SIGNS OF LIFE--YANKS WIN 4TH STRAIGHT
Weaver Wins 1st Game in 10th Start of Year
NEW YORK, May 25 (AP) - Following a disappointing first six weeks of the
season--during which time they posted a record of 18-28--the New York Yankees
are finally showing signs of a pulse. The latest indicator is an 11-3
pounding of the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, New York's fourth
consecutive victory, completing a series sweep. Starter Jeff Weaver (1-4)
earned his first victory of the year by tossing seven strong innings against the
potent Toronto offense, his second highly effective outing in his last three
appearances. The loss was the fifth in a row for the Blue Jays.
The Yankees took a lead they would never surrender in the bottom of the first
inning off Jays starter Doug Davis (3-3). Derek Jeter led off with a
single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hideki Matsui drew a base
on balls and Alfonso Soriano followed with a sharp single to left to load the
bases. Davis then walked Jason Giambi, forcing home the game's first
run. Jorge Posada's grounder to first plated Matsui and moved the other
runners to second and third and Raul Mondesi's sacrifice fly to deep center
capped the inning's scoring with the Yankees on top, 3-0.
The Jays got two of those runs back in the second inning when Josh Phelps and
David Berg sandwiched singles around Orlando Hudson's double, but New York answered
immediately in the bottom half of the frame, knocking out Davis in the
process. All of the damage came with two outs. Again Jeter singled
and Matsui followed with his second walk of the contest. Soriano singled
to left-center, scoring Jeter to up the advantage to 4-2 and Giambi followed
with a home run into the right field seats to make it 7-2, ending Davis'
afternoon. Right-hander Josh Towers, making his first appearance of the
year, replaced Davis on the mound and retired Posada on a ground ball to end the
inning.
Toronto never really seriously threatened to get back in the game from that
point. While it wouldn't be accurate to describe Weaver as masterful, he
was effective. The right-hander never allowed more than one baserunner in
an inning after the second with the exception of the fifth when two walks and a
passed ball led to Vernon Wells' sacrifice fly.
The Yankees plated their eighth run in the third when Mondesi led off the inning
with a double off Towers and scored one out later on Todd Zeile's single.
It was 8-3 in the top of the eighth when Wells led off with a double and Yankees
manager Joe Torre lifted Weaver in favor of Sterling Hitchcock who recorded the
final six outs without allowing a run.
New York put the game firmly out of reach with three additional runs in the
bottom of the eighth, again rallying with two outs. Bubba Trammell led off
with a double and Jeter's third single of the game advanced him to third.
Matsui drew another free pass to fill the bases and Soriano followed by singling
home two runs. A wild pitch, another walk and a passed ball accounted for
the Yankees' 11th run.
The victory moves the Yankees into second place in the American League East,
percentage points ahead of the Orioles, pending the outcome of Baltimore's game
against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The Orioles have dropped seven
straight contests. Despite the winning streak, New York continues to trail
Boston by 17 1/2 games in the divisional race.
5/25/2003, Tor03-NYY03, Yankee Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Blue Jays 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 8 0 7 0 2003 Yankees 3 4 1 0 0 0 0 3 x 11 11 0 6 0 Blue Jays AB R H BI AVG Yankees AB R H BI AVG Johnson,Re rf 4 0 0 0 .348 Jeter ss 4 3 3 0 .404 Catalanotto lf 4 0 1 0 .331 Matsui cf 2 3 0 0 .310 Wells,V cf 3 0 2 1 .291 Soriano,A 2b 5 2 3 3 .317 Delgado,C 1b 4 0 0 0 .289 Giambi,Ja 1b 3 1 1 4 .302 Myers,G c 3 0 1 0 .253 Posada c 5 0 1 1 .219 Wilson,T ph 1 0 0 0 .273 Mondesi rf 3 1 1 1 .270 Phelps,J dh 4 1 1 0 .335 Rivera,J lf 4 0 0 0 .083 Hudson,O 2b 4 1 1 0 .256 Zeile 3b 4 0 1 1 .234 Berg 3b 3 0 1 1 .323 Wilson,E 3b 0 0 0 0 .175 Woodward ss 3 1 1 1 .283 Trammell dh 4 1 1 0 .152 33 3 8 3 34 11 11 10 Blue Jays INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Davis,D L 3-3 1.2 5 7 7 3 0 52 26 8.69 Towers 3.1 2 1 1 1 2 46 28 2.70 Walker,P 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 25 17 12.13 Tam 0.2 3 3 2 1 0 26 14 7.50 Miller,T 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 9 4 1.65 8.0 11 11 10 6 4 158 89 Yankees INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Weaver W 1-4 7.0 7 3 3 2 4 100 65 7.64 Hitchcock 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 19 15 5.48 9.0 8 3 3 2 5 119 80 Tor: Wilson,T batted for Myers,G in the 8th Wilson,T moved to c in the 8th NYY: Wilson,E inserted at 3b in the 9th 2B-Wells,V(14), Myers,G(4), Hudson,O(7), Mondesi(12), Trammell(3). HR-Giambi,Ja(17). RBI-Wells,V(33), Berg(11), Woodward(17), Soriano,A 3(37), Giambi,Ja 4(51), Posada(17), Mondesi(29), Zeile(18). K-Johnson,Re 2, Delgado,C, Phelps,J, Wilson,T, Giambi,Ja, Posada, Mondesi 2. BB-Johnson,Re, Woodward, Jeter, Matsui 3, Giambi,Ja 2. SF-Wells,V, Berg, Mondesi. PB-Wilson,T, Posada. WP-Davis,D, Towers, Miller,T. GWRBI: Giambi,Ja Temperature: 62, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 6 MPH. Attendance: 48,755 Game Time: 3:00