Yankees Hit 100 Mark and Make History

The New York Yankees reached 100 wins on the earliest day ever Friday night, the first of what they hope will be several milestones in this most extraordinary season.

“Any time you start talking about the best record at this point, I mean that’s special,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said after Bernie Williams’ two homers sparked an 11-6 comeback victory over the Chicago White Sox at Cominsky Park.

“Baseball has been around a long time, and you’re talking about the best in over 100 years of baseball,” Torre added. “The closest I’ve ever come to 100 was 99 losses with the Mets.”

By reaching No. 100 on Sept. 4, the Yankees accomplished the feat five days earlier than the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 1954 Cleveland Indians.

The ’06 Cubs set the major league record for the fewest games to reach 100 victories (132). The Yankees (100-38) set an American League record, doing it two games earlier than the ’54 Indians.

It’s the fastest any team has done it in 89 years and the fifth-fastest in baseball history.

If the Yankees go 17-7 or better during the rest of the season, they would break the American League record of 111 wins set by the ’54 Indians and the major league record of 116 set by the ’06 Cubs.

“It’s nice, very nice,” the soft-spoken Williams said. “We’re enjoying it right now. We still got some things we need to get accomplished. We haven’t lost our focus on the things we have to do.”

And that would be getting back to the World Series and winning again, as they did in 1996.

Friday night’s victory, which lowered their magic number for clinching the AL East to five, came as so many have this season--with contributions from many players during four-run rallies in the eighth and ninth innings.

Trailing 4-3, in the eighth, Chuck Knoblauch had an infield single, stole second and scored on Derek Jeter’s single. Jeter stole second and raced to third on catcher Chad Kreuter’s overthrow. Williams’ 23rd homer made it 6-4 and Tino Martinez followed with his 25th homer.

“I’m just part of a great team and that’s the way we all feel,” said Williams, who has eight multihomer games. “Everybody has had a pretty solid season.”

The Yankees added four runs in the ninth on an error by Kreuter, an RBI single by Paul O’Neill and a two-run double by Martinez.

Albert Belle hit his 43rd homer, his major league-best 25th since the All-Star break, to give Chicago a 2-0 first-inning lead and also hit a sacrifice fly in the third. He has 129 RBIs this season, second in the league to Juan Gonzalez, who has 146 for Texas.

Cleveland 10, Detroit 2--Charles Nagy beat the Tigers again with a five-hitter and Manny Ramirez and Travis Fryman each hit three-run homers at Detroit.

Richie Sexson also homered as the Indians won for the fifth time in six games. The Tigers have lost three straight, 25 of 32 and are 1-3 since Larry Parrish became interim manager when Buddy Bell was fired Tuesday.

Nagy (13-9) has won three straight starts and improved his career record against Detroit to 15-4, his most wins against any club.

Nagy walked none and struck out seven in his first complete game since May 9, 1997, at Detroit. He reached 1,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Bobby Higginson in the fifth.

Baltimore 10, Seattle 1--Cal Ripken, Chris Hoiles and Lyle Mouton hit home runs in the fourth inning at Seattle and the Orioles ended a 10-game losing streak.

It was the Orioles’ longest losing streak since they opened the 1988 season 0-21.

Mouton broke a scoreless tie when he homered off Paul Spoljaric. Two pitches later, Ripken connected for his 383rd career homer.

After Spoljaric walked Danny Clyburn and Lenny Webster, Hoiles delivered the Orioles’ first pinch-hit homer this season, a three-run shot to make it 6-0.

Juan Guzman (9-14) won for the third time in five decisions since being acquired by Baltimore in a trade with Toronto on July 31. Guzman gave up one run and five hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts.

Tampa Bay 5, Oakland 2--Rolando Arrojo tied an expansion team record with his 13th victory, teaming with two relievers on a five-hitter as the Devil Rays won at Oakland.

Arrojo (13-11) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, becoming only the third pitcher to win 13 games for an expansion team. The others were Gene Brabender (Seattle, 1969) and Dave Lemanczyk (Toronto, 1977).

Roberto Hernandez got six outs for his 24th save.

The Devil Rays scored early for Arrojo, getting seven hits over the first four innings to go up 5-2 against Jimmy Haynes (10-7).

Aaron Ledesma’s two-run single in the first gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

The A’s answered with a run in their half of the first when Matt Stairs grounded into a bases-loaded double play.

Wade Boggs’ RBI single in the second gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead.

Ryan Christenson tripled with two out in the Oakland third and scored when Stairs lined a single off the glove of diving left fielder Rich Butler.