Yankees, Royals Both Sweep Doubleheaders

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2006/08/19/ap2960208.html

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There were 41 runs and 61 hits, 20 pitchers - counting Mike Myers and Scott Proctor twice - and 783 pitches.

When it was all over, after 8 hours, 40 minutes, the New York Yankees had swept a day-night doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox and opened a season-high 3 1/2-game lead in the AL East.

"I'm proud of it, especially in this ballpark, where every game seems like it's the longest game in history," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Friday after New York's 12-4 and 14-11 victories.

Derek Jeter hit a bases-clearing double in New York's seven-run seventh at Fenway Park as the Yankees rallied from a 10-7 deficit in the second game.

Johnny Damon had six of New York's 34 hits on the day, including a pair of two-run homers. Bobby Abreu had four hits in the opener, then added two more in the sequel.

At 4:45, the night game was the longest nine-inning game in major league history, surpassing the 4:27 it took the Dodgers and Giants to play on Oct. 5, 2001. And that was on top of a 3:55 day game.

"We kept looking up and it kept being the fourth inning. It was nuts," Torre said.

Boston has lost nine of 13 and plays the Yankees three more times in the series.

Jason Johnson threw the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. EDT and Mariano Rivera made the final one at 12:52 a.m. Saturday.

"I don't even remember half of it," Jeter said, adding sarcastically: "It feels great, especially when we have another one in a few hours."

In another doubleheader, Kansas City swept Oakland 7-1 and 5-3. In other AL games, it was: Los Angeles 3, Seattle 0; Minnesota 7, Chicago 3; Texas 2, Detroit 1; Baltimore 7, Toronto 2; and Tampa Bay 6, Cleveland 5.

Jeter had three hits in the opener but was hitless in the second until lining one down the right-field line against Mike Timlin (5-3) to give New York the lead for good at 11-10. Mike Myers (1-0) got just two outs for the win.

David Ortiz hit his major league-leading 43rd homer in the ninth against Rivera. Alex Rodriguez then botched Manny Ramirez's grounder to third for his 22nd error, tied for the major league lead.

Chien-Ming Wang (14-5) won the opener over Jason Johnson (3-12), who lost his eighth straight decision.

"It was a long, frustrating day," said Boston's Mark Loretta, who had three doubles in the first game and went 3-for-6 with four RBIs in the second. "We have our work cut out for us in this series."

Royals 7, Athletics 1, 1st game; Royals 5, Athletics 3, 2nd game

Mike Sweeney hit a go-ahead, two-run double off Huston Street (4-4) in a four-run eighth as Kansas City completed a doubleheader sweep.

Luke Hudson (6-4) combined with Jimmy Gobble and Joel Peralta on a six-hitter in the opener, and Jorge De La Rosa, Ambiorix Burgos (3-5) and Joe Nelson teamed on a three-hitter, with Nelson getting his second save.

Visiting Oakland had won six straight, 13 of 14 and 17 of 20, but the Athletics' AL West lead over second-place Los Angeles was cut from six games to 4 1/2.

In the second game, Frank Thomas hit a two-run homer in the eighth for a 3-1 lead. Thomas' 26th homer this season gave him 1,537 RBIs, tying Joe DiMaggio for 39th place.

Joe Blanton (13-10) gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings in the opener.

Angels 3, Mariners 0

Jered Weaver (9-0) joined Whitey Ford as the only AL rookies to win their first nine decisions, holding visiting Seattle to three singles over seven innings.

Livan Hernandez won nine for Florida before losing in 1997, Kirk Rueter won 10 for Montreal in 1993-94, Ford won nine for the Yankees, and the New York Giants' Hooks Wiltse went 12-0 in 1904 before losing.

Vladimir Guerrero put the Angels in front with a broken-bat RBI single in the first and Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Felix Hernandez (10-11).

Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez finished the four-hitter, with Rodriguez working the ninth for his 33rd save.

Twins 7, White Sox 3

Torii Hunter homered for the first time in 62 at-bats since July 31, putting the Twins ahead 4-3 in the sixth against Freddy Garcia (11-8).

Pat Neshek (3-0), Dennys Reyes, Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier limited visiting Chicago to one hit over 3 2-3 scoreless innings.

Justin Morneau had two hits and two RBIs to help the Twins cut Chicago's lead in the AL wild-card race to one game.

Rangers 2, Tigers 1

Kevin Millwood (12-8) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings at Detroit to win his second straight start after going 0-3 in his previous four. Akinori Otsuka allowed a leadoff triple in the ninth before getting three straight outs for his 24th save. Texas has won seven of nine after losing 11 of 16.

Mark Teixeira hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth against Zach Miner (7-4), who has won only one of his last seven starts after winning six straight. Dmitri Young homered for Detroit, a major league-best 79-43 despite losing seven of 10.

Orioles 7, Blue Jays 2

Kris Benson (10-9) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings for his first win since June 28, and Melvin Mora went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs at Camden Yards.

Baltimore took a 6-0 lead in the second against Scott Downs (6-2) en route to its third straight win following a five-game skid.

Devil Rays 6, Indians 5

Carl Crawford hit a two-run single off Jason Davis that capped a three-run ninth as Tampa Bay rallied from a 5-1 deficit.

Travis Lee opened the ninth with a double off Brian Sikorski (1-1) and took third on pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro's single. One out later, Rocco Baldelli's single cut the Devil Rays' deficit to 5-4.

Davis relieved and loaded the bases with a walk to Ben Zobrist. Crawford followed with his single down the right-field line.

Seth McClung (4-11) pitched a perfect ninth at Tampa Bay, completing a seven-hitter.
 
I could only watch the first one. The second was later at night and ended up being soooooooooooooooo long... GO YANKEES!
 
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