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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The New York Yankees gave themselves
a lift Saturday, though not without a fight.
|  | | Teammates try to restrain Bobby Smith after the Devil Rays batter had a dust-up with Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. |
With owner George Steinbrenner in attendance, the two-time defending World Series champions won for only the third time in nine games.
In addition to a 6-1 victory over Tampa Bay, the Boss got to see
a bench-clearing brawl, started when the Devil Rays' Bobby Smith
tangled with catcher Jorge Posada after striking out on a check swing.
Order in the seventh inning was restored quickly and no other
players entered the altercation as participants. Neither Smith nor
Posada, who was wrestled to the ground after shoving the Tampa Bay
player, were injured.
"I struck out, and I was walking away and I bumped him," Smith
said. "I don't know if he thought it was on purpose or whatever,
then he shoved me. ... I don't have a problem with anyone. I'm a
nice guy. He pushed me, and he had no reason to push me."
Tino Martinez broke an 0-for-15 slump with a single and
three-run double, while Orlando Hernandez (7-6) returned to the Yankees rotation after missing two scheduled starts because of a strained right elbow to win for the first time since June 7.
Their performances, however, were overshadowed by the
confrontation between Smith and Posada, who were both ejected.
The two bumped as Posada moved forward with the ball and Smith
crossed the plate on his way back to the dugout. The catcher spun
and shoved Smith before the Devil Rays' third baseman retaliated by
throwing a punch and wrestling Posada to the ground, where the
players continued to go at each other.
Smith insisted the initial contact was incidental and added
neither player said anything to one another. Posada was not
available in the clubhouse after the game.
"It looked to me like he got up to throw the ball to third base
after the strikeout, and it looked like Smith walked into him, or
they met that way," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Then the
pushing match started. Then I saw Jorgie reach across, going after
him. It was one of those things when you get in the heat of a
ballgame, it gets emotional and those things happen."
Hernandez allowed four hits, including Smith's solo homer, in 5
2-3 innings to snap a personal two-game losing streak in his first
outing since his shortest appearance of the season against the
Chicago White Sox on June 18.
Martinez, who was 2-for-5, is just 9-for-45 through the first 12
games of a season-long, 13-game road trip that ends Sunday. But his
bases-loaded double off Mark Guthrie broke the game open after the
Yankees wasted numerous opportunities to build on a 2-1 lead.
Paul O'Neill doubled twice and drove in one run off Albie Lopez
(4-6). Shane Spencer and Derek Jeter added RBI singles for New
York.
Bernie Williams has hit safely in every game on the Yankees road
trip, going 23-for-51 (.451) with five homers and 15 RBI. He
singled in the second to extend his streak to 12 games and scored
on Spencer's RBI hit, then singled and scored on Martinez's double
in the seventh.
Still, the Yankees stranded nine runners and were 2-for-12 with
men in scoring position before Martinez broke the game open.
"That was big. Hopefully, this gets him going," Torre said.
Hernandez improved to 5-1 against the Devil Rays, with the lone
loss coming on May 11 when he limited Tampa Bay to seven hits in a
1-0 complete-game loss to Steve Trachsel. He walked one and struck
out three after allowing nine runs in 2/3 of an inning in a 17-4
loss to the White Sox two weeks ago.
The New York ace said he felt fine after throwing 84 pitches, 50
for strikes.
"I was not really concerned about winning or losing. I was more
concerned with my health," Hernandez said.
"Tomorrow we'll see how he feels. He may be a little sore,"
Torre said. "I just hope he's sore in the right places."
Game notes
Randy Choate replaced Hernandez, making his major league
debut, with one on and two outs in the sixth. The left-hander
retired the only batter he faced, Fred McGriff, on a fly to center ... Yankees 2B Chuck Knoblauch was scratched from the starting lineup because of a left ear infection. He was replaced by
Vizcaino, who batted leadoff and went 2-for-3 with a double and
triple ... Devil Rays 3B coach Billy Hatcher was ejected in the
third inning after reacting to 3B umpire C.B. Bucknor ruling a
check swing a strike against Randy Winn ... Jeter fouled off eight
straight pitches before taking a called third strike in the third
inning.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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Tampa Bay Clubhouse
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