NEW YORK, 15 June 2006 — Chien-Ming Wang pitched a five-hitter over 7 1/3 innings and Robinson Cano homered for the only run of the game as the New York Yankees blanked the Cleveland Indians 1-0 in American League play Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
It was the first meeting of the season between the teams, who entered the game tied for the major league lead in runs scored with 359.
But it turned into a tense pitchers’ duel, with Wang and Paul Byrd hooking up to silence the two most potent offenses in the major leagues in the opener of a three-game series. Wang (7-2) struck out three and walked one in a tidy 90-pitch effort for the Yankees, who snapped a four-game losing streak with the win.
The New York bullpen then held on to the lead Wang gave them, with three relievers finishing up the five-hitter.
Mike Myers and Kyle Farnsworth both got one out to end the eighth inning and Marian Rivera pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save of the season.
Byrd (5-5) was just as effective as Wang was, allowing just one run on six hits over his seven innings. He struck out six and walked three.
But Cano drilled a one-out pitch from Byrd into the right field seats in the sixth inning to account for the game’s only run as the Yankees snapped their season-tying longest losing skid of the season — all of them at home.
Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams both had two hits for the Yankees, who could only manage six hits in the game, as they remained second in the AL East behind the Boston Red Sox.
Fausto Carmona pitched a perfect eighth inning for the Tribe. Cleveland has lost four of five and seven of their past 10.
In Detroit, Kenny Rogers pitched eight strong innings for his 199th career victory as the Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-1. Rogers (9-3) allowed one run on four hits and struck out nine, one off his career high, and walked just one.
The Tigers won their fourth straight game and still have the best record in major league baseball at 42-23.
Rogers got plenty of offensive support, pounding out 11 hits off three Tampa Bay pitchers.
Alexis Gomez had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Tigers, while Carlos Guillen also had two RBI and Curtis Granderson had two hits and drove in a run.
Seth McClung (2-9) allowed six runs — five earned — on nine hits over four innings to take the loss for the Devil Rays.
