Yankees Continue Record Pace in 4-3 Win

No team has played baseball this well since a former catcher named William Howard Taft was occupying the White House.

The New York Yankees became the first team in 86 years to win 60 of its first 80 games, using Orlando Hernandez’s pitching and Chad Curtis’ two-run single in the sixth to defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3, Saturday at New York.

The Yankees joined the 1912 New York Giants, 1907 Chicago Cubs and 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates as the only teams in modern major league history to start the season 60-20.

“It’s an incredible number, remarkable at this point,” Manager Joe Torre said.

On the holiday also known as owner George Steinbrenner’s birthday, the Yankees won their fifth consecutive game and improved their home record to 32-6. They have the best record over the first half of a season since baseball went to a 162-game schedule in 1961.

A victory today would put the Yankees on pace to win 122 games, six more than the modern record of 116 by the 1906 Cubs.

“Any time you have an opportunity to do something that’s never been done before, it’s special. But the focus absolutely will not be on that,” Curtis said of the 1906 Cubs’ record. “I’d rather have 98 wins and a World Series title than 140 wins and a playoff loss.”

Hernandez (3-1), the Cuban defector who was spending his first Independence Day in this country, gave up only six hits and two walks in eight innings. He kept the Orioles off balance from the second inning on, striking out five and retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced.

“Once he got into his rhythm, he was just great,” Torre said.

Oriole Manager Ray Miller and third base coach Stan Perlozzo were ejected in the ninth for arguing a blown call at third base. With runners on first and second and none out, third-base umpire Marty Foster called pinch-runner Jeff Reboulet out--even though Scott Brosius dropped Mariano Rivera’s throw. Two pitches later, Rivera got Rich Becker to ground into a double play for his 21st save.

“It’s not fair to my club, our fans or the Yankees,” Miller said. “They shouldn’t be getting any gifts. They don’t need a Santa Claus in a Christmas season.”

Curtis, who lined out with the bases loaded to kill a first-inning rally, got another chance in the sixth after Orioles starter Doug Drabek (5-9) was knocked out after giving up a leadoff double to Tino Martinez and a single to Tim Raines. Alan Mills relieved and walked Jorge Posada to load the bases, and Curtis lined the next pitch past shortstop Mike Bordick and into left field for a 4-3 lead.

Up until that point, Mills had allowed only one of 21 inherited runners to score, the best percentage in the American League, and had not blown any of the 12 leads handed to him.

“I wanted to get a ground ball to third base, but it didn’t work out that way,” Mills said.

Chicago 3, Boston 0--The White Sox’s John Snyder outdueled Korean Jim Ho Cho and Mike Cameron homered to give Chicago the victory at Boston in a matchup of pitchers making their first major league starts.

Snyder (1-0), who entered the game with a 32.40 earned-run average after giving up six runs in his only big-league appearance Tuesday, pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Red Sox, who scored 15 runs in each of their last two games. Snyder gave up five hits, walked one and struck out seven, lowering his ERA to 5.79.

Bill Simas pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Nomar Garciaparra went hitless in two at-bats, ending his 24-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season.

Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 0--Chris Carpenter pitched a four-hitter and Carlos Delgado had two homers and five RBIs at Toronto as the Blue Jays handed the Devil Rays their fifth loss in a row.

Carpenter (5-3), who gave up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in his previous start June 27 against Atlanta, walked two and struck out three in his second shutout of his career.

Delgado went three for four with a three-run homer in the sixth, a solo shot in the eighth and an RBI double in the first off Dennis Springer (2-11).

Kansas City 5, Cleveland 3--Sal Fasano and Johnny Damon both homered and drove in two runs and Pat Rapp pitched seven shutout innings at Kansas City, Mo., as the Royals won for the 12th time in 17 games.

Rapp gave up six hits to become Kansas City’s first eight-game winner. Travis Fryman hit a three-run homer, his 14th, off Scott Service with two outs in the eighth inning to spoil the shutout. Jeff Montgomery got his 18th save.

Cleveland starter Charles Nagy (7-5) gave up both homers, giving him a major league-leading 25 on the season. Nagy went 6 1/3 innings and gave up 11 hits and five runs.

Detroit 4, Minnesota 2--Justin Thompson won his sixth consecutive road start, limiting the Twins to eight hits in eight-plus innings at Minneapolis as the Tigers won for the fourth time in five games.

Thompson (7-8) matched a season high with eight strikeouts and gave up only one walk. The left-hander, 7-2 on the road and 0-6 at Tiger Stadium, left after giving up consecutive singles to open the ninth.

Todd Jones got the last three outs for his 14th save.

Dan Serafini (3-1) took the loss.