Sports

Baseball

Rangers' Rogers rolls to win No. 12

Associated Press
Published July 6, 2004

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CLEVELAND - Kenny Rogers became baseball's first 12-game winner and the Rangers roughed up All-Star C.C. Sabathia in an 8-5 victory over the Indians on Monday night.

Rogers didn't encounter much trouble until the sixth inning, when the Indians closed within 8-5. Before that, the Plant City product was in control, using his usual assortment of offspeed pitches to confound Cleveland's hitters.

He allowed five runs and seven hits in 51/3 innings and set a career high by winning his eighth straight decision. He has not lost since May 9.

Assured of one more start before next week's All-Star Game and with nearly half the season remaining, Rogers is one win shy of his victory total for each of the past two seasons.

Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer and Mark Teixeira had two RBIs and three runs for the Rangers, 12-5 since June 18.

Sabathia went in with the AL's best ERA, but the left-hander was noticeably rusty in his first start since June 26, giving up six runs and eight hits in three innings.

Sabathia missed his previous outing with a sore left shoulder and was sent to see noted sports medicine expert Dr. James Andrews, also the Devil Rays' medical director. The exam went well and Sabathia skipped only one start.

He couldn't avoid facing the free-swinging Rangers, who lead the league in runs. They scored three off Cleveland's ace in the first and three in the third to chase him.

YANKEES 10, TIGERS 3: Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Bernie Williams and Ruben Sierra homered as host New York took out its frustration on Detroit pitching.

Swept by the Mets over the weekend, the Yankees bolted to a 7-0 lead in the second. Jason Giambi, who hadn't started since June 26 because of intestinal parasites, put the Yankees ahead with a run-scoring single.

Jon Lieber pitched shutout ball into the seventh and sent the Tigers to their fifth straight loss. They lost their tempers, too; former Devil Rays reliever Esteban Yan was ejected for throwing over Rodriguez's head.

Rodriguez hit his 20th homer, a three-run shot off Nate Robertson in a six-run second. Rodriguez hip-hopped down the line, hoping the ball would stay fair, and flipped his bat when it hooked inside the leftfield foul pole.

The next time up, Rodriguez needed to duck away from Yan's fastball.

TWINS 9, ROYALS 0: Tampa's Brad Radke pitched a four-hitter for his first win since May 22 for host Minnesota. Kansas City has lost six straight for the second time this season and, at 29-51, has the franchise's worst record after 80 games.

[Last modified July 6, 2004, 01:00:19]

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