NEW YORK, 23 May 2004 — Former Yankee David Dellucci drove in four runs with a homer and a single to help the Texas Rangers rally to defeat New York Yankees 9-7 in the American League on Friday.
Laynce Nix also plated four runs for the host Rangers with a pair of two-run homers. The two teams put on quite a show for the crowd on the day former Ranger Alex Rodriguez, the 2003 AL Most Valuable Player, made his return to Arlington after a controversial off-season swap.
Rodriguez ignored the jeers of the crowd to give the visitors a quick 2-0 lead, homering with a man aboard in the first inning. Enrique Wilson added another two-run shot for New York three frames later.
Dellucci then went to work, singling to plate two runs. Nix followed with his first homer for a four-run fourth inning for Texas. Joaquin Benoit (2-1) worked the minimum five innings for the victory.
In Boston, Manny Ramirez homered to launch a six-run eighth inning as the Red Sox pounded the Toronto Blue Jays 11-5.
In St. Petersburg, Jose Cruz Jr homered and doubled three times to score three runs as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays won back-to-back games for the first time this season, defeating the Cleveland Indians 5-3.
In Minneapolis, Timo Perez and Jose Valentin stroked two-run homers to carry the Chicago White Sox to an 8-2 triumph over the Minnesota Twins.
In Oakland, pitcher Mark Mulder (5-2) went all the way for the Athletics, allowing only three hits while striking out six batters in a 7-0 pasting of the Kansas City Royals.
In Seattle, Eric Munson’s third-inning homer paved the way for the Detroit Tigers to cruise past the Mariners 5-0.
In Anaheim, Jose Guillen’s eighth-inning single plated the tying and winning runs as the Angels outlasted the Baltimore Orioles 5-3. Scot Shields (4-0) stayed perfect with 1 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief to help Anaheim improve to a major league-leading 27-15.
