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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Once Chuck Knoblauch walked, the New York
Yankees were off and running.
|  | | Bernie Williams of the Yankees connects for a three-run double Friday. |
Knoblauch battled Dave Burba for 10 pitches, fouling off three
with a full count before walking to ignite a five-run fourth inning
Friday night that sent the Yankees to an 11-7 win over the
Cleveland Indians.
"That was big. Really big," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
"And it didn't surprise me. When you see him fouling off balls
over our dugout, you know he's waiting on a good one."
Ricky Ledee and Paul O'Neill hit two-run homers, and Bernie
Williams had a three-run double as the Yankees outlasted the
Indians on a frigid night when only the weather made it feel like
October.
Two of baseball's best teams combined for 18 runs, 23 hits,
three errors, 15 walks and 16 strikeouts in a 3-hour, 45-minute
game played with the temperature in the mid-40s and the wind chill
dipping below 30.
"It was a crazy game," New York starter Andy Pettitte said.
Knoblauch walked twice, reached base four times and was in the
middle of three rallies for New York, which won its second straight
following a five-game losing streak.
"The only way you can walk is if the pitcher doesn't throw
strikes," Knoblauch said. "You can foul balls off all you want,
but if it isn't a strike then there's no reason to swing."
Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer and Richie Sexson had a solo
shot for the Indians. Cleveland, which placed two starters and a
reliever on the disabled list Thursday, needed a strong outing from
Dave Burba but got a dud instead.
"I struggled to throw strikes," Burba said. "You get behind
in the count on these guys, they're going to put a hurt on you. I
dug my own grave."
New York, which placed shortstop Derek Jeter on the 15-day DL
before the game, scored five runs in the fourth, three in the fifth
off Scott Kamieniecki (1-2) and two more in the sixth to pull away
after the Indians tied it 6-6 with a four-run fourth.
The Yankees, who swept a three-game series here at the beginning
of the month, are 11-3 against the Indians the past two years and
25-9 at Jacobs Field since 1994.
Ramiro Mendoza (4-2), making his first relief appearance since
April 7, pitched 2 2/3 innings to improve to 6-0 in his career
against the Indians.
Cleveland's Omar Vizquel struck out in three straight at-bats,
stranding two runners each time. The Indians squandered some early
chances against Pettitte.
"We put some runs up and I really thought we could put up a
whole lot more," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said.
Knoblauch followed a double by rookie Alfonso Soriano with RBI
single to snap a 6-6 tie in the fifth. O'Neill's two-out, two-run
shot made it 9-6.
The Indians got a run back on Roberto Alomar's RBI single in the
bottom of the inning, but Ledee connected for his second homer in
the sixth to give the Yankees an 11-7 lead.
Sexson homered leading off the fourth and Ramirez's three-run
shot in the inning tied it 6-6 against Pettitte, who worked out of
a bases-loaded jam in the third by getting Sandy Alomar to hit into
an inning-ending double play.
After Sexson connected for his fourth homer, the Indians put
runners at first and second with none out before Pettitte struck
out Vizquel and Travis Fryman.
But Ramirez came through, crushing a 2-1 pitch 428 feet for his
12th homer.
Pettitte allowed four hits and three earned runs in four
innings. He walked five -- four in a row to force in a run in the
third -- and struck out four.
Burba's wildness set up New York's five-run fourth when the
Yankees took a 6-2 lead.
With two on and two outs, Burba couldn't get a 3-2 pitch past
Knoblauch, who fell behind 0-2 in the count before staying alive
and drawing the walk.
"I had Knoblauch 0-2 and I walked him," Burba said. "What's
that? I pitched my way right out of that one. We couldn't put him
away."
Williams then doubled to left, scoring three. O'Neill followed
with an RBI single and Tino Martinez's pop to left fell for a
run-scoring hit to make it 6-2.
Burba gave up six runs and seven hits in a season-low 3 2/3
innings.
Game
notes
Soriano, activated for the game, was robbed of a hit with
the bases loaded in the second on center fielder Jolbert Cabrera's
diving catch. ... Both of Ledee's homers have come against the
Indians. ... The umpires wore Indians' pullover jackets and caps
when their equipment didn't arrive from Seattle. ... Indians
reliever Mark Watson made his big league debut in the seventh. The
lefty struck out the side in the eighth. ... And just what
Cleveland needed, another injured pitcher. RHP Paul Shuey has
swelling in his right hip and was unavailable for Friday's game. He
is day-to-day, but manager Charlie Manuel said he didn't expect
Shuey to go on the DL.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
Jeter goes on DL, could return on May 27
Manuel returns to Indians; Nagy has surgery
RECAPS
Boston 3
Detroit 0
NY Yankees 11
Cleveland 7
Chi. White Sox 5
Toronto 3
Baltimore 0
Texas 0
Anaheim 6
Kansas City 4
Minnesota 3
Oakland 2
Seattle 7
Tampa Bay 6
Chicago Cubs 4
Cincinnati 1
Los Angeles 5
Florida 3
Montreal 3
Houston 2
Colorado 10
Philadelphia 2
Pittsburgh 13
St. Louis 1
NY Mets 4
Arizona 3
San Diego 11
Atlanta 7
Milwaukee 11
San Francisco 10
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