Sierra's homers power Yanks

The Mariners lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Ruben Sierra homered twice and drove in seven runs, and Jon Lieber pitched into the eighth inning in his Yankees debut Saturday, leading New York over the Kansas City Royals, 12-4.
Hideki Matsui also connected and had three RBIs for the Yankees, who have won a season-high five straight following a four-game skid.
Sierra hit a three-run shot off Eduardo Villacis in the third inning and a grand slam off Curtis Leskanic in the eighth.
Bench coach Willie Randolph filled in for manager Joe Torre, who was attending his daughter's Holy Communion ceremony.
The last-place Royals lost for the 13th time in 16 games.
Lieber (1-0), coming back from a shoulder injury, made his first major league appearance since Aug. 1, 2002. He allowed three runs and five hits in seven-plus innings.
Villacis (0-1) pitched 31/3 innings in his big league debut.
KANSAS CITYNEW YORK
abrhbiabrhbi
Berroa ss4110Jeter ss6130
Beltran cf4010BWllms cf5010
MiSwy dh4012ARdrgz 3b4220
JGnzlz rf4001JaGbi 1b2120
Stairs lf4121Shffield rf4211
Harvey 1b4000Matsui lf4313
Rlaford 2b4000Sierra dh3327
BStiago c3110Flherty c5010
MLopez 3b3110EWilsn 2b4011
Totals34474Totals37121412
Kansas City100000120--4
New York20302005x--12
E--MLopez (2), Villacis (1), JaGiambi (2), EWilson (2). DP--Kansas City 1, New York 2. LOB--Kansas City 3, New York 10. 2B--Beltran (5), MiSweeney (4), JaGiambi (4), Flaherty (1). HR--Stairs (3), Matsui (3), Sierra 2 (2). SB--Jeter (2). SF--EWilson.
IPHRERBBSO
Kansas City
Villacis L,0-13 1-365540
Camp2 2-352212
Field100001
Leskanic2-335420
Sullivan1-300000
New York
Lieber W,1-0753303
Quantrill2-321101
Gordon1-300000
Proctor100001
Lieber pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP--by Camp (JaGiambi). WP--Villacis. Umpires--Home, Larry Vanover; First, Lance Barksdale; Second, Sam Holbrook; Third, Paul Nauert. T--2:59. A--54,103.
Tigers 4, Mariners 2
DETROIT -- Ivan Rodriguez and Greg Norton homered, and Detroit handed Seattle its eighth loss in 10 games.
Jeremy Bonderman (3-1) allowed two runs on five hits. He didn't walk a batter in 72/3 innings.
Seattle ruined Bonderman's shutout in the eighth when John Olerud hit an RBI double. Ugueth Urbina pitched the ninth for his second save in two chances.
Seattle starter Ryan Franklin (1-2) gave up four runs in seven innings.
Mariners second baseman Bret Boone was scratched from the starting lineup because of back spasms.
SEATTLEDETROIT
abrhbiabrhbi
ISuzuki rf4021ASnchz cf4020
McCkn cf2000Vina 2b3120
EMrtnz ph1000IRdrgz dh3112
Winn cf0000Hggnsn rf4000
Spiezio 3b4000Monroe lf3000
Ibanez lf4010CGillen ss2000
Hansen dh4000CPena 1b3120
JoCbra 2b3110Norton 3b3111
Olerud 1b3111Inge c3011
DWilsn c3000
Blmqist ss1000
Aurilia ss2010
Totals31262Totals28494
Seattle000000020--2
Detroit21001000x--4
E--CGuillen (1). DP--Seattle 2, Detroit 1. LOB--Seattle 3, Detroit 3. 2B--Olerud (6), Vina (5). 3B--Ibanez (1). HR--IRodriguez (2), Norton (1). SB--CPena (3). CS--ASanchez (3). S--McCracken, Vina.
IPHRERBBSO
Seattle
RFranklin L,1-2784413
MMyers110010
Detroit
Bndrm W,3-17 2-362202
DPatterson1-300001
Urbina S,2100001
Umpires--Home, Dana DeMuth; First, Jim Joyce; Second, Kerwin Danley; Third, Marvin Hudson. T--2:14. A--16,407.
Athletics 6, Devil Rays 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Erubiel Durazo hit his second career grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning, and Oakland held on for a win over Tampa Bay.
Durazo's bases-loaded shot off Trever Miller that made it 6-1 was his third homer in the past two games. He had a pair of two-run homers in Oakland's win over the Devil Rays Friday night.
In the bottom half, the Devil Rays scored four times off Oakland's Jim Mecir behind Carl Crawford's two-run triple -- his second triple of the game -- and Jose Cruz Jr's two-run homer.
Mecir has given up nine runs over his last two relief appearances, a span of one inning. He failed to get an out on Tuesday against the Yankees, and his ERA has ballooned to 12.91.
Eric Chavez homered and Bobby Crosby hit a sacrifice fly in a two-run eighth inning that put Oakland up 2-1.
Chavez tied it at 1 with a lead off homer off Lance Carter (0-1). The Athletics then loaded the bases with no outs. Dicky Gonzalez replaced Carter and allowed a tiebreaking sacrifice fly to Crosby.
Cruz lined a single to left off Chris Hammond in the seventh to end an 0-for-37 slide before the homer.
Cruz struck out in the first to set a team-record by going hitless in 35 at-bats. He also struck out in the third and flew out in the fifth, extending his drought to 37 at-bats.
Cruz tied Greg Vaughn's mark of 0-for-34 set in 2002 when he flew out as a pinch-hitter Friday night. His last hit was a fourth-inning single April 16 against the Chicago White Sox.
The previous major league streak of going 35 or more at-bats without a hit in one season was when Chris Widger went 0-for-37 with Montreal in 2000.
Oakland's Rich Harden gave up one run and six hits in six innings. He held the Devil Rays to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Hammond (2-1) threw two scoreless innings for the win.
Devil Rays starter Jeremi Gonzalez allowed six hits over six scoreless innings. He was looking for his first victory since beating Baltimore August 19.
OAKLANDTAMPA BAY
abrhbiabrhbi
Kotsay cf5000Crwfrd lf5232
Byrnes lf4110JoCruz rf5122
EChavz 3b5111Huff 3b4000
Dye rf3210Baldelli cf5030
Httberg 1b3130Fick dh4000
Durazo dh5124Lugo ss4010
Crosby ss4011TMrtnz 1b3110
DMiller c4020THall c4000
Scutaro 2b3000Blum 2b3110
McMln ph1000
Mnchno 2b0000
Totals376116Totals375114
Oakland000000024--6
Tampa Bay001000004--5
DP--Oakland 1. LOB--Oakland 10, Tampa Bay 8. 2B--Byrnes (4), Hatteberg (5), Lugo (5), Blum (2). 3B--Crawford 2 (3). HR--EChavez (6), Durazo (4), JoCruz (3). SB--Crawford (13). SF--Crosby.
IPHRERBBSO
Oakland
Harden661124
CHammond W,2-1220000
Mecir134410
Tampa Bay
JeGonzalez650036
Gaudin110000
LCarter L,0-1032200
DGonzalez1 1-311101
TreMiller2-313322
LCarter pitched to 4 batters in the 8th. PB--DMiller. Umpires--Home, Jerry Crawford; First, Darren Spagnardi; Second, Phil Cuzzi; Third, James Hoye. T--2:56. A--11,109.
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