
The former Mets closer, acquired in a trade Wednesday, got Coco Crisp to ground into a double play but gave up a single to Casey Blake and walked Gerut before being lifted by manager Joe Torre.
Rivera retired Bradley on his first pitch, then finished for his 17th save in 19 chances. Jeter doubled leading off the eighth and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-4.
"Rivera came and picked me up," Benitez said.
Sabathia (8-5) allowed six runs and six hits in six innings, dropping to 1-6 with a 7.57 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees.
Soriano sent Sabathia's fourth pitch over the left-field fence for his 24th homer. His nine leadoff home runs this season tie Rickey Henderson's club record set in 1986.
Mondesi hit his 15th homer in the second, making it 2-0. He entered with six hits in his last 38 at-bats.
"I like the way he's using the whole field," Torre said. "I hope he's on his way back because he's really important to us."
With two outs and two on in the third, Gerut got hold of Wells' hanging 2-2 curveball and drove it over the right-center fence for his 11th homer. Bradley followed with his eighth of the year over the short porch in right for a 4-2 lead.
CLEVELANDNEW YORK
abrhbiabrhbi
Crisp lf4120ASrano 2b3211
Blake 3b4020Jeter ss4221
Gerut rf3113JaGbi dh4013
Brdley cf4121BWllms cf3000
Ldwick dh4000Matsui lf4010
Brssrd 1b4010Mndesi rf4121
VMrtnz c4000Zeile 1b4110
JMcDld 2b3000Flherty c2100
Peralta ss2110EWilsn 3b3000
Totals32494Totals31786
Cleveland004000000--4
New York11004001x--7
DP--Cleveland 1, New York 2. LOB--Cleveland 3, New York 3. 2B--Jeter (13). HR--Gerut (11), Bradley (8), ASoriano (24), Mondesi (15). CS--Crisp (4), Bradley (6). S--Flaherty.
IPHRERBBSO
Cleveland
Sabathia L,8-5666615
Cressend1 1-311110
Mulholland010000
Betancourt2-300002
New York
DWells W,12-3784405
Benitez2-310020
MRivera S,171 1-300002
Mulholland pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. WP--Sabathia, Betancourt. Umpires--Home, Jim Joyce; First, Jim Reynolds; Second, Dale Scott; Third, Laz Diaz. T--2:41. A--54,981.