NEW YORK, 17 July 2006 — Andy Phillips homered and drove in four runs to help the New York Yankees crush the Chicago White Sox 14-3 at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
The Yankees jumped all over Chicago starter Mark Buehrle for eight runs in the first four innings to lead 8-0, making it an easy afternoon for Mike Mussina who picked up his 11th victory. Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams both doubled twice and had three RBI to lead the 14-hit New York assault. Bubba Crosby homered and Jason Giambi had two hits, scored twice and drove in another two runs.
Johnny Damon scored three runs for the Yankees, who remained 1 1/2 games behind the first place Boston Red Sox in the AL East and well adrift of Detroit and Chicago in the wild card race. “We can’t worry about the other teams,” Jeter told reporters.
Mussina (11-3) left after six innings with an 11-3 lead, allowing three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Three Yankee relievers completed the 11-hitter.
Buehrle (9-7) was charged with eight runs — seven earned — on eight hits in just three-plus innings, striking out one and walking two.
New York had three big innings to blow open the game after Jeter’s double opened the scoring in the first. The Yankees added three runs in the third, four more in fourth and another three in the sixth. Jim Thome hit his 31st home run of the season off Mussina in the fifth, a two-run shot, and had three hits for the White Sox, who remain in second place in the AL Central, 4 1/2 games behind the streaking Detroit Tigers.
In Toronto, Bengie Molina drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the 14th inning, lifting the Blue Jays past the Seattle Mariners 7-6.
Molina also homered, had three hits and drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, while Troy Glaus homered, had three hits and drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who had 17 hits.
John MacDonald also homered and five other players had two hits each for the Blue Jays, who used nine pitchers to win the four hour, 23 minute marathon. Scott Downs (3-0), the last pitcher left in the Toronto bullpen, pitched a scoreless 14th for the victory. Emiliano Fruto (0-1) was the loser, allowing the winning run on one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
Rolen Drives In Winning Run for In-Form Cardinals
Scott Rolen drove in the winning run in the 10th inning to lift the streaking St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.
It was a season-high sixth straight win for the Cardinals (51-39), who remained four games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central.
Rolen lofted a single into left field, scoring David Eckstein with the game-winning run.
“It wasn’t exactly what I drew up on deck,” Rolen told reporters. Albert Pujols hit his NL-leading 31st home run of the season for the Cardinals and Jeff Suppan pitched seven strong innings before Braden Looper came on to pick up his third victory in three appearances.
Suppan allowed one run on five hits while striking out six and walking two. Adam Wainwright came on to pitch a scoreless eighth before Looper pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Looper (6-1) did not allow a hit and struck out two and walked one, continuing his hot streak after a disappointing start to the season following shoulder injury.
J.D. Drew opened the scoring for the Dodgers with an RBI double in the first off Suppan, but that was it for the offense until Pujols drove a homer to deep center field off Mark Hendrickson in the sixth to tie the game.
In San Francisco, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard homered as the Philadelphia Phillies hammered the Giants 14-6. Burrell went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs while hitting his 20th homer of the season, while Howard’s 30th home run of the year was a two-run shot to add to the Phillies 18-hit attack. David Bell added three hits and an RBI for Philadelphia while Shane Victorino drove in a pair of runs.
