Yankees Finally Score, Still Lose to White Sox

At least the New York Yankees weren’t shut out again.

The World Series champions broke a 20-inning scoreless streak but still lost their fourth consecutive game Friday night, falling to the Chicago White Sox, 8-2, at New York.

“We’ve got some guys here, I hope their wives don’t have any razor blades around,” Yankee interim manager Don Zimmer said.

The Yankees, who were shut out in the final two games of a three-game sweep by the Angels, have lost four in a row at home for the first time since May 1997. Their six home losses are as many as they had by July 19 last season.

New York has scored two runs in its last 28 innings while matching its season-high four consecutive defeats.

“When you’ve got major league players and they’re not hitting, it’s tough to go through,” Zimmer said. “It’s frustrating more to them than it is to me. All I can do is sit back and root for them.”

Mike Caruso’s two-run double off pitcher Orlando Hernandez’s glove capped a four-run fourth inning in which Chicago had only one hit and the ball never reached the Yankee outfielders.

Hernandez gave up four walks, which helped produce the fourth-inning runs that put the Yankees in a 4-1 hole.

Jim Parque (5-2) held the Yankees to three hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings. Bill Simas got four outs for his first save.

The Yankees are 7-8 in their last 15 games, a slump they didn’t experience last year until August when they led the American League East by 18 1/2 games and were well on their way to an AL-record 114 wins.

“We know that that is a very explosive team and when they get their good pitching and timely hitting, they’ll still be the team to beat,” White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel said.

Hernandez (3-4), who has struggled through three consecutive starts, cited the cold weather for his recent slide.

He has given up 20 earned runs in his last 32 1/3 innings, raising his earned-run average to 6.55.

Kansas City 12, Seattle 7--Shortstop Alex Rodriguez returned from the disabled list and homered in his first at-bat but it wasn’t enough to help the Mariners win at Seattle.

Cleveland 4, Detroit 2--Roberto Alomar was four for five with a home run and three runs batted in and Omar Vizquel hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning at Detroit as the Indians won their fifth consecutive game.

The Indians won despite being outhit, 8-6. But they also had a good start from Charles Nagy, excellent relief pitching and solid defense.

Left fielder David Justice made a leaping catch at the wall that robbed pinch-hitter Karim Garcia of a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Nagy and Detroit’s Brian Moehler, making his first start after a 10-day suspension for scuffing balls with sandpaper, both left a 2-2 tie in the seventh.

Justice drew a leadoff walk off Doug Brocail (1-1) in the ninth. One out later, Einar Diaz was hit by a pitch and both runners advanced on a wild pitch.

After Kenny Lofton was intentionally walked, Vizquel drove a full-count pitch that was caught at the right-field wall but easily scored Justice with the lead run. Alomar followed with a run-scoring single.

Three Indian relievers combined to give up only one hit in 2 1/3 innings. Steve Karsay (4-1) struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth and Paul Shuey worked a one-hit ninth for his second save.

Rookie Gabe Kapler hit a two-run homer for the Tigers, who lost their fourth in a row.

Boston 5, Toronto 0--Rookie Juan Pena’s second start was just as impressive as the first for the Red Sox at Toronto.

Filling in for the injured Bret Saberhagen, Pena pitched seven shutout innings to win his second game in a row.

Pena (2-0) gave up six hits and two walks, striking out seven to become the first Red Sox pitcher to win his first two starts since Vaughn Eshelman in 1995.

The 21-year-old Dominican gave up only one run in six innings while striking out eight against the Angels last week.

Blue Jay starter David Wells (4-3) fell to 8-18 lifetime against Boston. He gave up four runs and nine hits in eight innings.

Wells didn’t give up a hit until Troy O’Leary led off the fifth with a grounder off the glove of third baseman Tony Fernandez. Shortstop Craig Grebeck grabbed the deflection and his throw to first appeared to beat O’Leary, but umpire Jim Joyce ruled O’Leary safe.

Oakland 7, Minnesota 5--Tony Phillips hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning at Oakland to give the Athletics their fourth consecutive victory.

Oakland, which has won nine of its last 11, is two games over .500 for the first time since July 31, 1996.

Phillips also hit a run-scoring triple, driving in a season-high four runs.