ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The old Randy Johnson responded to Joe Torre's

new motivational tactic.

A day after the New York Yankees got a tongue-lashing from their

manager, Johnson outpitched Mark Mulder in a matchup of two of the

game's best left-handers and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0

Saturday.

"I thought we played with a lot more intensity today," Derek

Jeter said. "It doesn't hurt that Randy pitched well, too."

Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each had two RBI for the Yankees in

their third victory in 11 games on a season-high 12-game trip. New

York's sloppy three-error performance in an 8-1 loss Friday night

prompted the usually even-keeled Torre to call a closed-door

meeting.

"Certainly, we're closer to the team you saw today than last

night," Torre said. "Last night was just a horrible experience

for all us. We just have to build on something."

Johnson (6-5) allowed four two-out hits in seven innings to

bounce back from losses in consecutive starts. He earned his 252nd

win to pull ahead of Cardinals Hall of Famer Bob Gibson for 41st

place on the career list. Johnson struck out seven and walked none

to win for the first time in St. Louis since April 16, 2002, when

he was with the Diamondbacks.

"I think this road trip's been pretty rough for just about

everybody," Johnson said. "I felt pretty comfortable out there,

especially after we scored some early runs."

It was a much better day all-around for Torre, who received a

standing ovation when he removed a number from the right-field wall

as part of the countdown for the final year of Busch Stadium. Torre

played for six seasons in St. Louis, winning the MVP and a batting

title in 1971, and managed the Cardinals from 1990-95. He received

what amounted to a victory lap around the warning track after the

ceremony with team mascot Fredbird piloting a miniature car.

"It was much nicer to do it with a four-run lead than it would

have been otherwise," Torre said. "I always felt very close here,

especially in my playing days."

The Cardinals, who lost for just the third time in their last 20

interleague games, will be trying to win consecutive series against

the American League's highest profile teams in the finale on

Sunday. St. Louis began the week by taking two of three from the

Boston Red Sox in a World Series rematch.

"[Johnson] was really oiled up and throwing well," Cardinals

manager Tony La Russa said. "The only way to win that game was

1-0."

Johnson, who had entered 1-5 on the road with a 5.35 ERA in five

start starts, dominated a lineup minus the Cardinals' top two

left-handed hitters. Jim Edmonds, banged up a bit in recent games,

and Larry Walker both got the day off despite good numbers against

Johnson.

Edmonds is 6-for-25 with two home runs and Walker is 11-for-28,

but manager Tony La Russa said both needed a break. Both pinch-hit

in the eighth, with Edmonds drawing a walk off Tom Gordon and

Walker taking a called third strike from Mariano Rivera for the

third out with runners on second and third.

Gordon left with two outs in the eighth after taking a grounder

off his right hand. Rivera finished the five-hitter by getting the

last four outs for his 14th straight save after blowing his first

two opportunities this season.

Mulder (7-4) lost his third straight start, allowing four runs

on seven hits in six innings. Since 2001, Mulder leads lefties with

79 victories and Johnson is second with 73.

The Yankees manufactured a run in the first on Hideki Matsui's

one-out walk, a single by Gary Sheffield and an RBI groundout by

Rodriguez.

A poor decision by Cardinals third baseman Abraham Nunez opened

the door for the Yankees' three-run fourth. With one out and

runners at first and second, Nunez had time to make at least a

forceout at third after fielding Johnson's tapper just beyond the

grass apron but instead he threw to first and the runners moved up.

"Nobody was yelling to throw it anywhere and everybody was

moving," Nunez said. "I didn't think I had an out anywhere

else."

The next batter, Jeter, hit a two-run single and Matsui followed

with an RBI double off the right-field wall for a 4-0 lead.

Rodriguez added an RBI infield hit in the ninth.

The Yankees made no errors on Saturday and benefited from a nice

throw by Matsui in left to save a run in the fourth. Matsui easily

caught Reggie Sanders at the plate trying to score from second on

Mark Grudzielanek's line-drive single with two outs in the fourth.Game notes
The Yankees have lost eight games on a trip for the first

time since they went 3-10 from Aug. 14-27, 1995. ... A nice

recovery by Grudzielanek at 2B saved a run in the third for St.

Louis. 3B Nunez deflected Williams' infield hit with runners at

first and second to Grudzielanek, who threw to plate to put Jeter

in a rundown where he was eventually thrown out at third. ...

Johnson is 2-4 with a 2.88 ERA for his career at Busch Stadium and

6-6 with a 3.58 ERA overall against the Cardinals.