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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) – Jorge Posada crushed a curveball for one of
those picture-perfect drives at Yankee Stadium, the ball arcing
four rows into the right-field upper deck for his first career
slam.
|  | | Jorge Posada watches his first career grand slam sail over the wall. |
"I thought in my career I'd never get one," he said. "Even
minor leagues, I don't think I ever had one."
Posada's first-inning drive gave Roger Clemens a six-run lead,
and the New York Yankees went on to rout the Toronto Blue Jays 16-5
Sunday.
New York, which had lost two straight to the Blue Jays after
opening with three wins over Kansas City, took a 12-0 lead in the
third inning. Toronto had gotten just 10 outs by the time every
Yankees starter scored.
"Hitting is contagious," said Derek Jeter, who got his first
two RBI of the season.
Tino Martinez was 3-for-4 with four RBI and Chuck Knoblauch had
three hits for the Yankees. New York had 20 hits and stopped a
six-game losing streak against the Blue Jays.
"It's too early to think there's a payback," Posada said.
"We're just trying to win."
In winning the last three World Series titles, the Yankees
haven't been the Bronx Bombers of old, instead relying on premier
pitching and timely hitting. In 2000, Posada had a breakout year in
his first season as a fulltime starter, hitting .287 with 28
homers, 86 RBI and 107 walks, providing a reliable source of
power.
Yankees manager Joe Torre says the switch-hitting catcher is
still getting better at age 29. Posada said he looks to his
teammates and learns.
"They don't give at-bats away," he said. "They don't just let
down because the game is 15-0. They keep going and going."
He doesn't consider himself a power hitter, even though his
numbers say he's becoming one.
"I think I'm more a gap-to-gap guy," he said.
Posada's third homer provided Clemens with a lead the five-time
Cy Young Award winner called "a luxury."
On a cool and misty day that made it difficult to pitch, Clemens
(2-0) won for the 11th time in 13 decisions, holding Toronto to one
hit in the first three innings. Up 12 runs, he lost his command and
struggled through a five-run fourth before settling back down.
Clemens, 18-10 against Toronto in his career, allowed eight hits
in 6 2-3 innings with five strikeouts, raising his AL record total
to 3,514. He also got his 262nd career win.
Steve Parris (0-2), hit hard last week by Tampa Bay, saw his ERA
skyrocket from 9.00 to 16.88, getting ripped for seven runs – six
earned – and eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Kevin Beirne (18.00) and
Lance Painter (17.18) did little better.
"I thought I threw some good fastballs down, but they weren't
biting," Parris said. "The breaking stuff was up, and it got
hammered."
Parris didn't help himself in the first when he gave up a double
to Jeter, back for his second game after missing the start of the
season with a strained right quadriceps, then walked Paul O'Neill
and Bernie Williams.
"When you're behind 2-0, 3-1 to these guys, you're in
trouble," Parris said.
David Justice drove in the first run with an infield single that
hit Parris' backside and rolled toward third. Martinez singled in a
run and Posada homered.
Right fielder Raul Mondesi overran a ball in the second for an
error, allowing another run to score.
New York then scored five in the third off Beirne on Jeter's RBI
single, Justice's bases-loaded walk and Martinez's double off the
glove of left fielder Shannon Stewart, who had a tough play on a
ball slicing toward the foul line.
Later, in the sixth, the crowd gave a standing ovation to Scott
Seabol, an 88th-round draft pick who made his major league debut.
Seabol hit a soft liner to second, breaking his bat.
"I definitely heard them," Seabol said. "I didn't have time
to be nervous."
Game notes
Knoblauch had a chance for a play at the plate in the
fourth, but his throw from left field bounced about 15 feet short
and to the left of home plate. He got an assist to end the game,
throwing out Stewart at second base after a flyout by Brian
Simmons. ... The Yankees intend to activate RHP Ramiro Mendoza
(recovering from shoulder surgery) on Tuesday. ... Tony Batista was
hit by a Clemens pitch in the fourth, apparently on the right
wrist, but stayed in the game. ... The Yankees had their most hits
since getting 20 at Baltimore in a 19-1 win last July 25. ... Brad
Fullmer and Jose Cruz Jr. had two-run singles in Toronto's fourth,
and Ryan Freel hit an RBI grounder.
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RECAPS
Boston 3
Tampa Bay 0
Cleveland 4
Baltimore 3
NY Yankees 16
Toronto 5
Detroit 5
Chi. White Sox 3
Kansas City 15
Minnesota 4
Texas 5
Seattle 4
Anaheim 6
Oakland 4
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
Montreal 5
NY Mets 2
Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 1
Milwaukee 8
Cincinnati 4
Pittsburgh 9
Houston 3
San Diego 11
Colorado 3
St. Louis 9
Arizona 4
San Francisco 8
Los Angeles 3
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