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Monday, Apr. 17 8:05pm ET
Martinez's RBI single in 11th lifts Yanks | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers can't seem to catch a break against the New York Yankees. Tino Martinez delivered two key RBI singles and the Yankees got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 11th with the help of an umpire's call to beat Texas 5-4 Monday night.
The Yankees, who were held hitless into the seventh inning, blew
a lead in the 10th and nearly did again in the 11th before getting
a favorable call from home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg to win their
sixth straight.
"We knew it would take a miracle to get out of this one, and I
guess it happened. We sort of escaped that one," Yankees center
fielder Bernie Williams said.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Luis Alicea appeared to foul
a ball off his foot. The ball rolled in front of the plate and
Kellogg ruled it a fair ball. Catcher Jorge Posada picked it up,
stepped on home and tagged Alicea for a double play.
Kellogg said he saw the ball roll foul and then spin into fair
territory. He said he never saw Posada tag the plate, but got help
from his fellow umpires who confirmed the tag.
"Our objective is to get it right. If the ball hits foul and
rolls fair, it's a fair ball," Kellogg said.
Like the umpires, New York manager Joe Torre said he never saw
the ball hit Alicea in the batter's box, which would have made it a
dead ball. Television replays showed conclusively otherwise.
"I'm glad it's over. You don't want to replay that sucker,"
Torre said.
Texas manager Johnny Oates was predictably annoyed.
"Go ask the umpire. I saw a replay and the ball did hit him,"
he said.
Alicea admits he didn't feel the ball, but knew it had to hit
something or someone to bound forward like it did.
After the wild play, Todd Erdos got Scott Sheldon to ground out
to end the game and earn his first career save.
The Yankees, who swept a two-game series against the Rangers
last week, have won 34 of the last 45 games against the Rangers
since the opening game of their 1996 playoff series.
The Yankees also swept the Rangers out of the AL playoffs the
last two seasons, allowing only two runs in the six games.
Martinez's single to right field with one out in the 11th scored
Derek Jeter, who led off the inning with a single off Tim Crabtree
(0-1).
Martinez had tied the game in the ninth off Wetteland, who blew
his second straight save after converting 18 straight.
Posada led off the 10th inning for the Yankees with a solo home
run off Crabtree.
Texas got the run back in the bottom half against Mariano Rivera
(1-0). Royce Clayton led off with a single, moved to second on a
sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Ivan Rodriguez.
Rangers starter Darren Oliver pitched 6 1/3 no-hit innings
before Paul O'Neill's bloop single to left with one out in the
seventh. Bernie Williams followed with his third homer to tie the
game at 2.
Oliver struck out six and walked one in eight innings, but ended
with his third straight no-decision.
Rafael Palmeiro's two-out homer off Mike Stanton broke a 2-2 tie
in the eighth inning.
Yankees starter David Cone got his second straight no-decision
against the Rangers, leaving after allowing two runs and five hits
in seven innings.
The Rangers got three of the hits off Cone in the third inning
when they scored twice.
Tom Evans, 3-for-19 in his previous seven games, had a one-out
double and scored on a double by former Yankee Chad Curtis. With
the bases loaded, David Segui had an infield hit on a bouncer up
the middle that shortstop Jeter stabbed to prevent any more runs.
Game notes | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard NY Yankees Clubhouse Texas Clubhouse RECAPS Oakland 1 Boston 0
NY Yankees 5
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