INTERLEAGUE ROUNDUP Koo helps Mets top Yankees

The pitcher got his first major league hit off Randy Johnson in the 7-1 win.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Dae-Sung Koo tiptoed into the batter's box in the seventh inning and looked up to see 6-foot-10 Randy Johnson standing atop the mound, staring right down at him.
Quite an intimidating predicament for a left-handed hitting reliever in his second big league at-bat. The first one had been embarrassing enough, and this was about to become perhaps the biggest mismatch in baseball history.
"In the dugout, we were trying to figure out how many pitches it would take for him to get the bat off his shoulder," David Wright said after he and Koo helped the New York Mets beat the Yankees 7-1 Saturday.
Then came the most stunning swing of the season -- followed by an even more surprising dash to the plate.
Crack! A long drive to center field, way over Bernie Williams' head for a leadoff double.
It was a jaw-dropping sight considering Koo's first plate appearance against Cincinnati on Monday night -- he stood at the edge of the batter's box and watched three strikes go by, never taking the bat off his shoulder, seemingly terrified.
"I think everybody was kind of in a state of shock. I mean, to get your first major league hit off Randy Johnson," Wright said. "If we fined him the last time he batted, we'll take the fine off him for this time."
And Koo was far from done.
He moved to third on Jose Reyes' sacrifice, and took off for home when he noticed that nobody was covering the plate.
Second baseman Robinson Cano threw to catcher Jorge Posada, who tried to get back in time. Koo, wearing a jacket to keep his arm warm, scored with a headfirst dive just under the tag.
"Great instincts, man. He saw Jorge was up the line," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "I wouldn't call him an athlete, but it was an athletic play. I'm glad he got that pinky in there."
That did it. With a 3-0 lead, everyone on the Mets' bench broke up laughing. Doug Mientkiewicz even fanned Koo with a towel.
"They said a lot of things, I just couldn't understand what they were saying," the South Korean lefty said through a translator. "I think they said, 'Good job."'
Or something like that -- not to diminish the importance of Koo's contribution (he also struck out all three batters he faced).
Miguel Cairo followed with his first home run for the Mets, and they added three in the eighth to even the Subway Series at a game apiece.
NEW YORK (AL)NEW YORK (NL)
abrhbiabrhbi
Jeter ss2000Reyes ss4034
RSnchz ss1000Cairo 1b5111
Wmack lf4110Beltran cf3020
BWllms cf3000Floyd lf1000
HMtsui rf4010Piazza c4120
ARod 3b3021Cmeron rf4110
TMrtnz 1b3000Wright 3b4122
Posada c4010Wdwrd lf4010
Cano 2b2000KMtsui 2b2110
RJhson p2000Mntkw 1b2000
Qantrill p0000Benson p2010
Sierra ph1000Koo p1110
Groom p0000RHrndz p0000
Valent ph0100
Looper p0000
Totals29151Totals367157
New York (AL)000000001--1
New York (NL)01100023x--7
DP--New York (AL) 1, New York (NL) 2. LOB--New York (AL) 6, New York (NL) 7. 2B--Posada (7), Wright 2 (12), Koo (1). 3B--Reyes (4). HR--Cairo (1). CS--Cairo (1). S--Reyes.
IPHRERBBSO
New York (AL)
RJohnson L,4-36 2-3124405
Quantrill1-300001
Groom133311
New York (NL)
Benson W,2-1630033
Koo1 1-300003
RHernandez2-300000
Looper121111
Benson pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. HBP--by Benson (Jeter). Umpires--Home, Chuck Meriwether; First, Mike Everitt; Second, Tim Timmons; Third, Tim McClelland. T--2:56. A--55,800.
White Sox 5, Cubs 3
CHICAGO -- Paul Konerko broke up a no-hit bid in the sixth, then delivered a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth for the White Sox.
After Carlos Zambrano shut out the White Sox on one hit in seven innings -- Konerko's soft single with two outs in the sixth -- the team from Chicago's South Side showed again why it has been the best squad in baseball.
The White Sox put together a four-run rally in the eighth featuring speed and timely hitting to take a 4-1 lead and then held on for their second straight win in the spirited interleague series.
With Michael Wuertz (2-2) relieving Zambrano, Scott Podsednik reached on a one-out infield single and stole second, then moved to third on another infield hit by Aaron Rowand to deep short.
After his line drive to left on a 3-2 pitch went foul, Konerko sent a sinking two-out liner to left-center that hit the glove of diving Cubs center fielder Corey Patterson and fell out.
Rowand, running on the pitch, scored to put the White Sox in the lead. Will Ohman replaced Wuertz and gave up a single to A.J. Pierzynski and then a two-run double to Carl Everett.
CHICAGO (AL)CHICAGO (NL)
abrhbiabrhbi
Pdsdnk lf4120Hrst Jr 2b4121
WHarrs 2b4010Wllmyr p0000
Rwand cf4110NPerez ss4110
Knerko 1b5122DeLee 1b4011
Przyns c3110Burnitz rf4011
CEvrtt rf4012ARmrz 3b3000
Politte p0000CPttson cf4010
Marte p0000Dubois lf3010
Hrmns p0000Wuertz p0000
Uribe ss4000Ohman p0000
Crede 3b4000Hwkins p0000
Cntrras p1000Bartosh p0000
TPerez ph1000EWlson 2b0000
Dye rf1111Grieve ph0000
Macias pr0000
HBlnco c4110
Zmbrno p2000
Hlndsw lf1000
Totals35595Totals33383
Chicago (AL)000000041--5
Chicago (NL)000100020--3
DP--Chicago (AL) 1. LOB--Chicago (AL) 8, Chicago (NL) 5. 2B--CEverett (7), Hairston Jr. (9), CPatterson (3), HBlanco (1). HR--Dye (8). SB--Podsednik (26), Hairston Jr. (5), NPerez (2), Burnitz (3).
IPHRERBBSO
Chicago (AL)
Contreras W,2-1741114
Politte2-332200
Marte1-300000
Hermanson S,10110011
Chicago (NL)
Zambrano710038
Wuertz L,2-2 2-333301
Ohman021100
Hawkins2-311100
Bartosh020000
Wellemeyer2-300002
Ohman pitched to 2 batters in the 8th, Bartosh pitched to 2 batters in the 9th. HBP--by Zambrano (Pierzynski), by Zambrano (Rowand). WP--Wellemeyer. Umpires--Home, Marvin Hudson; First, Larry Young; Second, Eric Cooper; Third, Fieldin Culbreth. T--3:09. A--39,461.
Rangers 18, Astros 3
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mark Teixeira hit a three-run shot to highlight a club-record, four-homer second inning, and David Dellucci had two of the Texas Rangers' team-high eight home runs.
Rod Barajas, Hank Blalock and Laynce Nix connected in the second, and Richard Hidalgo and Kevin Mench also homered to help the Rangers top their previous best of seven, accomplished in 1986 and 2003.
HOUSTONTEXAS
abrhbiabrhbi
Tveras cf5010Dllucci dh4332
Self lf5020CAllen dh0100
Biggio 2b2000MYong ss3111
Brntlett 2b2000DeRosa ss0100
Brkmn dh4010Txeira 1b4323
Lamb 1b4110Blalock 3b5144
Ensbrg 3b3112ASrano 2b5210
Lane rf4000Mench lf5223
AEvrtt ss4111Nix cf5112
RChavz c4020Hidalgo rf3121
ATrres rf2000
Brajas c4211
Totals37393Totals40181717
Houston000200100--3
Texas28101240x--18
E--Hidalgo (2). LOB--Houston 8, Texas 3. 2B--Lamb (7), RChavez (3), Teixeira (11), Blalock (12), Mench (10). HR--Ensberg (8), AEverett (3), Dellucci 2 (8), Teixeira (9), Blalock (7), Mench (7), Nix (3), Hidalgo (6), Barajas (3). CS--Hidalgo (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Houston
Astacio L,0-31 2-399921
Harville2 1-322213
Burns233302
Springer134422
Lidge100001
Texas
Young W,4-2552206
Regilio100010
Loe131100
BShouse100000
Brocail110001
WP--Springer. Umpires--Home, Charlie Reliford; First, Lance Barksdale; Second, Chad Fairchild; Third, Greg Gibson. T--3:07. A--35,781.
Blue Jays 7, Nationals 0
TORONTO -- Roy Halladay pitched seven scoreless innings and Eric Hinske hit a two-run homer to lead Toronto.
Halladay (7-2) allowed four hits and lowered his ERA to 2.84. The 2003 Cy Young Award winner struck out two and walked two for his sixth win in eight starts. He won just eight games last year after a troublesome right shoulder limited him to 21 starts.
Halladay retired the last 13 batters he faced. He threw 98 pitches, 64 for strikes. Scott Schoeneweis and Justin Speier completed the four-hitter, Toronto's fourth shutout of the season.
WASHINGTONTORONTO
abrhbiabrhbi
Wlkrsn cf3000OHudsn 2b4231
Carroll 2b4000Ctlnotto lf4011
JGillen dh4010Jhnson lf0000
NJhnsn 1b3010Rios rf4111
Castilla 3b4000Hlnbrn 3b2001
Church rf3010Mnchno 3b0000
Hmmds lf3010VWells cf4120
Schndr c3000Hinske 1b3212
CGzmn ss3000Adams ss4010
AHill dh4121
Hkby c3000
Totals30040Totals327117
Washington000000000--0
Toronto22000210x--7
DP--Washington 2, Toronto 1. LOB--Washington 5, Toronto 4. 2B--Hammonds (1), OHudson (9), AHill (1). 3B--OHudson (2), Rios (5). HR--Hinske (5). SF--Hillenbrand.
IPHRERBBSO
Washington
Armas Jr. L,1-27107711
HCarrasco110000
Toronto
Halladay W,7-2740022
Schoeneweis100000
Speier100000
HBP--by Armas Jr. (Hillenbrand). Balk--Armas Jr..
Umpires--Home, Gary Darling; First, Larry Poncino; Second, Mark Wegner; Third, Paul Nauert. T--2:03. A--24,518.
Angels 3, Dodgers 1
LOS ANGELES -- Chone Figgins drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning double, and the Angels earned their fifth win in six games.
The Angels won at Dodger Stadium without star outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, the reigning AL MVP who will be sidelined at least two weeks due to a partial dislocation of his left shoulder.
LOS ANGELES (AL)LOS ANGELES (NL)
abrhbiabrhbi
Figgins 3b5121Izturis ss4010
Erstad 1b3010Choi 1b3010
DVnon lf3010JDrew rf4000
SFinley cf4021JKent 2b4000
JRivra rf4000Brdley cf4120
OCbera ss4000Ledee lf4000
AKndy 2b3000Perez 3b4021
Dnnelly p0000Bako c2010
Shields p1000Repko pr0000
JMolna c4121Penny p2000
Lackey p2000Saenz ph1000
McPrsn 3b1100Carrar p0000
Wunsch p0000
Snchez p0000
Gagne p0000
JPhllps ph1000
Totals34383Totals33171
Los Angeles (AL)001000020--3
Los Angeles (NL)000000100--1
E--Figgins 2 (6). DP--Los Angeles (AL) 2, Los Angeles (NL) 1. LOB--Los Angeles (AL) 7, Los Angeles (NL) 8. 2B--Figgins (7), Bradley 2 (8). HR--JMolina (3). SB--Figgins (14). CS--Izturis (5).
IPHRERBBSO
Los Angeles (AL)
Lackey6 1-3511110
Donnelly W,2-0 2-310001
Shields S,5210011
Los Angeles (NL)
Penny751101
Carrara L,4-1 1-322220
Wunsch010000
Sanchez2-300000
Gagne100012
Wunsch pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP--by Lackey (Choi). WP--Lackey, Shields, Carrara. Umpires--Home, Tony Randazzo; First, Ed Montague; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Paul Emmel. T--2:57. A--53,631.
Marlins 4, Devil Rays 3
MIAMI -- Pinch-hitter Joe Dillon hit his first major league home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Florida Marlins overcame a three-run deficit.
Dillon hit Tampa Bay reliever Jesus Colome's 1-2 pitch over the left-field wall to break a 3-all tie.
Matt Perisho (2-0) got two outs in the eighth for the victory, and Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
TAMPA BAYFLORIDA
abrhbiabrhbi
Crwfrd lf3100Pierre cf5000
Lugo ss3120L Duca c4010
Huff rf4011CDlgdo 1b3010
TLee 1b4000Cbrera lf2110
Cantu 3b4001JEcrcn rf3112
ASnchz cf4000Lowell 3b4000
THall c3131Easley 2b4111
Hollins pr0000AGnzlz ss3020
NGreen 2b3000Burnett p1000
Colome p0000Conine ph1000
JPhlps ph1000Bump p0000
Hndrck p2000Perisho p0000
TreMllr p0000Dillon ph1111
ASGzlz 3b1010TJones p0000
Totals32373Totals31484
Tampa Bay210000000--3
Florida00000301x--4
DP--Florida 1. LOB--Tampa Bay 5, Florida 9. 2B--CDelgado (14). 3B--Lo Duca (1). HR--THall (4), JEncarnacion (6), Easley (4), Dillon (1). SB--Lugo (11), Huff (5). CS--Lugo (3). S--Burnett.
IPHRERBBSO
Tampa Bay
Hendrickson663332
TreMiller2-310010
Colome L,1-21 1-311110
Florida
Burnett633336
Bump1 1-330000
Perisho W,2-0 2-300000
TJones S,5110001
Umpires--Home, John Hirschbeck; First, Kerwin Danley; Second, Jim Reynolds; Third, Wally Bell. T--2:31. A--25,432.