THEY ARE GONNA FACE THE RED SOX FOR THE ALCS!!!!!!

Cool bobby I will watch that game.

I was at Target when they advanced.7

I hope they beat the Red Sox. Pedro Martinez plays for Boston and I hate him.

They kicked his ass.

These last games said it all there.

Who's Your Daddy?!?

I starting hating Pedro Martinez when that fight broke out during a Yankees/Red Sox game in the post season in 2003. I think he pushed the Yankee coach down.

Joe Torre the Manager. El Duque, who hails from Cuba like my mom, starts Game Five.

The Yankees clobbered the Red Sox 19-8 tonigt and are now 3-0 of the Best Of Seven.

Yanks are blowing it big time tonight.. :o

Message to Martinez: "Who's your daddy?".

They blew it. I knew they would after the first inning. My dad got mad at me for giving up, when he's the one who seemed to have given up on me a long time ago.


This thread is closed until next season.

The Yankees humiliated the Red Sox on Opening Night 9-2 thanks to Dave "Backache" Wells who is now pitching for Boston.

OT: Is Pedro still with Boston?

Not sure. I found some kick ass Yankees merchandise online and two of them are great to wear around Red Sox fans.

The Yankees blew the Tampa Bay Devil Rays out of the water by beating them 19-8. They scored 13 Runs in the Second Inning.

A-Rod hits 400th homer against Brewers
Rodriguez becomes 40th, youngest player to reach milestone
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

MILWAUKEE -- When Alex Rodriguez hit his 398th home run on May 26, his fifth in eight games, it seemed like it would only be a matter of days -- if not hours -- that he became the 40th player in history to reach the 400-homer plateau.

But 11 games later, Rodriguez was still stuck on 398, having gone that long without hitting one out or even driving in a single run.

He made up for lost time on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, going 4-for-4 with two home runs -- Nos. 399 and 400 -- and four RBIs in the Yankees' 12-3 win over the Brewers.

"It's obviously a very special day, especially to do it in a win we needed so desperately," Rodriguez said. "To do it with a Yankees uniform on, it's something I'll never forget."

"He's been doing all of these things from the day he came into the league," said Mike Mussina, who was the recipient of the run support on Wednesday. "Four hundred home runs for him is just a chapter in a pretty long book. I'm sure it's not his last one, and I'm sure it's not his last one with two zeroes after it."

At 29 years old, Rodriguez reached 400 earlier than any player in history. Ken Griffey Jr., A-Rod's former teammate in Seattle, had held the previous record for the most homers hit before his 30th birthday with 398, but Rodriguez, who turns 30 on July 27, knocked his old friend out of the record books.

"To be 29 years old and have 400 home runs, that's pretty incredible," said manager Joe Torre. "With the shape he's in and the way he works, who knows where he's going?"

"These guys get sick of hearing me talk about A-Rod," said Brewers hitting coach Butch Wynegar, who was a roving hitting instructor and Minor League manager in the Rangers' organization from 1995-2002 and worked with Rodriguez from 2001-02. "His bank account says, 'Hey, I don't have to work another day in my life.' But he goes in that cage every day. I used to see him go in there four times before a game, and that's when he was playing everyday shortstop. He deserves this."

A-Rod, whose 11-game skid without an RBI was the second-longest of his career, drilled No. 399 in the first inning, taking left-hander Chris Capuano deep for a two-run shot to left field on a 3-1 pitch. The homer was estimated at 410 feet.

"I hadn't hit one in a while," he said. "I hit it pretty good."

That homer tied A-Rod with Al Kaline and Andres Galarraga for 40th place on the all-time list.

In the eighth, Rodriguez added a solo shot against southpaw Jorge De La Rosa, crushing a 2-2 pitch 381 feet over the right-field wall. His 19 homers this season lead the Majors.

"Alex had a super night, and to cap it off with the 400th home run was great," Torre said. "That's as loose as he's been, even more than the three-home run game [April 26 against the Angels]. He seemed light on his feet today."

"He doesn't limit himself to one field," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "He hits one out to left [field] and then hits No. 400 out to right."

Rodriguez became the sixth player to hit his 400th homer for the Yankees, joining Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and Gary Sheffield. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he also became the third player to reach the milestone in Milwaukee, joining Eddie Matthews and Billy Williams.

"I'm a young man out of Miami," Rodriguez said. "I never thought I'd be doing some of the things that I've done."

Yankees to announce new stadium plans

Today at 4:00 p.m. ET, the Yankees will unveil renderings for a new, self-financed Yankee Stadium, replacing the current one that opened in 1923.
Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, New York Governor George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are expected to headline the event.
WATCH or LISTEN to the press conference LIVE on yankees.com »
The biggest buzz will be over the unveiling of renderings of the new stadium, giving Yankees fans their first looks at the future home of their team.
The Yankees organization has spent years developing plans for the self-financed stadium that will rise in Macombs Dam Park, adjacent to and north of the current field. Construction on the planned 51,000-seat park is expected to begin in 2006, and should conclude in time for the 2009 season.




Yankees reveal new stadium plans

By Tom Singer / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- A new Yankee Stadium leaped from past dreams to future reality Wednesday, when club and government officials parted the curtain on construction plans for an $800 million project to replace and honor the Major Leagues' third-oldest ballpark.

Plans for the new stadium, the centerpiece of a broad redevelopment project to revitalize the Bronx riverfront, were announced at a press conference in the Stadium Club of the current Yankee Stadium.

Numerous political dignitaries, including New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Gov. George Pataki and a host of city and Bronx elected officials, joined Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in an event highlighted by the unveiling of renderings of the 51,000-seat park, targeted for a 2009 opening.

Construction in Macombs Dam Park, adjacent to and north of the current field, is scheduled to begin late next spring.

"We decided we want to stay in the Bronx. We want to do the job here," said Steinbrenner. "We wanted to do something for the people who've always supported this team."

While Yankees officials enthusiastically hailed the coming of a state-of-the-art showcase for sports' most successful franchise, government officials hailed that it will be built without public subsidy.

The Yankees plan to pay for all costs related to the stadium, and its subsequent maintenance.

"We are staying at home in the Bronx," Yankees president Randy Levine said. "We are continuing our tradition in the Bronx.

"The Yankees, not the taxpayers, will pay for this project. The Yankees, not the taxpayers, will pay to maintain this ballpark."

New York City will contribute $205 million -- pushing total budget for the project past the $1 billion mark -- to develop 28 acres of recreational facilities around the stadium and to erect new public structures.

"We make investments. We don't do subsidies," Mayor Bloomberg said. "In every case, the city will get paid back -- with a profit."

"What a trememdous day," proclaimed Gov. Pataki. "Yes, it's a great day for the Yankees, but no doubt it will go down as a historic day for New York ... a day we can all be proud of."

Levine presented a series of artist renderings depicting the new park from different perspectives. One highlighted the familiar facade of original Yankee Stadium.

New Yankee Stadium will feature modern conveniences -- such as dozens of luxury suites and wider concourses -- while also paying homage to the Yankees' home since 1923.

Preliminary plans are for the preservation of key elements of the current Yankee Stadium, such as the playing field for the use of local amateur leagues.

Other elements of the stadium, most notably Monument Park, will simply be relocated into the new park.

Not only will the new house retain the feel of the current ballpark with identical field dimensions and bullpen placements, but many planned features will actually recapture some of the original features eradicated by the extensive renovation that was done on the old stadium from 1973-75.

"We lost many of the great characteristics of the original house," Levine said. "The new stadium will take us back to our origins. This isn't the end of the legacy, but a continuation."

Among those features will be the exterior, a structure separate from the rest of the ballpark that will resemble the exterior of the original stadium.

The stadium's design is by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) Sport-Venue-Event, whose retro touch is already visible on the MLB landscape in places such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Minute Maid Park in Houston and PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

------------------------------------------------------------------------"We decided we want to stay in the Bronx. We want to do the job here. We wanted to do something for the people who've always supported this team."
-- George Steinbrenner
------------------------------------------------------------------------The Yankees will also be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the ballpark, the significance of which was stressed by Mayor Bloomberg. The city foots maintenance of the current stadium.

"And in the last five years, we've spent $30 million on upkeep," said Bloomberg, who estimated that the new stadium will "in the next 30 years, bring the city $350 million in revenue. That's not to mention 3,600 construction jobs, and 500 to 1,000 permanent jobs."

Bloomberg, saying the project will "drive the incredible renaissance in the South Bronx," said the city would contribute $135 million toward developing parks and recreational facilites, and another $70 million for the construction of four parking structures with a total of 5,000 spaces.

Groundbreaking will culminate years of plans by the Yankees organization to develop a new ballpark.

Those plans were accelerated a few weeks ago, when club and city government officials reached agreement on a memorandum of understanding covering numerous aspects of the new Yankee Stadium's construction and eventual operation.

"This is an exemplary private-public partnership," said Yankees general partner Steve Swindal, "which, without the support of our fans, could not be accomplished."

As conceived by Bronx borough president Adolfo Carrion Jr., the broader development includes a hotel, convention center and a magnet high school for sports-related careers in medicine and adminstration.

"This is a very special day," Carrion said. "We have all won today. Together, we will build a better city."

Only Boston's Fenway Park (built in 1912) and Chicago's Wrigley Field (1914) are older than Yankee Stadium.

"We pledge to all our fans that this ballpark will be affordable," Levine said.

Gifford Miller, the youthful speaker of the New York City Council, sounded an appropriate footnote to an announcement that doubtless stirred mixed feelings in many fans.

"This is a bittersweet occasion for me," Miller said. "I spent the best moments of my life in this stadium. I've suffered cut shins, from jumping up and down in joy, and broken hearts. But ... the stadium is falling apart.

"I want to make sure that for many years, I'll be able to bring my sons to a ballpark where they can experience moments like the ones I did."

Kick ass.

I'll be in Yankees territory when I go to New Jersey.

Don't look now, but the Yanks are back
Bombers outslug Rangers, sit atop AL East standings
ARLINGTON -- They are an aging team, with suspect pitching, a dubious center field situation and as many questions as any New York Yankees team in recent memory.
Their season has been a well-documented road that began in controversy and traveled to distraction, with just enough side trips to the disabled list to keep the plotlines fresh in baseball's longest-running drama.
For much of this season, the New York Yankees have made headlines for what went wrong while Boston and upstart Baltimore roared to the top of the American League East Division. But thanks to their 11-10 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night, the Yankees will wake up Tuesday morning in sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time since Opening Day.
It was a nice 65th birthday present for Yankees manager Joe Torre, although a hamstring injury to Ruben Sierra put something of a damper on the evening.
"That put a damper on it, the walks put a damper on it, it wasn't a pretty game, but I can't explain how proud I am of this group of guys," Torre said. "They kept plugging away, quite a credit to their desire and focus and determination."
Torre was speaking of the come-from-behind win over the Rangers, but those same attributes could apply to the Yankees over the last three weeks.
They have won 13 of their last 17 games to move a season-high nine games over the .500 mark. Counting Boston's loss to Tampa Bay and Baltimore's victory at Minnesota, the division standings are bunched at the top with the Yankees (50-41) a half-game ahead of the Red Sox (50-42) and Orioles (50-42).

Seemingly on the verge of being buried a month ago as injuries to Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson and inconsistent performances from the bullpen negated the production of one of the best offenses in the game, the Yankees have roared back to the lead and find themselves in the thick of what is shaping up as an extremely tight AL East stretch run.
They are still a team with flaws, and yet the recent run serves as a reminder that this is still a very strong team that isn't about to go away anytime soon.
The Yankees didn't doubt themselves when they were down and the Orioles were flying high, and didn't panic when they kept struggling as the Red Sox moved to the top. They knew then and still believe this race is too close to call, which is why they weren't celebrating this key victory over Texas.
The Yankees are on top today, but the lead could change hands numerous times in the next 10 weeks.
And yet the significance of getting back into first place, alone on top for the first time since April 9, was certainly something of note considering how many things had gone wrong this spring for this team.
"It's definitely a stepping stone, but we haven't accomplished anything," third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. "We have much loftier goals in this clubhouse, but it's nice to have the team battling the way we are and we've just got to continue that."
The offense has been fueling the Yankees' resurgence. The Bronx Bombers have hit 27 homers and scored 85 runs in their last 11 games.

Brown returned from the disabled list to start a game for the first time in over a month, and though he didn't make it through the fifth inning, Torre and the right-hander were satisfied -- especially considering Brown probably could have used another rehab start before taking on the Rangers lineup.
As the Yankees bats would have it, Brown's rough night wouldn't keep New York from putting another one in the win column.
"The guys are really swinging the bats," Brown said. "We outslugged them tonight."
"It was just an overall great team win," Rodriguez said. "We kept battling today and played 27 outs, that's what Joe's been talking about for the last month, this is the way he wants us to play."
They are playing their best baseball of the year. But this being the Yankees, even an important victory must come with a price. In this case it's another injury. Sierra pulled up after delivering the two-run single in the eighth and Torre said Sierra will likely go on the disabled list.
"He's going to be sorely missed," Torre said.
So was Brown and the other injured Yankees. And yet here they are, back on top. For Torre, it was a fitting birthday present.
"Right now we're feeling pretty good about ourselves," Torre said.

Yankees take undisputed wild-card lead
Escalona's bases-loaded single with 2 outs in 9th beats Jays 5-4
Felix Escalona, left, of the Yankees celebrates his game-winning hit with first-base coach Roy White on Tuesday when the Yankees rallied to beat the Blue Jays 5-4.
NEW YORK - Their closer gave up the go-ahead run, and the winning hit came from a player who was not supposed to get an at-bat.
New York Yankees manager Joe Torre would have preferred an easier route to the win that moved New York into sole possession of the AL wild-card lead.
Felix Escalona's bases-loaded single with two outs in the ninth inning gave the Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. New York is percentage points ahead of Cleveland for the wild-card lead.
“It was a good game all the way around, and I don't ever want to play it again,” Torre said.
Hideki Matsui hit a tying homer in the ninth, and Derek Jeter had two hits in his return to the lineup for the Yankees (69-55), who scored in each of the final four innings to win for the ninth time in 12 games and reach 14 games over .500 for the first time this season.
Escalona, who got his first hit of the season Monday, went in to play first base after Tino Martinez was pinch run for in the eighth inning. Torre inserted Escalona into the No. 2 spot in the batting order, which meant he was the seventh batter up in the ninth.
“Shows you how smart the manager is,” Torre said. “You put him in that spot so he won't have to come up.”

New York, which didn't lead until the final hit, had been tied for the wild-card lead with Oakland, which lost at Detroit. Cleveland (70-56) is less than a percentage point behind the Yankees.
Vernon Wells had three hits, including a homer, as the Blue Jays wasted a strong start by Josh Towers and matched a season high with their fifth straight loss.
“You can't blow leads,” Towers said. “I blew two and we blew four.”
Toronto took a 4-3 lead off Mariano Rivera (6-3) in the ninth, but Matsui led off the bottom half with his 20th homer, a drive off Miguel Batista (5-5).
“I wasn't thinking home run at all against Batista,” Matsui said. “I was just trying to get on. It was definitely a huge win for us.”
Jorge Posada walked with one out, and Robinson Cano walked with two outs. Batista then intentionally walked Jeter to load the bases for Escalona, who singled to center on an 0-2 pitch for what he said was his first game-winning hit.
“This is the first time, ever,” he said. “I still can't believe it. I've never felt this way before.”
Now that Escalona has made a name for himself, maybe the Yankees will even learn how to spell it. Called up earlier this month, the nameplate in his locker still reads “Escolona.”
“Keep it the same,” he said with a laugh.
After New York tied it in the eighth, Orlando Hudson singled off Rivera with one out when Escalona came off first base to grab Jeter's high throw. Hudson took second on an infield out and scored on Reed Johnson's single, beating Matsui's throw from left.

Al Leiter allowed three runs and six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in seven-plus innings. The left-hander threw 121 pitches - 50 more than Towers needed to get the same amount of outs. Towers gave up two runs and six hits, not enough for Toronto to halt its slide.
“You've got to score a bunch and you've got to pitch lights out,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “And Josh did that.”
Little League glory and gory, Lefty's loved ones, and more. Leiter had retired eight in a row before Wells hit his 23rd homer with one out in the fourth. Gregg Zaun bounced an RBI single up the middle for a 2-0 lead later in the inning.
Towers allowed a leadoff single to Jeter, then retired 15 in a row before Martinez singled on the first pitch of the sixth and scored on Bernie Williams' sacrifice fly. Posada hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh, but Shea Hillenbrand hit an RBI single against Tanyon Sturtze in the eighth for a 3-2 lead.
Williams' two-out run-scoring single retied the score in the bottom half.
Notes: Jeter missed the series opener because of a jammed right thumb. He said the injury wasn't what kept him from playing Monday. “I was available to play yesterday. He wanted me to have the day off,” Jeter said of manager Joe Torre. ... Toronto also lost five in a row from April 20-25. ... Hudson made a diving stop in the outfield grass of Williams' hard grounder to second in the fourth.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Giambi puts Yankees alone in wild-card lead
Slugger breaks out of slump with 2 HRs, 7 RBIs as N.Y. routs K.C. 10-3
Kathy Willens / AP
Jason Giambi celebrates with Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez (13) after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning against the Royals on Sunday. Giambi also hit a two-run blast in the fifth inning and finished with seven RBIs.
NEW YORK - Jason Giambi was the American League Player of the Month when he batted .355 with 24 RBIs in July. In August, he found himself locked in slumps of 0-for-21 and 4-for-38.
Same guy, same swing, different results.
The good Giambi made an appearance Sunday with two home runs and a single, driving in seven runs in the New York Yankees' 10-3 victory over Kansas City. The spurt pushed Giambi past two personal milestones - 1,500 hits and 1,000 RBIs.
That was news to him, delivered by manager Joe Torre.
“I really didn't know (about the milestones),” Giambi said. “Actually, Joe's the one who congratulated me. I said 'For what? I know I haven't had a hit for a while.”'
When Giambi hit the first homer, Torre wasn't surprised to see the second.
“Normally, power hitters hit them in bunches,” the manager said. “His swing is compact at this point in time. I look forward to tomorrow to see where he hits it.”
Giambi said his left elbow, diagnosed with tendinitis, felt better.
“I feel like I've got my bat speed back,” he said.

Giambi's first homer in the third inning was a three-run shot. He followed that with a two-run homer in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth. Bernie Williams drove in the other three Yankee runs with a pair of singles.
Both of Giambi's homers came against Zack Greinke (3-16), who lost for the fifth straight time. His 16 losses are the most for any pitcher in the majors.
“Sometimes, I think I do decent, but it will just find a way to happen,” Greinke said. “Even if I pitch about as I good as I have pitched, they'll find a way, some way to score runs and win the game when I'm pitching.
“Today I didn't really give us a chance. They've got some great hitters and early on they were hitting my pitches pretty much, but later in the game I was messing up.”
Manager Buddy Bell said it was not one of Greinke's better starts.
“His location really wasn't very good and it's a tough lineup,” Bell said. “Especially when they're swinging the bats like they are, it's tough to deal with, and when you don't have your best stuff you're going to struggle a little bit.”
Giambi's two homers gave him 23 for the season. It was his sixth multihomer game of the season and the 29th of his career.
Al Leiter (4-3) earned his third straight win, limiting the Royals to two hits in six innings. He struck out six, walked three and threw 112 pitches after reaching 75 after three innings.
“I look at this as a second life,” Leiter said. “Every game feels like an event. Every pitch matters. I need that. It elevates your aggressiveness.”
The Yankees jumped in front in the first inning when they loaded the bases on walks to Hideki Matsui and Giambi sandwiched around a single by Gary Sheffield. Williams then bounced a two-out, two-strike single into right field, scoring Matsui and Sheffield.

The Royals picked up a run in the third but could have had more after Denny Hocking opened with a walk and Joe McEwing doubled. After David DeJesus' run-scoring groundout, Leiter walked Chip Ambres and Mike Sweeney to load the bases.
Leiter recovered to get Emil Brown and Terrence Long, ending the inning. He then retired nine of the next 10 batters.
Sweeney hit his 19th homer, a two-run shot in the eighth.
Notes: Attendance was 54,951, the 38th sellout in 68 home dates for the Yankees. ... Williams' three RBIs gave him 20 in the last 16 games. ... Leiter struck out the side in the second inning. ... Greinke's last win was July 19 at Cleveland. ... Derek Jeter had three hits. ... Robinson Cano made a baserunning blunder in the second when he walked off second base, thinking he had been called out on an attempted force play, and then was thrown out to complete an odd double play.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Giambi powers Yankee rally with two homers
Comeback win over Mariners helps New York keep wild-card lead
John Froschauer / AP
Yankees slugger Jason Giambi hits a three-run home run on a pitch from Mariners reliever Matt Thornton on Monday. He also homered off starter Ryan Franklin.
SEATTLE - Jason Giambi's bat has come alive again.
Giambi hit two homers and drove in four runs as the New York Yankees rallied from a four-run deficit and beat the Seattle Mariners 7-4 Monday night for their fifth straight win.
In his last two games, Giambi has four homers and 11 RBIs. In his 19 previous games, Giambi had no homers and four RBIs.
Last Thursday, he had a cortisone shot in his left elbow.
“The shot has helped me a lot,” Giambi said. “I had tendinitis.”
Mike Mussina had his second straight poor outing, failing to complete the fifth inning in consecutive starts for the first time since Sept. 12 and 19, 1996, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
But behind Giambi's power, the Yankees won after trailing by four runs for the second time in three games, the eighth time this season.
“We don't get worried when we're behind,” Giambi said. “We know we're only a few walks and a few swings from being back in the ballgame.”

Starting a seven-game trip following a 6-1 homestand, New York remained 11/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston and opened a one-game lead in the AL wild-card race. The Yankees, a season-high 18 games over .500 at 74-56, have won six of seven this season against the Mariners, who are last in the AL West.
Giambi said a key to his success has been playing in the field. He started his 50th game at first base. He was a designated hitter much of the time early in the year.
“I hate DHing,” he said. “I definitely enjoy playing in the field.”
A title for Hawaii, and that's using your head, nose and body! Giambi had a 432-foot homer to right off the Hit It Here Cafe in the fifth to pull the Yankees to 4-1, and Robinson Cano had an RBI single later in the inning.
After starter Ryan Franklin walked Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez with one out in the sixth, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove brought in left-hander Matt Thornton (0-4) to face Giambi, who turned on a slider and hit a three-run homer down the right-field line.
“I have a good fastball and I'm sure he is looking for that,” Thornton said. “I got beat on my second best pitch, something I shouldn't have done.”
Giambi became the first Yankees player to have consecutive multihomer games twice in one season, the first major leaguer since San Francisco's Barry Bonds on July 30-31 and Aug. 30-31, 1999. Giambi has 25 homers and 64 RBIs, including 21 homers and 47 RBIs since June 14.
Former Mariner Alex Rodriguez hit his league-leading 39th homer off Julio Mateo in the eighth and Matt Lawton, acquired Saturday from the Chicago Cubs, added his first homer for the Yankees, a drive off George Sherrill.

Yankees manager Joe Torre took out Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman, after eight innings because of a tight right groin.
“It's something he's had,” Torre said. “He will be in there tomorrow.”
Rodriguez limped out of the clubhouse after talking to reporters.
“It stiffened up a little bit, but it should be OK tomorrow,” he said.
Aaron Small (5-0), who replaced Mussina with the bases loaded and nobody out in the fourth, got the win in his fifth relief appearance of the season, allowing one hit in four scoreless innings.
Mussina, who gave up eight runs in an inning against Toronto last week, allowed four runs and six hits in three-plus innings, tying his season high with four walks. He was 1-2 with an 8.17 ERA in five August starts, leaving his season ERA at 4.34.
“It's almost September and there are times when you feel like your body is dragging a little bit,” the 36-year-old right-hander said. “This could be one of those times.”
Ichiro Suzuki put the Mariners ahead when he homered on the second pitch of the game. Suzkui has five leadoff homers this season and 17 in his career. He also has a career-high 14 homers this season.
Mussina walked Richie Sexson with the bases loaded in the third - throwing eight straight balls to Raul Ibanez and Sexson. After Small relieved, Suzuki and Willie Bloomquist hit RBI grounders.
Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his 34th save in 38 chances.
Franklin went 5 1-3 innings, giving up four runs, four hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings.
“We pitched well for four innings,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said. “The sad thing is you have to pitch well for nine innings.”

Notes: Giambi had his seventh multihomer game of the season and 30th of his career. He had consecutive multihomer games on July 20-21. ... Suzuki's previous high was 13 homers in 2003. The five-time All-Star has 51 homers in his Mariners' career. ... Mariners rookie Yuniesky Betancourt got his first major league stolen base in his 28 games. ... Bloomquist left the game in the fourth with a strained left hamstring after running hard to beat out the throw at first on his RBI grounder. “We won't know until tomorrow,” Hargrove said. “If I were to guess, he pulled a hamstring.”
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

YANKEES SIGN MARK BELLHORN
MARK BELLHORN / INF
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205
Bats/Throws: S/R
The Yankees announced today that they have signed infielder Mark Bellhorn to a Major League contract.
The 31-year old Bellhorn batted .216 (61-for-283) with seven home runs and 28 RBI in 85 games with the Boston Red Sox this season. A member of Boston's World Championship team in 2004, Bellhorn batted a career-best .264 (138-for-523) and established career-highs with 82 RBI, 93 runs scored and 88 walks (tied for the third-most among all AL batters).
To make room for Bellhorn on their 40-man roster, the Yankees transferred RHP Carl Pavano from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Old beats young: Big Unit outduels M's phenom
Johnson allows three hits in seven innings of 2-0 victory
Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images
Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson reacts after getting out of a jam in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game.
SEATTLE - Randy Johnson outpitched 19-year-old rookie Felix Hernandez with a performance the New York Yankees desperately needed.
The five-time Cy Young Award winner limited his former team to three hits in seven innings, leading the Yankees to a 2-0 victory over Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.

“I'm here to win,” Johnson said. “No doubt, it's been a disappointing year, but I know what I'm capable of doing. I think the game that I pitched today was coming.”
The Yankees split the first two games of the series, but Mike Mussina lasted only three innings in a win Monday night and Shawn Chacon gave up eight runs in a loss Tuesday night.
Johnson (13-8) won his second straight start as the Yankees remained 21/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New York is a game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels in the wild-card race.
“I don't get worked up against who I'm pitching against,” Johnson said of the highly touted Hernandez.
But Yankees manager Joe Torre emphasized Johnson rose to the occasion and wanted to have a big game.
“Randy was certainly equal to the task,” Torre said. “He just dominated tonight. There's been a lot of talk about Hernandez all week and the changing of the guard.”
Seattle manager Mike Hargrove saluted Johnson's performance.
“That's the best I've seen him in a long time,” Hargrove said. “He is awfully good anyway, but he was right on top of his game tonight.”
A title for Hawaii, and that's using your head, nose and body! Hernandez (2-2) was nearly as good, but allowed homers to rookie Robinson Cano and Gary Sheffield. Hernandez said he threw a fastball to Sheffield for the second homer and a changeup to Cano for the first.

“It was two pitches and two runs and two mistakes,” he said through a translator.
In only his second start at Safeco Field, the Big Unit had one of the best games of his up-and-down first season with the Yankees. He struck out seven and walked two, lowering his ERA to 4.09, in his 28th start before being replaced by Tom Gordon at the start of the eighth.
Johnson pitched for the Mariners from 1989-98, winning his first Cy Young Award with them in 1995.
Yankees catcher John Flaherty said fans in New York are starting to see vintage Johnson, who will turn 42 on Sept. 10.
“I think you're seeing the Randy Johnson attitude that we've been waiting to see,” he said. “It was a great night for him.”
Mariners slugger Richie Sexson said he thought Johnson wanted to shine again in Seattle.
“He's intense,” Sexson said. “Back in the old city again, I'm sure that played a role.”
Mariano Rivera finished the four-hitter, earning his second save of the series and his 35th in 39 opportunities.
Hernandez, who has a 98 mph fastball, pitched eight innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks, with seven strikeouts. It was his sixth start for Seattle.
Cano gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the third when he homered to right, his ninth of the season.
In the fourth, Sheffield hit his 28th homer, the 443rd of his career. He moved into sole possession of 30th place on the all-time list, ahead of Dave Kingman.
The Mariners didn't have a hit until rookie Yuniesky Betancourt led off the sixth with a double that Matt Lawton couldn't get to in time.

Ichiro Suzuki moved Betancourt to third with a groundout, but Johnson got Jamal Strong on a called third strike on a 96 mph fastball and induced Raul Ibanez to ground out to end the inning - after first baseman Tino Martinez gave Ibanez another chance when he dropped a foul popup for an error.
Adrian Beltre got an infield hit and Jose Lopez singled to center for the Mariners with one out in the seventh, but Johnson got Mike Morse to fly out, moving Beltre to third, and then got Yorvit Torrealba to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Playing with a tight right groin, third baseman Alex Rodriguez turned in the game's best defensive play in the third. He backhanded Suzuki's hard grounder and made a jump throw from about 10 feet in foul territory to get the speedy Suzuki at first.
“I got tested a little bit,” Rodriguez said. “I'm still a little sore.”
Notes: The Yankees got their 10th shutout and the Mariners were shut out for the fifth time this season. The Yankees tied Oakland for the most shutouts in the American League. ... The Mariners had their sixth sellout crowd of the season. ... Four Mariners players faced Johnson for the first time; Lopez, Morse, Strong and Betancourt. ... Bernie Williams pinch hit for Martinez in the ninth after the first baseman strained his ribcage after taking a swing. “We'll see how it is tomorrow,” Martinez said. ... In two starts against the Mariners at Safeco, Johnson is 2-0 and hasn't allowed a run in 16 innings, with 11 hits, three walks and 17 strikeouts.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Double whammy: Yanks top A's, lead wild card
Jeter, Bellhorn homer as New York takes 1 game lead over Oakland
New York's Derek Jeter, right, is congratulated by teammate Hideki Matsui. Jeter and the Yankees beat the A's, 7-3 on Sunday.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Derek Jeter already considers this the playoffs.
The New York Yankees usually have a safe lead in early September and a postseason berth all but locked up by mid-month. Now, every win is big in a tight race for the AL East and the wild card.
Jeter homered on the first pitch of the game, Mark Bellhorn also connected and Hideki Matsui added an RBI triple, and the New York Yankees took an important series from the Oakland Athletics with a 7-3 victory Sunday night.
“I don't know why shoot for second place,” Jeter said. “We're still in the race for the AL East and that's what our approach is, winning the division. You talk about us getting to the playoffs, but we're in the playoffs now.”
Shawn Chacon pitched 6 2-3 effective innings to win for the fourth time in five starts, staked to an early lead thanks to New York's suddenly potent offense.
Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada each hit RBI singles in the third as the Yankees built a quick 4-1 lead against Barry Zito, then New York added two more in the fourth on three straight hits - a leadoff double by Jeter, Matsui's triple that snapped an 0-for-12 streak and an RBI single by Gary Sheffield.