AL: Botched bunt blessing for K.C.
By Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 27, 2003
TORONTO - Ken Harvey more than atoned for messing up a bunt attempt.
Harvey hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth inning as the Royals rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Harvey got the bunt sign one pitch before homering. He threw his bat over his head on the high-and-outside pitch.
"I kind of did a double-take. I'm not really a bunter. It was a horrible attempt, but luckily I came through at the end," said Harvey, whose teammates laughed at him when he returned to the dugout.
Teammate Desi Relaford said Harvey never will be asked to bunt again.
"It was awful, it was bad," Relaford said.
Harvey drove in a career-high four for the Royals, who have won five of six. Kansas City improved to 17-4.
"That's a Yankees-type start," Harvey said. "If we continue to do this we'll turn some more heads."
Mike Sweeney singled off Jeff Tam and Raul Ibanez singled off Jason Kershner before Harvey hit a shot to center for his third home run of the season.
Jason Grimsley pitched two innings for the win. Rookie Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 10th save.
"They run some good arms out there," Toronto's Tom Wilson said. "They are pretty solid."
A crowd of 17,197, the largest since opening day, turned out three days after the World Health Organization warned against travel to Toronto because of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Shortstop Chris Woodward and other Blue Jays signed autographs before the game despite the SARS scare.
Trailing 4-2, the Royals scored four in the seventh off Toronto's struggling bullpen. Relaford tied it with a two-run triple off Trevor Miller and Sweeney and Harvey hit run-scoring singles off Tam.
"Nothing is going right for our bullpen right now," Wilson said.
Wilson tied it at 6 in the eighth with a two-run double off Grimsley.
YANKEES 7, RANGERS 5 (10): Alfonso Soriano homered and doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 10th as visiting New York became the first team to reach 20 wins.
Jason Giambi also homered for the Yankees, who won for the ninth time in 10 games and beat former manager Buck Showalter for the second straight night.
Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez and Ruben Sierra homered for Texas. Palmeiro's home run was the 497th of his career.
Rodriguez tied the score at 5 when he homered to lead off the sixth, his eighth of the season.
A'S 6, INDIANS 3: John Halama held Cleveland hitless until the seventh and Erubiel Durazo hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly to lead host Oakland.
Brandon Phillips singled with one out in the seventh. Halama carried a no-hit bid deeper than any pitcher has this season.
Halama, however, did not get the decision. He was gone by the time the A's went ahead in the seventh off Terry Mulholland.
WHITE SOX 7, TWINS 4: Magglio Ordonez hit two home runs and Jon Garland pitched well before he was ejected for host Chicago.
Frank Thomas and Carlos Lee also homered for the White Sox. The benches cleared after Minnesota's Doug Mientkiewicz was hit by a pitch for the second straight night.
ANGELS 3, RED SOX 1: Scot Shields, coming out of the bullpen to make his second major-league start in place of injured Kevin Appier, pitched shutout ball for the first five innings and David Eckstein hit a two-run single for host Anaheim.
Britain's Don eliminates world-class competition
Rant, Rave
Floridian a step ahead of field
Top 10 list missing a U.S. man's name
Arena footballLong way back to Storm
AutosEpicenter of NASCAR change
Kenseth keeps Cup regulars atop BGN
BaseballAL: Botched bunt blessing for K.C.
Bad elbow flares up on Burnett
NL: Late power lifts Montreal again
Gwynn reasserts drug-use claim
CollegesMitchell, UM have day to remember
GolfCouples spends 3rd day on top
HorsesFrankel starts Derby week with a victory
In briefExperience negligible as Danes upset U.S.
NFLAfter top three, draft day belongs to defensive players
NFL Draft
Dolphins pick size on first day
QB derby gets hotter for Jaguars
NHLAnother overtime goal gives Anaheim 2-0 lead
OutdoorsDaily fishing report
PrepsBalanced Chargers repeat
Chiefs focus on eight more wins
Doubles matches doom Lecanto
Lions find the answers
Patriots can't hold lead, stop Falcons
Three area lifters place
TennisA return to No.1 for Agassi
Your turn
Letters: Marketing is part of golf world
Bats and Zambrano team up for gutsy win
Lee nears return to hit-and-miss lineup
Got a minute ... with Toby Hall
Rays tales
Rays to play odds in draft
Difficult life leads to NFL promise
NFL: Glazers can buy Dodgers
Bucs just can't pass on Simms
Walker arrested after Ybor scuffle
Wyms may make move to make room for White
Division rivals bulking up to take run at Bucs
Tied, then denied
Langenbrunner joins litany of surprise scorers
Lecavalier vanishes first, then stumbles
Sound bites
NHLSlapshots
