Another Strong Outing for Irabu in Victory

Three starts. Three earned runs.

Hideki Irabu feels he’s finally hitting his stride with the New York Yankees.

“I’m very happy,” he said after giving up only two hits in a career-high 7 1/3 innings and leading New York over the Kansas City Royals, 2-1, Friday night at Kansas City, Mo.

Irabu (1-0) combined with two relievers on the two-hitter, and Bernie Williams drove in both runs for the Yankees, who won for the 17th time in 19 games. At 18-6, New York is off to its best start since 1958.

“I was good today,” Irabu said through an interpreter. “I just want to keep my condition good from here on out.”

He struck out eight and walked two, lowering his earned-run average to 1.47 as he got his first decision in three starts this season.

Irabu retired 17 of 18 at one point and gave up one earned run for the third straight start. He got into trouble by walking Young leading off the eighth inning, then throwing wildly for an error after Mike Sweeney’s bunt.

Mike Stanton relieved with runners at second and third and one out, and Johnny Damon lined out to third baseman Scott Brosius, who doubled up Ernie Young for an inning-ending double play.

Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five chances.

Detroit 17, Seattle 3--Bobby Higginson homered twice and had four hits as the Tigers routed the Mariners at Seattle.

It was the most runs for the Tigers since a 17-1 victory over Minnesota on April 24, 1993.

Detroit had 20 hits, the most off the Seattle since an 18-3 loss to the Angels last May 21. The Mariners have lost five of six, dropping to 12-16.

The Tigers, who matched their longest winning streak of the season at two, had six doubles and scored in every inning except the fourth and ninth.

Higginson hit a solo homer in the first off Bill Swift, another solo homer off Felipe Lira in the sixth, and drove in three runs. Andy Tomberlin also had four hits for the Tigers.

Tim Worrell gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings. Swift was pounded for 10 runs and 10 hits in four-plus innings, the most runs he has given up since giving up eight for Colorado against the Dodgers on April 7, 1995.

After Higginson’s third homer of the season, Detroit took a 3-0 lead in the second on Tomberlin’s RBI single and Frank Catalanotto’s sacrifice fly. The Tigers made the score 7-0 in the third when Tomberlin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Paul Bako hit a three-run double--his first major league hit.

Alex Rodriguez hit a run-scoring single in the bottom half, but Damion Easley’s two-run double chased Swift in the fifth. Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the bottom half of the fifth, his 10th, as the Mariners closed to 9-3.

Detroit added a run in the sixth on Higginson’s second homer, four more in the seventh off Lira on a run-scoring error by second baseman Joey Cora, Brian Hunter’s RBI single, Higginson’s run-scoring double and Kimera Bartee’s RBI single off Heathcliff Slocumb. Joe Randa added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Cleveland 7, Tampa Bay 5--Travis Fryman hit his first homer in nearly a month for the Indians at Cleveland.

Fryman, in a season-long slump that sent his average plummeting below .200, hit a three-run homer off Dennis Springer (1-4) in the fourth.

Bartolo Colon (2-1) was inconsistent again, but recovered from a four-run fourth to retire 10 of his last 11 batters. He gave up four runs--three earned--and eight hits, walking four and striking out six.

Boston 5, Texas 3--Aaron Sele finally lost, and his former team did him in.

Troy O’Leary hit two-run homer at Boston and the Red Sox beat the Rangers for their 16th win in 19 games.

Sele (5-1), who spent his entire career in the Red Sox organization before a trade to Texas last November, entered the game with a 2.00 ERA and two shutouts in his last three starts.

Against the Red Sox, he gave up five runs and six hits in seven innings as his ERA rose to 2.72.

Boston starter Bret Saberhagen left after three innings due to tightness in his groin.

Baltimore 6, Minnesota 3--Rafael Palmeiro gave Baltimore the lead with a sixth-inning homer at Baltimore and the Orioles won a second consecutive game for the first time in two weeks.

The Orioles trailed, 3-2, before Joe Carter singled and Palmeiro followed with his fourth home run. Palmeiro added a run-scoring single in a two-run seventh that cemented the victory.