Jeter Collects 1,000th Run as Yankees Edge Indians
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CLEVELAND – Derek Jeter homered leading off the game for his 1,000th career run, then stole a pair of bases in the ninth inning and scored on Hideki Matsui’s two out single to lead the Yankees over Cleveland 5-4 last night, the Indians’ ninth straight loss.
The Yankees, who rallied from a 4-1 deficit, have won two straight after losing six of seven and remained 6 1/2 games ahead of second-place Boston in the AL East. It was the Yankees’ 48th come-from-behind win, the most in the major leagues.
Cleveland, which had been one game behind AL Central-leading Minnesota on August 15, began the night eight games behind the Twins. The Indians are on their longest skid since losing 10 straight in 1979.
Jeter, hit on the left elbow by a pitch from Bob Wickman on Monday, showed no signs of lingering problems. He hit his 16th homer in the first inning, then walked against Wickman with the score 4-all in the ninth and stole his 19th and 20th bases.
After Matsui’s hit, Enrique Wilson singled off David Riske, but left fielder Jody Gerut threw out Matsui with a one-hop throw to the plate.
Tom Gordon (6-3) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Mariano Rivera got three outs for his 43rd save in 46 chances. Yankee starters haven’t won since Jon Lieber beat Seattle on August 13.
Coco Crisp hit his 11th home run and made a dazzling catch in left field, taking an RBI double from Kenny Lofton in the fourth inning.
Crisp broke to his right, ran full out and dived at full extension to make the backhanded grab just above the ground.
Cleveland scored four runs in the third off Javier Vazquez, who walked Jody Gerut, got two quick outs and then gave up Crisp’s line-drive homer, which landed in the front row a few inside the right-field foul pole.
Vazquez has allowed 27 home runs, fifth in the AL Victor Martinez, who had been hitless in 15 at-bats, hit a two-run double to the warning track in left-center that ticked off Lofton’s glove.
The Yankees got a run on John Olerud’s sacrifice fly in the fourth, then tied it in the sixth on Jorge Posada’s homer and Lofton’s sacrifice fly.
Vazquez allowed four runs, six hits and three walks in seven innings, while Cleveland’s Scott Elarton gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.
