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Baseball
April 21, 2003
MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Torre's day ended better than it started.
Torre became the fifth Yankees manager to win 700 games as his team beat Minnesota 8-2 for its 12th straight win over the Twins.
Torre, hired by owner George Steinbrenner after the 1995 season, joins a list that includes Joe McCarthy (1,460), Casey Stengel (1,149), Miller Huggins (1,067) and Ralph Houk (944).
"Here I am having the greatest time of my life," Torre said after Sunday's game.
A few hours earlier, he wasn't happy after he learned Steinbrenner overrode his decision to send pitcher Jose Contreras to Triple-A Columbus and instead ordered the struggling right-hander to report to the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa.
But Torre felt better after dominating Minnesota.
Mike Mussina (20-2 against the Twins) pitched seven strong innings, and Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams each homered for the Yankees.
Asked if the game helped take his mind off the Contreras issue, Torre nodded and said: "The game is always a priority."
Mussina allowed five hits and the Yankees got a three-run homer in the first inning from Giambi and a homer in the third from Williams. Giambi's homer was his first since the opening week.
"That was huge for him," Torre said. "He's been pretty dry, and I know it's been bothering him."
Giambi, hitless in 11 at-bats and in a 2-for-21 slide, hit a 3-and-1 pitch for his fourth homer, his first since April 4 at Tampa Bay.
"With Torii (Hunter) out there, I wanted to make sure I hit it out of his reach," Giambi said of the Twins All-Star centerfielder.
Giambi hit a hard line drive in the third that would have been a hit if not for slick-fielding first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.
"The guys around me have been swinging the bat well, so it feels good for me to get going a little bit too," Giambi said.
RED SOX 6, BLUE JAYS 5: Nomar Garciaparra led off the ninth with a home run and host Boston got three innings of hitless relief to overcome a five-run deficit for its seventh straight win.
Garciaparra, who tied it at 5 with a two-run double in the seventh, connected on a 2-and-1 pitch in the ninth off Cliff Politte for his 150th career home run.
The Red Sox's beleaguered bullpen came through with perhaps its best showing. After starter Casey Fossum walked five batters and allowed four earned runs in six innings, Ramiro Mendoza and Mike Timlin combined for three hitless innings.
RANGERS 2, ATHLETICS 1: Carl Everett of Tampa set a club record by homering in the past five games he has played and Texas ended a four-game losing streak. Everett's home run in the seventh off Chad Bradford broke a 1-all tie. He was 0-for-3 until the home run. Rangers starter Colby Lewis pitched six solid innings in his first road start of the season.
MARINERS 7, ANGELS 6: John Olerud's second single of the game broke a tie in the ninth for visiting Seattle. Winner Shigetoshi Hasegawa retired Chone Figgins on a fly ball with the bases loaded to end the eighth and Kazuhiro Sasaki got three outs for his fourth save in seven chances. Former Devil Ray Randy Winn had a run-scoring single for Seattle.
ROYALS 4, TIGERS 3: Desi Relaford scored the winning run in the ninth on Carlos Pena's throwing error as Kansas City improved to 8-0 at home.
INDIANS 7, WHITE SOX 4: Ellis Burks, Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia homered as visiting Cleveland ended Chicago's four-game winning streak.