Baseball

Bell era off to a magical start

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The lowly Royals completed a stunning sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory Thursday night behind consecutive home runs from Matt Stairs and Terrence Long.

Kansas City, which has the worst record and second-lowest payroll in the majors, finished its first three-game home sweep of the Yankees in 15 years.

With Buddy Bell improving to 3-0 as manager, the Royals earned their first sweep of anybody in 78 series. It was the longest drought in the majors since the Phillies went 79 series without a sweep from 1996-97.

The Royals, whose opening-day payroll of less than $40-million was dwarfed by the Yankees' nearly $206-million, got key contributions from several rookies and recycled veterans in beating New York 5-3, 3-1 and 5-2.

The Yankees, who won 16 of 18 last month and seemingly recovered from a halting start, got swept by the team with the majors' worst record for the third time in their storied history. It's their first five-game losing streak since May 2003.

Ryan Jensen, called up from Triple-A Omaha last month for his first major-league appearance since 2003, pitched five innings, giving up two runs and four hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Rookie reliever Ambiorix Burgos got three outs for his second save, retiring pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra on a groundout with the bases loaded to end it.

Royals outfielder Shane Costa, making his major-league debut, had his first RBI and his first hit, and rookie third baseman Mark Teahen had a run-scoring single.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and is hitless in his past 13 at-bats after being named AL player of the month for May.

Stairs hit Carl Pavano's pitch into the leftfield bullpen leading off the sixth. A moment later, Long hit one into the bullpen in right, making it 5-2 and bringing a roar from 25,590 fans who have had little to cheer about since a 104-loss season in 2004.

RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 4: David Ortiz gave East-leading Baltimore a taste of what Boston's other rivals got during last year's World Series run.

The Red Sox DH hit a winning homer on a full count with two outs in the ninth inning, the fifth game-ending homer of Ortiz's career, including two in the 2004 playoffs.

"He's getting comfortable with being in that situation," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "Like a basketball player who takes the shot at the buzzer, he relishes that. And he's taken a lot of good swings."

The Orioles took the lead in the ninth without hitting a ball out of the infield against Keith Foulke, breaking a tie when Rafael Palmeiro beat out a potential double-play ball. But Mark Bellhorn reached on an infield single to third with one out in the bottom half and, with two outs, Edgar Renteria bunted for a single.

Ortiz worked the count to 3-and-1, swung and missed once, fouled another off, then hit the seventh pitch he saw from B.J. Ryan into the centerfield bleachers. Ortiz was greeted at home by a bouncing throng of teammates.

TWINS 4, INDIANS 3 (13): Johan Santana tied a career high with 14 strikeouts, and Jacque Jones' single in the 13th lifted host Minnesota.

Cleveland starter Scott Elarton allowed one run and three hits through four innings before Nick Punto's two-run homer in the fifth tied it at 3.

TIGERS 6, RANGERS 5 (10): Craig Monroe singled home Ivan Rodriguez with the winner in the 10th as host Detroit rallied. The Rangers had a 5-3 lead in the ninth, but the Tigers rallied against All-Star closer Francisco Cordero on pinch-hitter Carlos Guillen's sacrifice fly and Omar Infante's two-out run-scoring single.

[Last modified June 3, 2005, 01:17:39]