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Robinson Cano (left) and Doug Mientkiewicz celebrate Mientkiewicz's three run homer in the fourth inning off Jon Leicester. (KATHY WILLENS/ASSOCIATED PRESS) |
Yankees 12, Orioles 0
Mussina, Yankees creep a bit closer
NEW YORK - Back on the field in time for the stretch drive, Mike Mussina and Doug Mientkiewicz are helping the New York Yankees try to chase down Boston.
Mussina limited Baltimore to three singles over seven innings, Mientkiewicz hit a three-run homer, and the Yankees beat the Orioles, 12-0, last night to inch closer to the first-place Red Sox.
"I felt I could do whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it," Mussina said. "You don't have many days like that."
New York, which has won 11 of 13, closed within 2 1/2 games of Boston in the AL East, the Yankees' smallest division deficit since before play April 21. They also opened a 4 1/2-game lead over Detroit in the wild-card race.
"We've still got work," said manager Joe Torre, whose team is a season-best 23 games over .500. "We cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in what people will assume is a foregone conclusion."
The Yankee Stadium crowd roared when Boston's 4-3 loss at Toronto was posted on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning. By then, New York had scored in double digits for the fourth time this month and the 21st time this season.
Mientkiewicz had an RBI single, and Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui drove in three runs apiece for the Yankees, closing in on their 13th straight playoff appearance. Derek Jeter had three hits.
"The Yankees are on a roll right now," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "They're a real good team. They're playing well."
Ramon Hernandez singled twice and Miguel Tejada reached on an infield dribbler in the seventh for Baltimore's only hits off Mussina, who improved to 10-6 vs. his former team. He allowed only one runner to reach second.
"He's got a lot of life right now," Torre said. "It's really good. Throwing a lot of strikes."
Mussina also helped himself with two nice defensive plays. The six-time Gold Glove winner bounded off the mound to grab Tike Redman's grounder in the first inning and start a 1-6-3 double play. He knocked down Nick Markakis's comebacker in the seventh and threw him out.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
