Sports

AL: Yankees lose pitcher, and game

Associated Press
Published April 24, 2005

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NEW YORK - Chan Ho Park looked as if his back problems were behind him. Jaret Wright's shoulder trouble is starting all over again.

Park pitched impressively into the seventh inning, while pain forced the oft-injured Wright to walk off the mound Saturday during the Rangers' 10-2 victory over the Yankees.

Less than a month into his first season in New York, Wright is headed to the disabled list for the eighth time in his career, general manager Brian Cashman said.

"Pitchers are very fragile," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Park and Wright are even more delicate than most.

Park has been on the disabled list six times. Wright has had two operations on his right shoulder.

"After what I've been through, it's not where I want to be," Wright said.

Wright and five relievers gave up 19 hits. Mark Teixeira hit a pair of two-run homers and David Dellucci and Kevin Mench also connected. Laynce Nix tied a career high with four hits.

Park missed three months last season because of a back injury. He looked more than fine against the Yankees, holding them to three hits in 62/3 innings.

"I feel confident," Park said. "Things I did wrong in the past outings, I did right today."

Wright, lured from Atlanta as a free agent by a $21-million, three-year contract, tied career highs by allowing three home runs and 11 hits, and trailed 6-1 with one out in the sixth. After a pitch to Hank Blalock, Wright crouched down, bringing Torre and a trainer from the dugout. There was a discussion, and Wright left.

"I kind of felt it in the second inning and it gradually got worse," he said.

Cashman said Triple-A prospect Chien-Ming Wang will probably start Saturday against Toronto. Reliever Colter Bean will likely be promoted from Columbus.

Dellucci homered in the second inning, and the Rangers broke it open in the third.

Michael Young had a run-scoring single with two outs for a 2-0 lead, Teixeira followed with a home run then Wright bobbled Dellucci's tapper for an error. With 44,731 fans booing, Wright gave up a homer to Mench.

ORIOLES 4, BLUE JAYS 1: Erik Bedard threw seven scoreless innings and Brian Roberts hit a leadoff homer for visiting Baltimore. Bedard, a left-hander from Nevan, Ontario, pitched one of the best games of his career while his parents watched from the stands.

"It was my first win here and my parents were here. It was pretty exciting," Bedard said. "The Blue Jays were my No. 1 team when I was younger. I watched the '92, '93 World Series. After I got drafted, I switched to the Orioles."

Roberts ended an 0-for-13 slump in the first with his seventh home run.

WHITE SOX 3, ROYALS 2 (10): Aaron Rowand singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning for visiting Chicago, which is off to the best 18-game start in its 104-year history.

The White Sox (14-4) are 8-2 on the road, best in the AL and their best start since the 1973 team went 9-2.

Damaso Marte worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and retired the side in the 10th.

The Royals tied it in the eighth on Mike Sweeney's two-out run-scoring single.

The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Matt Diaz attempted to score from third when a pitch got away and was tagged out by Marte. Pinch-hitter Eli Marrero then struck out.

INDIANS 5, MARINERS 2: Cliff Lee pitched seven scoreless innings and Victor Martinez had a two-run double in a three-run seventh for visiting Cleveland. Lee had given up nine earned runs in 10 innings in his first two starts. Aaron Sele dropped to 0-3 in his past seven starts against Cleveland. He last beat the Indians on Sept. 7, 1999, while with Texas.

ANGELS 9, A'S 5: Vladimir Guerrero and Chone Figgins each drove in two runs and the Los Angeles Angels rode a six-run fifth inning to a 9-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

Rookie Jake Woods (1-0) recorded his first major league win in relief of starter Paul Byrd, getting the final out of the fifth inning and the first two outs of the sixth while giving up one hit. Esteban Yan and Brendan Donnelly held Oakland to one hit the rest of the way.

TWINS-TIGERS PPD.: The game at Detroit was postponed by snow. It will be made up Monday.

[Last modified April 24, 2005, 01:23:02]