Sports

Baseball

Yanks deliver Boss' gift, eventually

Associated Press
Published July 5, 2005

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NEW YORK - The Yankees gave George Steinbrenner a wacky win for his 75th birthday.

Jason Giambi had his first multi-homer game in two years, Bernie Williams hit a tiebreaking single in a seven-run eighth and New York rallied past the Baltimore Orioles 13-8 Monday after wasting a big lead.

Steinbrenner did not attend the 4-hour, 12-minute, 397-pitch marathon, the longest nine-inning game in the majors this season, but Yankees manager Joe Torre assumed the owner tuned in on television.

"I'm sure it wasn't one he enjoyed watching. None of us did," Torre said. "But the end of it was certainly something I'm sure put a smile on his face."

Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Giambi homered to help New York take a 6-0 lead against Bruce Chen in the second inning.

Baltimore, coming off its best first half since 1997, quieted a Fourth of July sellout crowd of 53,844 by going ahead 8-6 as Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons homered, Rafael Palmeiro hit a tying single in a three-run seventh and Luis Matos followed with a two-run double.

But after Todd Williams, Tim Byrdak and former Hillsborough High standout Chris Ray combined for 52/3 innings of shutout relief, the Yankees rallied against Steve Kline and B.J. Ryan to win their third straight and send the Orioles to their 10th loss in 12 games.

"We came back the way we used to," Bernie Williams said. "I think it's a great sign of good things to come."

New York, baseball's first team with a $200-million payroll, completed its most dismal first half in a decade at 42-39. The Yankees were 33-39 at the midpoint of the strike-shortened 1995 season, then rallied for a wild-card berth.

Giambi didn't think Steinbrenner would be smiling.

"It's a little early, I think, for that," Giambi said. "He wants a World Series ring, and so do we."

Put in New York's rotation because of Carl Pavano's sore shoulder, former Devil Ray Tanyon Sturtze made his first start since Aug.11 and allowed four runs, three hits and three walks in 32/3 innings. The new middle relief crew of Scott Proctor, Wayne Franklin and Jason Anderson gave up the lead, but Anderson bounced back with a scoreless eighth to get his second major-league win.

Mariano Rivera pitched a flawless ninth, extending his scoreless streak to 23 innings.

"With the Fourth of July and everything, it was kind of an exciting atmosphere," said Anderson, who planned to take the subway downtown.

Baltimore pitchers walked seven and hit three; New York walked eight, two with the bases loaded, and hit one. New York wound up with two runners on second at the same time in the eighth; Bubba Crosby was out when he tried to stretch a single while Giambi stopped at second.

"Evidently," Torre said, "Bubba thinks he's faster than he really is."

Giambi made it 8-7 in the eighth with his second homer, the fourth Kline has allowed to a left-hander.

[Last modified July 5, 2005, 01:33:21]

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