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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Instead of making his scheduled start in
Triple-A on Wednesday night, Brian Sikorski beat the New York
Yankees.
Sikorski pitched into the eighth inning of his major league
debut, allowing just four hits and no runs, as the Texas Rangers
snapped their 10-game losing streak to the Yankees with a 5-0
victory Wednesday night.
|  | | Are Brian Sikorski's days in Triple A over? He shut out the Yankees on four hits over eight innings and won his major-league debut. |
"Sometimes you wonder if it is ever going to happen. I was in
the right spot at the right time, I guess, and it worked out for
me," said Sikorski, who has played pro ball since 1995.
"It was something you dream about as a kid, and all of a sudden
you find yourself out there on the mound."
While Texas was able to snap its losing streak to New York,
Rangers center fielder Gabe Kapler was unable to extend his
28-game hitting streak. He was 0-for-4, ending the longest hitting
streak in the majors this season.
"Something like this, even if you are having a good time with
it, it takes a toll on you," Kapler said. "I sat in my chair
today before the game, and I was really tired, really mentally
tired.
"But I'm not one of those guys to say I'm glad it's over
because I would have liked it to go on."
Sikorski was pulled from the game after walking Derek Jeter to
lead off the eighth. Mike Venafro finished the four-hit shutout.
Rusty Greer had a two-run triple and Rafael Palmeiro hit his
first homer in 12 days for Texas, which avoided being swept at home
by the Yankees for the second time this season.
New York's 10-game winning streak over the Rangers had included
the seven previous games this year and three in last year's
playoffs. The Yankees have still won 39 of the last 51 games
between the two teams.
Sikorski, who was 10-9 at Oklahoma and leads the Pacific Coast
League with five complete games, struck out five and walked four in
his 108-pitch effort.
"It was exciting, but you can't enjoy anything until it is over
because you know what's sitting in the other dugout," Texas
manager Johnny Oates said. "The kid kept on coming after then. To
beat that club was a feather in Sikorski's hat. To shut them out,
that was better than expected."
After Jeter led off the Yankees' third inning with a double,
Sikorski retired 13 straight batters before walking Jorge Posada in
the seventh. He then gave up a pinch-hit single to Jose Canseco,
but both runners were left stranded when Luis Polonia flew out to
center.
"Every time we looked in, he pitched out and vice versa,"
Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He kept us on our heels. I give
him credit for not losing his composure."
Sikorski's biggest jam came in the second inning.
David Justice's sharp single to right and a double into the
right-field corner by Tino Martinez started the Yankees' second.
Sikorski then had two straight strikeouts, and after walking No. 9
hitter Jose Vizcaino to load the bases, got Polonia on a groundout.
"The second inning was huge for me. After getting out of that
jam, everything seemed to get a little easier," said Sikorski.
Yankees starter Orlando Hernandez (8-10) lost his fourth
straight start, and third since coming off the disabled list
because of back spasms and a sore elbow. He allowed five runs and
eight hits in seven innings.
"He was a lot better out there. He had command on his stuff
better than he has," Torre said. "The score wasn't indicative of
his performance."
Sikorski was starting in place of Ryan Glynn, who was placed on
the 15-day disabled list after he suddenly passed out in the dugout
during a game last Friday.
The Rangers had initially planned to use Jonathan Johnson in the
series finale, but he was forced into early relief and went 4 1/3
innings for his longest career appearance as a reliever. Johnson
went back to Triple-A and Sikorski came up for what will be more
than a one-game stint.
Oates said Sikorski will start again when Glynn's spot in the
rotation comes up again Monday in a makeup game at New York.
Greer's two-run triple came in the fifth on a ball that Polonia
misplayed in left. Polonia charged in on the fast-falling liner,
but the ball short-hopped in front of him, glanced off his glove
and rolled toward the wall as the Rangers went ahead 4-0.
Palmeiro's solo homer, a 391-foot shot to right in the fourth,
was his 30th of the season. Luis Alicea added an RBI single. Frank
Catalanotto had an RBI groundout in the seventh for Texas.
Game notes
Palmeiro's homer was the 391st of his career, and moved him
past Graig Nettles on the career list. He's now five shy of Joe
Carter, who is 34th on the list. ... The Yankees missed a chance to
sweep a season series at Texas for the first time in their history.
They won the first five there this season.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Texas Clubhouse
Doctors determine cause of Glynn's sudden fainting
RECAPS
Toronto 8
Anaheim 6
Boston 4
Tampa Bay 3
Texas 5
NY Yankees 0
Chi. White Sox 7
Baltimore 3
Kansas City 9
Minnesota 3
Detroit 12
Seattle 8
Oakland 7
Cleveland 6
Arizona 5
Philadelphia 1
Atlanta 4
San Diego 1
St. Louis 5
Chicago Cubs 1
Los Angeles 10
Florida 4
San Francisco 4
Montreal 1
Colorado 7
NY Mets 5
Houston 11
Pittsburgh 10
Milwaukee 5
Cincinnati 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brian Sikorski talks about his Major League debut with ESPN's Chris Berman and Rick Sutcliffe.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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