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Wednesday, May 24 8:05pm ET
Johnson 3-for-3 in return to Chicago | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Back in a familiar ballpark, Lance Johnson got a chance to play. Then he helped the New York Yankees find their missing offense. Johnson triggered a seven-run, seventh inning with a pinch-single, Paul O'Neill hit a three-run double and Jorge Posada had a two-run homer as the Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 12-4 Wednesday night. "I'm here to do what they tell me. It's good to get a hit and be back home. It's comfortable here," said Johnson, who went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in the final three innings. "We just needed some good things to happen," said Johnson, who spent part of seven seasons with the White Sox and had never batted as a visiting player at Comiskey Park. "We came through in a crucial situation and hopefully it will break the ice." The Yankees, struggling without injured Derek Jeter, entered with a .265 average, 12th among the 14 AL teams, and had lost eight of their previous 11 games. But they broke out Wednesday night, finishing with a season-high 18 hits. "The important thing is just to win; it doesn't matter how we do it," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "When Lance got the hit, that put us in position to take the lead. And it elevated everybody at that point." Andy Pettitte (3-2) allowed six hits in seven innings, including solo homers by Frank Thomas in the first and Herbert Perry in the seventh. Mike Sirotka (3-4) took a 2-1 lead into the seventh but was lifted after Scott Brosius opened with a single and pinch-hitter Jim Leyritz walked. Johnson, in an 0-for-16 slump, then greeted Bobby Howry with a game-tying single. Chuck Knoblauch followed with another RBI single for a 3-2 lead and Bernie Williams' single loaded the bases. Bill Simas replaced Howry and O'Neill cleared the bases with a drive off the fence in left center. After Shane Spencer struck out, Posada hit his ninth homer, a drive off the foul pole in right. Posada's homer came despite a swollen elbow he sustained earlier in the game when he was hit by a backswing from Chicago's Magglio Ordonez. "It bothered me a little. I don't even know when that happened," Posada said. The Yankees beat up on Chicago's bullpen, which has been one of the team's strengths during its strong start. "This was the first time in a long time we had some bleeding and we just couldn't stop it," Chicago manager Jerry Manuel said. Williams added an RBI single and Spencer a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Chicago's final run in the eighth scored on a throwing error by Knoblauch at second. Chicago took a 2-0 lead in the third when Ray Durham singled and scored when a diving Williams missed Jose Valentin's sinking liner to center, and the ball went for a triple. The Yankees got a run back in the third on singles by Spencer, Posada and Brosius. Game notesThomas was so sure he'd drawn a third-inning walk on a 3-2 pitch that he jogged almost three-quarters of the way to first base before he found out plate umpire Laz Diaz had ruled the pitch strike three. ... It was a gorgeous 81-degree night but the wind was tricky, blowing from the west between 25 and 36 mph. ... In his previous outing at Comiskey Park last July 28, Pettitte gave up three runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He is 9-4 against the White Sox, including 6-0 at Yankee Stadium. ... Johnson is only the third major leaguer to play with the Cubs, White Sox, Yankees and Mets. The others were 3B Charley Smith and P Dick Tidrow. ... Johnson was mourning the death of an uncle, who died in his sleep Monday night. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard NY Yankees Clubhouse Chi. White Sox Clubhouse Report: Gonzalez, Sosa among Yanks' targets for offensive help
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RECAPS Baltimore 4 Seattle 3
NY Yankees 12
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