Yankees Split Doubleheader
"This is like deja vu all over again."
-Yogi Berra
About two weeks ago, Yogi Berra told Jorge Posada to go ahead and break his record for homers by a Yankees catcher.
After tying it Friday, Posada seemed satisfied with the idea of staying stuck on 30 home runs.
"Yogi has been a mentor. He's been more than a friend," Posada said after New York beat Baltimore 11-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. "To be right next to him, it's kind of neat. I'm more than honored."
Berra set the record in 1952, and matched it '56.
Alfonso Soriano, Juan Rivera and Aaron Boone also homered for the Yankees against Orioles starter Damian Moss (1-5), who hit two batters and gave up three homers - in the third inning alone.
The run support made things easy for Andy Pettitte (21-8), who tied his career high for victories set in 1996. Pettitte allowed six hits and an unearned run in five innings while winning for the 17th time in his last 20 decisions. It was his fourth straight victory.
Boone also had a two-run double and an RBI single for the Yankees (99-60), who in the nightcap were trying for the 17th 100-win season in franchise history.
Soriano's homer, his 37th of the season, was the most prodigious of the Yankees' four home runs. The ball easily cleared the 399-foot sign in left-center field, landing at the base of the monument park. Soriano is two homers shy of his career high set last season.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the second on Rivera's homer, his fifth, after Boone was hit by a pitch.
Boone's two-out homer gave New York its fourth three-homer inning of the season.
Most of the starters were out of the lineup for the second game.
De Paula took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in his first major league start, but New York was denied its 100th win as Baltimore rallied for a 3-2 victory in 10 innings. It was really dissappointing to see De Paula not get the win after pitching so well.
A sweep would have allowed New York to clinch home-field advantage through the postseason, but New York's bullpen couldn't hold a 2-0 lead after De Paula left.
"I told (pitching coach) Mel (Stottlemyre) I've taken two guys out with no-hitters twice before, and this is going to be the third," said Torre, who did it before with David Cone and Tommy Boggs. "His health is more important than anything else. You don't want to push an arm like that to a dangerous length."
Larry Bigbie broke up De Paula's bid with a one-out single in the seventh, Jerry Hairston tied the game with a two-run triple in the eighth, and rookie Robert Machado had a one-out single in the 10th off Chris Hammond (3-2) for the go-ahead run.
De Paula received a standing ovation from the crowd and a pat on the head from manager Torre as he left the game. Bigbie's bouncer off an outside sinker ticked off the tip of De Paula's glove and went cleanly into center field to ruin his chance of becoming the first pitcher in more than 50 years to throw a no-hitter in his first career start.
-Yogi Berra
About two weeks ago, Yogi Berra told Jorge Posada to go ahead and break his record for homers by a Yankees catcher.
After tying it Friday, Posada seemed satisfied with the idea of staying stuck on 30 home runs.
"Yogi has been a mentor. He's been more than a friend," Posada said after New York beat Baltimore 11-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. "To be right next to him, it's kind of neat. I'm more than honored."
Berra set the record in 1952, and matched it '56.
Alfonso Soriano, Juan Rivera and Aaron Boone also homered for the Yankees against Orioles starter Damian Moss (1-5), who hit two batters and gave up three homers - in the third inning alone.
The run support made things easy for Andy Pettitte (21-8), who tied his career high for victories set in 1996. Pettitte allowed six hits and an unearned run in five innings while winning for the 17th time in his last 20 decisions. It was his fourth straight victory.
Boone also had a two-run double and an RBI single for the Yankees (99-60), who in the nightcap were trying for the 17th 100-win season in franchise history.
Soriano's homer, his 37th of the season, was the most prodigious of the Yankees' four home runs. The ball easily cleared the 399-foot sign in left-center field, landing at the base of the monument park. Soriano is two homers shy of his career high set last season.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the second on Rivera's homer, his fifth, after Boone was hit by a pitch.
Boone's two-out homer gave New York its fourth three-homer inning of the season.
Most of the starters were out of the lineup for the second game.
De Paula took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in his first major league start, but New York was denied its 100th win as Baltimore rallied for a 3-2 victory in 10 innings. It was really dissappointing to see De Paula not get the win after pitching so well.
A sweep would have allowed New York to clinch home-field advantage through the postseason, but New York's bullpen couldn't hold a 2-0 lead after De Paula left.
"I told (pitching coach) Mel (Stottlemyre) I've taken two guys out with no-hitters twice before, and this is going to be the third," said Torre, who did it before with David Cone and Tommy Boggs. "His health is more important than anything else. You don't want to push an arm like that to a dangerous length."
Larry Bigbie broke up De Paula's bid with a one-out single in the seventh, Jerry Hairston tied the game with a two-run triple in the eighth, and rookie Robert Machado had a one-out single in the 10th off Chris Hammond (3-2) for the go-ahead run.
De Paula received a standing ovation from the crowd and a pat on the head from manager Torre as he left the game. Bigbie's bouncer off an outside sinker ticked off the tip of De Paula's glove and went cleanly into center field to ruin his chance of becoming the first pitcher in more than 50 years to throw a no-hitter in his first career start.
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