Yankees Just Keep Rolling at Record Pace

Even when you’ve got baseball’s best record, there’s room for improvement.

The New York Yankees found it Friday night in the pitching of Hideki Irabu, who wasn’t on top of his game yet still beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 8-4, at St. Petersburg, Fla., with help from three-run homers by Chuck Knoblauch and Scott Brosius.

The Yankees won their eighth consecutive game and improved the top record in the majors to 63-20 while keeping pace with the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates for the best start this century through 83 games.

“This is the first start of the second half, and it was definitely big for me to get a win,” Irabu said through an interpreter after his first victory since June 10.

Irabu (7-3) gave up three runs, seven hits, walked four and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings. His most impressive inning was the fifth when he worked out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam with the score tied, 3-3.

“He’s not all the way back, but I thought his velocity was more consistent,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “He pitched out of a tough jam. I thought that was very important for him to do that.”

The Devil Rays lost their season-high eighth in a row and trail the Yankees by 31 1/2 games in the AL East. Despite breaking out of an offensive funk with 12 hits, they hurt themselves by going 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

“Same old story. We played well, but not well enough. We just can’t seem to get over the hump,” Tampa Bay’s Quinton McCracken said. “The Yankees are one of the best teams in baseball. It seems like every night somebody steps up and gets the big hit for them.”

Wilson Alvarez (4-6), making his first start since May 28 after being sidelined because of tendinitis in his left shoulder, did not give up a hit through four innings and had a 3-0 lead.

But after Alvarez hit Brosius with a pitch and gave up a one-out single to Joe Girardi, Knoblauch tied the score with his first home run since May 24.

The Yankees added two unearned runs in the sixth, and Brosius hit a three-run homer against Esteban Yan in the eighth.

Fred McGriff hit a solo home run and Dave Martinez had an inside-the-park homer as the Devil Rays took an early lead against Irabu.

McGriff’s first homer at home since April 28 made the score 2-0 in the third. Martinez hit the first inside-the-park homer at Tropicana Field, circling the bases for a 3-0 lead in the fourth when center fielder Chad Curtis tried to catch a sinking line drive and the ball skipped through to the wall.

Cleveland 6, Minnesota 5--David Justice gave the Indians the victory with a bases-loaded single against Greg Swindell in the bottom of the ninth at Cleveland.

Mike Trombley (3-3) of the Twins walked David Bell on a 3-2 pitch leading off the ninth. Kenny Lofton singled to right against Swindell to send pinch-runner Shawon Dunston to third with nobody out.

Swindell walked Omar Vizquel intentionally to load the bases for Justice, who gave Cleveland its seventh victory in its last at-bat at home with a ground single to right past a drawn-in infield.

“At 3-2, if that pitch was in the stadium, I was swinging,” Justice said. “I figured it would be close enough to swing.”

Travis Fryman hit his 15th homer for the Indians.

Ron Coomer of the Twins was four for five--his fourth career four-hit game--including his 12th homer.

Indian pitcher Bartolo Colon gave up three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three, the first time he’s walked more than he’s struck out. Coomer’s solo homer leading off the sixth was the first Colon has given up since May 23--a span of 61 2/3 innings.

Mike Jackson (1-1) pitched a perfect ninth for the victory.

Baltimore 3, Boston 2--Eric Davis homered against Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning at Baltimore to break a tie.

Davis, who replaced an injured Harold Baines in the sixth, hit a 1-0 pitch over the center-field wall with two outs. It was his 12th homer and first since June 20. Mike Bordick also homered for the Orioles.

Despite the victory, the Orioles are 10 games under .500 and 13 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the wild-card race. But the Orioles aren’t about to abandon hope of turning things around in the second half.

“We have a lot of pride over here,” Davis said. “We never quit, our manager is not quitting and nobody in the clubhouse is going to quit.”

Martinez (11-3), vying for his sixth consecutive victory, gave up three runs and five hits in eight innings.

“I don’t think [the Orioles are] out of it,” Martinez said. “They can work themselves back up to the race. It’s really amazing to see a team like that not being in first or second place.”

Jesse Orosco (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings and Armando Benitez retired John Valentin for his 11th save.

Mo Vaughn hit his 22nd homer for the Red Sox.

Chicago 10, Kansas City 3--Albert Belle homered twice at Chicago and matched a career high with six RBIs.

It was Belle’s 31st multi-homer game and fourth this season. Belle has 21 home runs, marking the eighth consecutive year he’s hit 20 or more. Ray Durham also homered for the White Sox.

Jaime Navarro (7-10) gave up eight hits and three runs in 7 2/3 innings. Jose Rosado (3-7) took the loss.

Jeff Conine homered for the Royals.

Detroit 3, Toronto 2--Deivi Cruz’s 10th-inning RBI double lifted the Tigers at Detroit.

Joe Randa hit a one-out, infield single against Paul Quantrill (1-4) and stole second. Paul Bako was intentionally walked before Cruz lined the next pitch into the right-field gap.

“To me, it’s one of the best hits I’ve gotten in the major leagues,” Cruz said. “My defense is very important, but it isn’t every time I can get a hit to win the game.”

Luis Gonzalez homered as the Tigers earned their second consecutive victory over the Blue Jays and sixth win in eight games. Todd Jones (1-3) pitched a perfect 10th for the victory.

The Blue Jays have scored only five runs and left 17 on base in two losses at Detroit since the All-Star break.