This Performance Is a Keeper for Mendoza

Ramiro Mendoza was one of the pitchers the Minnesota Twins wanted for Chuck Knoblauch. On Sunday, he showed why the New York Yankees are glad they kept him.

Mendoza pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game and shutout in the Yankees’ 7-0 victory at Minneapolis.

It was the Yankees’ 23rd victory in 26 games and came a day after their eight-game winning streak was snapped.

Mendoza (2-1) struck out two and walked none to win his second start in a row. He gave up one run in seven innings when he beat Kansas City on May 3.

“It feels great,” said Mendoza, through an interpreter. “Hopefully, I’m going to keep doing it.”

The key for Mendoza was getting Paul Molitor to hit into a double play in the sixth inning after the Twins had loaded the bases with one out. After that, the Yankee starter was nearly unhittable.

“He was into it mentally, especially the last three innings,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “He was like a locomotive.”

Said Matt Lawton, who went 0 for 3. “He threw strikes, he put it where he wanted to,” “If you do that consistently, you’re going to win games.”

Which is what the Yankees have been doing. They wound up their trip, 7-1, and have not lost two in a row since dropping three consecutive early in the season.

Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius each homered, and Derek Jeter had three of the Yankees’ 16 hits.

Eric Milton (2-4), the Twins’ key acquisition in the off-season trade that sent Knoblauch to the Yankees, gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings.

Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 3--Quinton McCracken’s first home run of the season broke an eighth-inning tie at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The game-winning hit off Alan Mills (0-1) was the third homer for the Devil Rays, who blew a 3-0 lead before recovering to snap an eight-game home losing streak and win for the fourth time in 18 games.

Esteban Yan (3-0) pitched two scoreless innings to get the victory in relief. Roberto Hernandez pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in six chances.

Kevin Stocker and Wade Boggs homered off Jimmy Key to give the Devil Rays a 3-0 lead in the third. The Orioles erased the deficit on consecutive home runs by B.J. Surhoff and Joe Carter in the sixth.

Tampa Bay starter Wilson Alvarez had a perfect game through four innings, but struggled after Rafael Palmeiro got Baltimore’s first hit in the fifth.

Jeff Reboulet drew a one-out walk in the sixth and scored on Surhoff’s 100th career homer. Two pitches later, Carter homered off Alvarez to make it, 3-3.

Boston 3, Kansas City 1--Tim Wakefield held the Royals hitless for 6 2/3 innings and went 8 2/3 innings, giving the Red Sox their third consecutive victory at Kansas City.

Wakefield (4-1) gave up a two-out single to Shane Mack in the seventh, and a two-out, bunt single by Johnny Damon with two outs in the ninth.

Damon later scored on third baseman John Valentin’s error on a grounder by Jose Offerman. Tom Gordon then relieved and got the last out for his 14th save.

Wakefield struck out five and walked one to win his fourth decision in a row. The knuckleballer retired the first 13 batters before walking Jeff Conine in the fifth.

Jason Varitek hit his first major league homer as the Red Sox sent the Royals to its third consecutive loss.

He hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Jose Rosado (0-2). Mike Benjamin singled with two outs and Varitek homered over the center-field fence.

Seattle 3, Toronto 1--Ken Griffey Jr. hit his major league-leading 15th home run and Jeff Fassero got key relief help from Mike Timlin at Seattle.

Fassero (4-1) took a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning, but the Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs on two hits and a walk.

Fassero struck out Shawn Green, then Timlin took over and got Jose Canseco to ground into a double play. Fassero allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings and struck out seven.

Bobby Ayala pitched the ninth inning for his seventh save despite giving up a leadoff homer to Carlos Delgado.

Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run in the fifth. Griffey gave the Mariners an insurance run in the eighth with his homer off Dan Plesac.

Juan Guzman (1-5) lost to the Mariners for the first time in eight career decisions. He tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings, and gave up four hits.

Texas 5, Cleveland 3--John Burkett retired the first 20 batters, pitching the Rangers past the Indians at Arlington, Texas.

Manny Ramirez doubled with two outs in the seventh inning to break up Burkett’s perfect game.

Burkett ran into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs before being relieved by John Wetteland. Wetteland gave up a two-run single to Manny Ramirez and a sacrifice fly to Jim Thome before recording his ninth save.

Burkett (3-4), who came into the game with an 8.03 earned-run average, allowed three runs, four hits and one walk in eight-plus innings, striking out five.

The Rangers got to Indians starter Jaret Wright (1-3) for two runs in the first on Rusty Greer’s run-scoring double and Will Clark’s run-scoring single.

Texas made it 3-0 in the fifth when Greer singled and scored on Juan Gonzalez’s double.