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Green Gets Start, Gives Yankees Fits, 9-6

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<i> From Associated Press</i>

Shawn Green didn’t even expect to be in the lineup in what proved to be one of the best games of his career.

Green hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and Roger Clemens pitched seven strong innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees, 9-6, Friday night.

Green was a late addition to the lineup after the Yankees announced that David Wells would miss the start because of an inflamed toe. With the right-handed Ramiro Mendoza starting in Wells’ place, Green got the start.

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Green went three for five with a career-high five runs batted in. His homer in the fourth tied the score, 1-1, and his grand slam in the seventh gave the Blue Jays a 6-1 lead.

“I didn’t know I would get the start until well after batting practice,” Green said. “I’m happy Boomer wasn’t able to get in the lineup.”

The Yankees, who lost consecutive games for the first time since June 15-16, a span of 26 games, are on the same pace as the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates for the best record in major league history after 90 games (67-23).

Clemens (11-6) won his sixth consecutive game, striking out 10 and walking two. It gave him four games this season with at least 10 strikeouts, and 86 in his career.

With runners at first and third in the seventh, Alex Gonzalez hit a ground-rule double to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. After an intentional walk to Tony Phillips, Green narrowly missed a grand slam on a 3-and-2 pitch by hitting a long foul ball to right, then hit a shot over the center-field wall on the next pitch for his 19th homer.

Phillips, playing his first major league game of the season after being called up from triple-A Syracuse, had to be restrained by teammates between the eighth and ninth innings after being hit squarely in the back by Yankee reliever Mike Buddie.

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Earlier, Clemens hit Derek Jeter with a pitch and Jeter slammed his bat in anger. Then, with two out in the ninth, reliever Paul Quantrill plunked Tim Raines of the Yankees.

Seattle 18, Kansas City 5--The Mariners got a season-high 22 hits, including homers by Alex Rodriguez, Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner, to rout Kansas City at Seattle for their fifth consecutive victory.

Wilson went three for four with a career-best six RBIs, David Segui was four for five and scored four runs and Rodriguez went four for six for Seattle, which also set a season-high in runs.

The Mariners’ winning streak is their longest since they won six in a row April 15-20.

Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr., who leads the AL with 39 homers, was 0 for 3 with a walk before being pulled after five innings.

Detroit 6, Boston 4--Gabe Alvarez homered and drove in four runs to help fellow rookie Brian Powell get his first major league victory as the Tigers defeated the Red Sox at Detroit.

Alvarez was only one for 21 since the all-star break before he hit an RBI single in the fourth and a three-run homer in the sixth.

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Tony Clark added three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice for the Tigers.

Nomar Garciaparra, who went four for four in Boston’s 15-5 victory over Cleveland on Thursday, hit a double and a homer in his first two-at bats.

Chicago 4, Cleveland 3--Albert Belle hit his 300th career homer, his 10th in 10 games since the all-star break, and Robin Ventura homered leading off the bottom of the ninth to give the White Sox a victory over the Indians at Chicago.

Ventura’s game-winner off reliever Paul Shuey (1-1) came after the Indians had tied the score in the top of the ninth as White Sox reliever Matt Karchner blew his third straight save opportunity.

Belle, who was miffed because his former manager, Mike Hargrove, left him off the all-star team, did a hop step at home plate while watching the ball sail out in left-center in the sixth. And after Belle returned to the White Sox dugout after his 28th homer, he pumped his fist toward the crowd.

Texas 7, Tampa Bay 4--Will Clark hit a three-run homer and drove in a season-high four runs as the Rangers rallied to stop a five-game losing streak with a victory over the Devil Rays at Arlington, Texas.

Clark’s homer, his 13th, came in the seventh off Albie Lopez. Lopez relieved Jim Mecir, who started the inning by walking Rusty Greer and Juan Gonzalez, who since the all-star break has yet to pick up an RBI after driving in 101 in the first half of the season.

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Ranger starter Darren Oliver (5-7) gave up four runs and 10 hits over seven innings, struck out four and walked none.

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