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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- Joe Torre feels the pulse of his team well
enough to know that even one of the most difficult losses during
his tenure in New York wouldn't have any carryover effect.
David Justice homered twice and the Yankees backed Andy
Pettitte's five-hitter with a record-tying three sacrifice flies in
the third inning of a 9-1 victory Saturday over the Anaheim Angels.
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Knoblauch has another
good workout for Yanks
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TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch is closer to returning to the team.
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| Knoblauch |
"Everything is going well," he said Saturday
after working out at the Yankees' developmental center.
Knoblauch's right elbow has bothered him for the past month.
An MRI earlier this month confirmed a previous diagnosis that
Knoblauch has tendinitis and inflammation in the elbow. He was
eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Friday.
"I don't know when I'll be out of here," he added.
Knoblauch, who has said he will be back this season, worked out
for 2½ hours and appeared to have no trouble making the throw from
second base, or turning a double play.
He injured the elbow July 24 at Baltimore and went on the DL for
the first time in his 10-year major league career.
-- Associated Press
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"It doesn't surprise me," Torre said of his team's resiliency
after blowing a five-run lead in the ninth inning Friday. "No
question, the loss last night made it very tough for us to go to
sleep. But we have a lot of confidence."
The Yankees lost at home after leading by at least five runs in
the ninth for only the second time in franchise history.
Anaheim's 9-8 victory -- sparked by Darin Erstad's game-saving catch
in the 10th and game-winning homer in the 11th -- was quickly
forgotten as New York scored four runs in the first off Brian Cooper
(4-8).
"That was tough for us to take last night," Pettitte said.
"Guys were still talking about it today. I wanted to go out and
get three quick outs and hoped we would get on the board."
Pettitte (15-6) walked three and struck out six to win his
career-high sixth straight start. The left-hander pitched his 17th
career complete game and moved into a tie for second in the majors
for wins -- two behind Toronto's David Wells.
"I'm in a good groove," Pettitte said. "I feel great right
now."
|  | | Andy Pettitte (15-6) has quietly worked his up the ladder in AL victories. He's in a tie for second behind leader David Wells' 17. |
Pettitte has been the beneficiary of a powerful offense this
season. The Yankees are averaging 7.4 runs when he starts. But
lately, New York has been scoring no matter who is pitching.
The Yankees are an AL-best 29-16 since July 1 to match their
season-high mark of 15 games over .500. Pettitte and an offense
boosted by the additions of Justice, Glenallen Hill and Jose
Canseco have provided much of the difference.
After struggling offensively much of the first half, New York
leads the majors with 229 runs since the All-Star break and has 34
homers in its last 17 games.
"It goes in streaks," Torre said. "We have more power here
probably than we've ever had in the five years I've been here."
Cooper, recalled from Triple-A Edmonton before the game, gave up
a two-run homer to Luis Sojo and RBI singles to Jorge Posada and
Scott Brosius in the first. Cooper gave up eight runs -- six earned
-- and eight hits in four innings as he lost his fifth straight
start.
"You get into a deficit that big, it's tough for an offense to
come back," Anaheim's Mo Vaughn said. "You look up in the third
or fourth inning and it's 7-0. You know it's going to be a tough
day, especially with Pettitte pitching the way he was throwing."
The Yankees added three runs in the third inning on the
record-tying sacrifice flies. A mental and physical error by left
fielder Ron Gant made it all possible.
With runners on second and third and no outs, Posada hit a
line drive that hit off Gant's glove for a run-scoring error.
Brosius followed with the only traditional sacrifice fly of the
inning, when he hit a fly to left, scoring Tino Martinez.
With Posada on second, Clay Bellinger hit a fly to the wall in
left. Gant caught it and leaned back on the wall, apparently
thinking that was the third out. Posada didn't stop as he raced
around third and scored standing.
"He caught the ball flat-footed and I'm sure he lost track of
the outs," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It wasn't a pretty
play."
It was the third time in major league history that a team had
three sacrifice flies in an inning. Oddly, it was the second time
the Yankees have done it this year. They did it June 29 at Detroit,
matching the record set by the Chicago White Sox on July 1, 1962,
against Cleveland.
Justice hit solo homers in the fourth and eighth innings, giving
him 13 since joining the Yankees on June 29 and 20 career
multihomer games.
"It was important for us to come back and play well after that
tough loss last night," Justice said. "We did everything right."
Troy Glaus' 36th homer in the eighth was the only run for the
Angels. It was the club-record 193rd homer of the season for
Anaheim.
Game notes
Yankees CF Bernie Williams was scratched after feeling a
twinge in his right rib cage during BP. He is day to day. Bellinger
made his first career start in center. ... Erstad, the major
leagues' hit leader with 189, left with a muscle spasm in his left
rib cage in the fourth inning. He is day to day. ... The only other
time New York blew a five-run, ninth-inning lead at home came Aug.
18, 1953, in a 10-8 loss to Washington.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Anaheim Clubhouse
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Bernie scratched with twinge in rib cage
Erstad leaves game with muscle spasm in rib cage
RECAPS
Cleveland 10
Seattle 4
NY Yankees 9
Anaheim 1
Boston 9
Texas 0
Minnesota 5
Toronto 1
Detroit 4
Oakland 3
Kansas City 7
Baltimore 0
Chi. White Sox 7
Tampa Bay 0
Cincinnati 7
Pittsburgh 1
Los Angeles 4
NY Mets 1
San Francisco 12
Atlanta 3
Colorado 10
Florida 3
Houston 10
Milwaukee 8
St. Louis 6
Philadelphia 3
Arizona 11
Chicago Cubs 3
San Diego 4
Montreal 3
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