Wrong ending for Yankees, Wright
The New York Yankees lost their starting pitcher and a chance to make up ground in the standings.
Jaret Wright left after being hit on the right elbow by a broken bat, and the Blue Jays ended New York's six-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory yesterday in Toronto.
Wright isn't sure if he'll be able to make his next scheduled start, which would be next weekend at Yankee Stadium against Toronto.
''It's sore and tight. It's kind of throbbing," he said. ''It hit right on the bone on the back of the elbow."
Alex Rodriguez hit his AL-leading 44th home run and Derek Jeter also connected for the Yankees, who fell 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the wild-card race but remained 1 1/2 back of the first-place Red Sox in the East.
Jeter struck out looking against Miguel Batista with a runner on second to end it.
Wright came out after being hit by Eric Hinske's broken bat in the third, the latest bit of bad luck for a pitcher who has had more than his share throughout his career. He missed nearly four months with a shoulder injury this season
First baseman Jason Giambi also departed in the fourth because of back spasms. Giambi plans to play tonight against Baltimore.
Wright (5-3) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and five hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Vernon Wells had three hits and had two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who ended a three-game skid. Batista worked the ninth for his 28th save in 35 chances.
Former Yankees starter Ted Lilly (9-10) won for the first time since July 19. Lilly, sidelined in August with a shoulder injury, allowed three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Indians 11, Royals 0 -- Jhonny Peralta, Travis Hafner, and Ben Broussard homered, and C.C. Sabathia allowed just five singles over eight innings as host Cleveland, baseball's hottest team, routed Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep.
The Indians have won five straight and 12 of 13, and have the best record in the major leagues since July 31 at 33-11. They trailed the White Sox by 15 games Aug. 1 but are now just 3 1/2 games back entering a three-game series that starts tonight in Chicago.
Sabathia (14-10) struck out eight and walked none; Fernando Cabrera followed with a perfect ninth.
Jose Lima (5-16) gave up eight runs and nine hits in four innings, losing for the eighth time in nine starts.
Hafner's two-run homer put the Indians ahead with two outs in the first, and Peralta's three-run homer capped a six-run fourth that made it 8-0. Broussard added a two-run homer in the seventh off Chris Demaria.
White Sox 2, Twins 1 -- Jose Contreras pitched eight strong innings to lead Chicago in Minneapolis.
Second baseman Nick Punto misplayed Jermaine Dye's two-out grounder for an error in the eighth, allowing the White Sox to take the lead and Contreras (13-7) to win his sixth straight start.
Juan Rincon (6-6) gave up consecutive two-out singles to Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski in the eighth, and Dye hit a bouncer that Punto tried to backhand unsuccessfully, allowing pinch runner Ross Gload to score from second.
Angels 5, Tigers 3 -- Juan Rivera and Darin Erstad each drove in two runs, Vladimir Guerrero hit an RBI double, and host Los Angeles beat Detroit to maintain its two-game lead over the Athletics in the West.
Rangers 8, Mariners 6 -- Mark Teixeira homered twice and three teammates also connected as Texas set a major league record (150) for home runs at home, completing a four-game sweep of Seattle.
Devil Rays 6, Orioles 5 -- Alex Gonzalez scored the tiebreaking run on an eighth-inning throwing error by Baltimore catcher Sal Fasano, and visiting Tampa Bay prevailed.
