Other Sports

Yankees recovery continues with win over Mets

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-18 17:02

NEW YORK, June 17 - Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in three runs and Wang Chien-ming struck out a career-high 10 batters as the New York Yankees overpowered the cross-town Mets 8-2 in interleague play on Sunday.

Rodriguez delivered his Major League-leading 27th home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the first inning to help the Yankees to their 11th win in 12 games.

Wang (7-4) came within one out of a complete game. He gave up six hits and two runs and walked only one batter.

"He was really throwing hard," the Mets' Carlos Beltran told reporters.

"I didn't know he was capable of throwing 95, 96, 97 (miles per hour)."

Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada also homered for the Yankees.

Orlando Hernandez struck out six and walked one for the Mets. The former Yankee pitcher gave up seven hits and six runs.

Miquel Cairo's run-scoring double and Damon's RBI single pushed the Yankees's lead to 4-0 in the second and Rodriguez made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Damon homered in the sixth for a 6-0 advantage and Posada's two-run shot in the eighth gave the Yankees their final runs.

Wang had a two-hitter going until the seventh inning when Carlos Delgado's two-out double netted the Mets their first run.

Beltran's ninth-inning single provided the Mets' second run.

*Barry Bonds hit his 748th career home run to move within seven of all-time leader Hank Aaron, but his San Francisco Giants lost 9-5 to the Boston Red Sox, who swept the series.

*Justin Morneau's walk-off homer lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 10-9 home win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

*Chad Tracy's tie-breaking single in the eighth inning helped the Arizona Diamondbacks hand the Orioles their eighth consecutive loss, a 6-4 decision in Baltimore.

*Jonny Gomes homered twice and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays ended a four-game losing streak with a 7-4 road victory over the Colorado Rockies.

*The LA Angels pounded out 16 hits on the way to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.