Except for a poorly located change-up that Jacque Jones of the Minnesota Twins crushed for a three-run homer in the bottom of fourth inning, Wang Chien-ming (王建民) pitched another brilliant game for the New York Yankees on Saturday night, winning for the first time in seven contests to snap a six-game losing skid.
Even though he got a no-decision for his seven innings of outstanding effort off the mound, Wang, Taiwan's latest budding star in the Majors, played a significant role in the Yankees' 4-3 win over the Twins at the Metro Dome by holding a red-hot Minnesota lineup to just three runs on five hits.
"He [Wang] was tremendous," Yankees manager Joe Torre said according to a report on Major League Baseball's official Web site. "He's certainly established himself as a big league hurler. He doesn't talk a whole lot, but he goes out there and knows what he's doing."
PHOTO: AP
The 25-year-old native of Tainan retired six of the first seven hitters he faced before running into some trouble in the third that took a perfectly executed double play by the New York defense to keep it a scoreless game.
After yielding the three-run blast to Jones that put the Twins up 3-0, Wang showed tremendous poise and maturity by turning away 12 of the final 13 batters he faced over the next 3-2/3 frames.
The only base hit he allowed after the fourth was a double to Juan Castro to lead off the fifth that Wang promptly neutralized with three ground outs in a row.
His ability to keep the game close gave the Yankees' offense a chance to eventually tie the game up at 3-3 by the top of the eighth.
Wang's solid performance marked only the second quality start by a Yankees starter over the past seven games -- a tough stretch for the club out of the Big Apple that sent big-name veterans such as Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, and Mike Mussina home losers.
Wang had his rookie buddy Robinson Cano and Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui to thank for not being tagged with the loss because it was Cano's two-run double in the top of the fifth that pulled the Yankees to within a run (3-2) and Matsui's chopper to first in the eighth that brought home the game-tying run.
The Yankees eventually won it in the 10th inning on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra before ace closer Mariano Rivera tossed a perfect 10th for his 10th straight converted save.
Angels 13, red sox 6
Garret Anderson homered and drove in four runs, Darin Erstad added four RBIs and the Los Angeles Angels scored 11 times in the final three innings to rally past the Boston Red Sox 13-6.
Bartolo Colon (7-3) struck out 11 in six innings, throwing a season-high 119 pitches for the Angels. Anderson's go-ahead, three-run homer capped a four-run seventh and gave him a club-record 990 RBIs.
"I just kept saying, `Keep it close. Just keep it close,'" Colon said through a translator. "If I just kept it close, three or four runs was going to be all right."
Kevin Millar hit a pair of solo homers and an RBI double for the Red Sox, but the bullpen couldn't hold a 5-2 lead for Bronson Arroyo.
"We thought we were in the driver's seat. The game was going our way and then all of a sudden something bad happened," Boston's Johnny Damon said.
Anderson went 4-for-6 with a triple, and Chone Figgins hit a leadoff homer.
Struggling left-hander Alan Embree (1-3) retired just one batter and allowed four runs.
White Sox 6, Indians 5
At Chicago, Jon Garland got his ninth win on his third try, and Paul Konerko and Joe Crede homered to help Chicago beat Cleveland.
After starting 8-0, Garland lost two straight, but this effort made him the third nine-game winner in the majors, joining Toronto's Roy Halladay and Florida's Dontrelle Willis.
Garland (9-2) went 6 2-3 innings and allowed nine hits and four runs, including Victor Martinez's solo homer. Dustin Hermanson got three outs for his 13th save in 13 chances.
Jason Davis (2-2) threw 106 pitches in 4 2-3 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs.
Rangers 14, Royals 9
At Kansas City, Missouri, Park Chan-ho earned his 100th major league win, Michael Young got four hits and Texas beat Kansas City to hand the Royals their first loss in five games under new manager Buddy Bell.
The Rangers got home runs from Young, Alfonso Soriano, Rod Barajas and Laynce Nix to end Kansas City's four-game winning streak, its longest since September 2003.
Young, Barajas and Mark Teixeira each drove in three runs to back Park (6-1), who allowed six runs and 11 hits in five innings to win his sixth straight decision since a loss on April 8. With the game televised live back home, he became the first South Korean pitcher to win 100 games in the majors.
Teixeira reached base five times, including two doubles. The Rangers' 19 hits matched their season high.
Royals right-hander Jose Lima (0-5), winless in 14 starts since Sept. 14, was staked to a 4-0 lead but gave it all back in the third.
Orioles 14, Tigers 7
At Detroit, Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams to rally Baltimore past the Tigers.
Jay Gibbons doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and Miguel Tejada followed Mora's grand slam in the ninth with his 15th homer of the year.
Palmeiro's drive to right with one out in the fifth off Tigers starter Wilfredo Ledezma tied the score at 7.
Jamie Walker (2-3) gave up two hits and a run in the seventh while getting just two outs.
Steve Reed (1-2) came on in the sixth inning and pitched one-third inning for the win.
Rondell White hit a three-run shot off Lopez in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.
Athletics 5, Blue Jays 2
At Oakland, California, Eric Byrnes hit a two-run homer and Nick Swisher had a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning to help Joe Blanton earn his first major league victory.
Dan Johnson added three hits as the A's won their fifth in six games following a season-worst eight-game skid.
Vernon Wells and Alex Rios each homered for the Blue Jays, who lost their third in four games.
Blanton (1-5) allowed four hits in seven innings to win for the first time in 11 starts. He struck out three and walked one.
Former A's pitcher Ted Lilly (3-6) retired 13 of the first 15 batters he faced, but gave four runs on six hits in six-plus innings.
Mariners 6, Devil Rays 5
At Seattle, pinch-hitter Dave Hansen hit two-out single with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to edge Seattle past Tampa Bay.
Hansen worked a full-count off Tampa Bay closer Danys Baez (4-1). He hit a fastball into center field that scored Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez. Center fielder Alex Sanchez misplayed the ball and Bret Boone scored from first.
Julio Mateo (2-1) pitched the eighth for Seattle, and Eddie Guardado worked the ninth for his 150th career save and 16th this season.
Tom Glavine pitched effectively into the eighth inning and the New York Mets defeated San Francisco 5-1, sending the Giants to their eighth straight loss on Saturday.
Mike Cameron homered off Noah Lowry (2-6) and Mike Piazza hit a two-run single for the Mets, who have won three in a row and six of eight.
The Giants are on their longest losing streak since also dropping eight straight in May 2000. They finished that season with the best record in major league baseball.
Glavine (4-5) scattered nine hits over 7 2-3 innings for his 266th win, tying Bob Feller and Eppa Rixley for 32nd on the all-time list. He gave up a home run to Moises Alou, who had four hits.
Cardinals 11, Astros 9
At Houston, Reggie Sanders hit a grand slam and pitcher Jason Marquis added a two-run homer during an eight-run third inning, and St. Louis held off Houston.
Sanders went 4-for-4 with five RBIs, Marquis was 3-for-3 with two hits in the third and Albert Pujols homered in the eighth to help preserve the victory for the Cardinals, who have won 11 of 15.
Jason Isringhausen got three outs for his 17th save in 18 chances, rebounding from his first blown save on Thursday against Colorado.
Marquis (7-3) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Wandy Rodriguez (1-2) was roughed up early during a dreadful home debut.
Nationals 7, Marlins 3
In Washington, outfielder Marlon Byrd knocked over one umpire during an argument with another, an ugly moment in Washington's victory over Florida.
Vinny Castilla hit a three-run double, Nick Johnson drove in two runs, and even slumping Cristian Guzman contributed two hits and an RBI.
But the night's most talked-about moment surely will be Byrd's outburst. It came after he was called out on strikes to end the sixth, when first-base umpire Bill Miller ruled that Byrd went around on a checked swing with the count full.
Byrd, thinking he had drawn a walk, was about halfway to first when he realized Miller had called him out. Byrd began arguing with the umpire, and first-base coach Don Buford stepped between them.
As the Nationals took the field for the top of the seventh, Byrd continued arguing on his way to left, and Miller ejected him.
Byrd then headed toward Miller, and second-base umpire Joe Brinkman tried to get in the player's way. They collided, sending Brinkman tumbling to his back on the infield dirt. He was attended to by a Washington trainer, and eventually Byrd walked off the field.
Kim Sun-woo (1-0) got the win. Al Leiter (2-6) took the loss.
Braves 1, Pirates 0
In Pittsburgh, Julio Franco's two-out double in the ninth inning scored the game's only run, and rookie Kyle Davies shut down the Pirates into the eighth, leading Atlanta over Pittsburgh.
Davies and relievers John Foster (1-0) and Chris Reitsma combined on the six-hit shutout. Reitsma got his third save.
Rockies 7, Reds 5
In Denver, J.D. Closser hit a two-run double in a six-run sixth inning, and Colorado won its season-high third straight with a victory over Cincinnati.
Clint Barmes added two hits to help Jamey Wright (3-5) win for the first time since May 9. Wright was 0-3 in his previous four starts. Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
Rich Aurilia homered and drove in three runs for the Reds, who have lost four in a row overall and 13 of 16 on the road.
Colorado did most of its damage against Aaron Harang (4-3), who was 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in his previous three starts.
Dodgers 2, Brewers 1
In Los Angeles, D.J. Houlton earned his first major league victory in his first start, J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent hit consecutive homers for the second time in three games as Los Angeles beat Milwaukee.
Houlton (1-0) had a 7.13 ERA in 13 relief appearances this season before holding the Brewers to a run and four hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Eric Gagne, the fifth Los Angeles pitcher, put a runner on third with one out but got Bill Hall to ground out to second for his fifth save.
Victor Santos (2-5) lost his fourth straight road decision, allowing just two runs and six hits over seven innings before he was removed for a pinch-hitter.
Cubs 11, Padres 5
In San Diego, Greg Maddux won his 309th game, major league batting leader Derrek Lee had two hits during a seven-run fifth inning and Chicago downed San Diego for its eighth win in nine games.
Even Maddux singled and scored in the big inning, when the first eight Cubs batters reached base, with the first seven scoring for an 11-1 lead.
Maddux's victory tied him for 19th on the all-time list with Mickey Welch. Maddux (4-3) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out four and walked one.
Lee went 2-for-5 to raise his average to .380. He was one of six Cubs with at least two hits. Aramis Ramirez and Jerry Hairston had three each.
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