With Strong Pitching and Hitting, Yankees Back on Track

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The New York Sun

Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui each hit two-run doubles, and Jon Lieber struck out a season-high nine to lead the Yankees past the slumping Tampa Bay Devil Rays 11-2 last night.


Gary Sheffield had four hits and Bernie Williams homered for the Yankees, who won their third in a row.


Rocco Baldelli hit a two-run homer in the first inning for Tampa Bay, which lost its ninth straight.


The Yankees’ new 1-2 punch sparked the offense again. Leadoff hitter Derek Jeter had three of the Yankees’ 16 hits, including a two-run single. Rodriguez, moved up to the no. 2 spot Monday for the first time since 1999, had three RBI.


Every Yankees starter scored. Matsui, the new cleanup hitter, snapped an 0-for-16 skid with three hits. Sheffield’s fourth hit in the seventh prompted chants of “MVP! MVP!”


The Yankees were sharp in almost every facet despite a daylong wait Monday for an afternoon doubleheader that got turned into a single night game.


Hurricane Frances caused the Devil Rays to arrive three hours after the scheduled start – but the Yankees were annoyed at the commissioner’s office for the way everything was handled. The postponed game will be made up Wednesday as part of a doubleheader, beginning at 4:05 p.m.


It was the second big performance in a row for Lieber (11-8), who pitched seven shutout innings in a 9-1 victory over Cleveland last Thursday. The sinkerballer allowed nine hits and walked none in 6 2 /3 innings.


Matsui’s two-run double off Jorge Sosa (3-4) tied it at 2 in the first, and Rodriguez gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead with a two-run double to right-center in the second.


Sheffield followed with a single to center, but Baldelli made a strong throw to the plate to get Rodriguez, who flattened catcher Brook Fordyce with a forearm to the mask.


Fordyce stayed down for a minute but remained in the game.


Williams homered leading off the fourth, his 18th, and the Yankees broke it open with six runs in the seventh.


One scored on an error by reliever Chad Gaudin, and John Olerud hit an RBI double. Miguel Cairo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Jeter hit a two-run single and Rodriguez added an RBI infield single.


Sosa gave up five runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.


It was the Yankees’ major league leading 55th comeback victory.


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