Piazza’s Slam Helps Mets Bomb Yankees

Mike Piazza took Roger Clemens for a ride on his own personal No. 4 train.

Piazza hit a grand slam Friday night as the New York Mets bombarded Clemens for nine runs--matching the most he’s ever given up in a game--in routing the New York Yankees, 12-2, in the opener of this year’s Subway Series at New York.

“I’ve always enjoyed the tradition of Yankee Stadium,” Piazza said. “Just getting your name read over the public-address system gives you a shot of adrenaline.”

Slumping Derek Bell homered and drove in five runs and Edgardo Alfonzo also connected as the Mets closed their deficit to 7-6 against the Yankees in four seasons of interleague play. Easily, it was the most lopsided of their 13 meetings.

Al Leiter (7-1) beat Clemens (4-6) for the third time in two years. And in all three games, Piazza provided a big home run--this time, launching a long drive to dead center field, toward the tracks of the elevated No. 4 Lexington Avenue subway line that carried many fans to Yankee Stadium.

“I’ve been fortunate to have some success in this series,” Piazza said. “These games are exciting and electric.”

With a sellout crowd of 55,822 standing and chanting, cheering and booing, Piazza slowly strode to the plate with the bases loaded and none out in the third inning of a scoreless game.

On a 1-and-0 pitch, he seized the moment.

Piazza stood to watch the ball sail for his 11th grand slam, and second this year, while Clemens kicked at the rubber. It was only the second grand slam Clemens had ever given up.

“Not a bad pitch, really,” Clemens said. “But he got more of it than I thought he did.”

Minnesota 9, Milwaukee 6--Cristian Guzman drove in a career-high four runs at Minneapolis and David Ortiz hit his first homer in two years as the Twins handed the Brewers’ their fifth consecutive loss.

Guzman hit a bases-loaded triple against reliever Steve Woodard with two out in the fifth, capping a four-run inning that sent the Twins to their third consecutive victory. Guzman, who leads the major leagues with nine triples, also had a run-scoring groundout in the second.

Kansas City 6, Pittsburgh 5--Jeff Reboulet drove in four runs, the last on a game-winning single in the 10th inning at Kansas City, Mo.

Reboulet had a three-run double in the fourth, and Mike Sweeney added four hits, including his 13th homer, as Kansas City returned home from a successful nine-game trip and won again.

The Royals, who have an American League-beat 18-7 record at home, were 5-4 at Boston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis, their first winning trip of the season.

Philadelphia 9, Baltimore 5--Scott Rolen homered in a seven-run second inning and the Phillies overcame four Oriole homers at Baltimore.

Doug Glanville homered and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who are 5-2 against the American League. Philadelphia sent 11 men to the plate in the second inning, scoring all seven runs with two out.

Charles Johnson hit two solo homers and Jeff Conine and Albert Belle each hit one for the Orioles, who have lost eight of nine to fall a season-high 10 games below .500.

Baltimore’s 1-6 interleague record is the worst in the American League. The Orioles made two errors that led to six unearned runs.

Toronto 13, Montreal 3--Shannon Stewart had four extra-base hits and tied a career high with four RBIs, and Carlos Delgado hit his American League-leading 23rd home run as the Blue Jays romped at Toronto.

Stewart went four for five with a two-run homer and three doubles, tying the team record set by Roy Howell in 1977 and matched by Damaso Garcia in 1986.

Delgado, who also doubled, has 11 home runs in his last 22 games and 33 hits in his last 79 at-bats.

Chris Carpenter (5-5) gave up three runs, six hits and five walks in seven innings as Toronto improved to 10-4 against its Canadian rival.

Atlanta 6, Boston 4--Greg Maddux extended his unbeaten streak to seven starts and Andres Galarraga hit his 16th home run for the Braves at Atlanta.

Maddux (8-1), who hasn’t lost since May 3 at Dodger Stadium, was coming off one of his worst outings--he gave up 13 hits last Saturday against the Yankees, the second-highest total of his career.

He took a four-hitter and a 5-1 lead into the seventh, giving up his only run on Brian Daubach’s RBI single in the fourth. But Daubach led off the seventh with a home run, and Trot Nixon chased Maddux with a two-run single.

In its previous five starts, the Atlanta rotation went 0-3 with a 12.96 ERA, giving up 49 hits and 35 runs in 24 1/3 innings. Maddux gave up seven hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings, striking out eight.

Tampa Bay 6, Florida 4--John Flaherty homered and Vinny Castilla and Felix Martinez each drove in two runs for the Devil Rays at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Steve Trachsel (4-6) ended a personal four-game losing streak, limiting the Marlins to one hit before giving up four runs in the sixth inning. He gave up five hits, struck out two and walked three in 5 2/3 innings to win for the first time since May 11.

Flaherty, who went three for four, hit his fourth homer against Ryan Dempster (6-4) to give the Devil Rays a 5-0 lead in the fifth.

Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 4--David Justice had his second two-homer game in four days and Richie Sexson homered twice for the Indians at Cleveland.

Justice, who was born in Cincinnati and still has a home there, hit a two-run homer in the first against Denny Neagle (5-1) and added a solo homer in the third as the Indians won the series opener with their National League neighbors from southern Ohio.

On Monday at Milwaukee, Justice hit two homers in a win over the Brewers. He has 17 homers, six in his last seven games and 14 in 29.

Detroit 4, St. Louis 2--Garrett Stephenson, who won his first eight decisions, lost for the second time in a row as Dean Palmer homered and Jeff Weaver pitched eight strong innings for the Tigers at Detroit.

Mark McGwire, who sat out the previous two games because of a sore hamstring, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He has one home run since May 24.

Chicago White Sox 6, Chicago Cubs 5--Ray Durham’s RBI single in the 14th inning at Comiskey Park was the winner for the White Sox in the longest game of the season for both teams.

With one out, Herbert Perry singled to right and stole second. Todd Van Poppel (0-2) walked pinch-hitter Jeff Abbott, putting runners at first and second with only one out.

Van Poppel was relieved by Daniel Garibay, and Durham sent a 2-and-1 pitch bouncing down the left-field line to score Perry, ending the game after 4 hours 42 minutes.

Colorado 3, Texas 2--Terry Shumpert hit a game-winning two-run single against John Wetteland in the 12th inning at Denver.

Ivan Rodriguez had given the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning with a run-scoring single, but Wetteland (3-2) couldn’t get an out and blew a save opportunity for the first time in 15 chances.

San Francisco 9, Seattle 2--Kirk Rueter pitched 6 2/3 strong innings for his first win in more than six weeks, and Ellis Burks and J.T. Snow homered as the Giants beat the Mariners at San Francisco. The win was Dusty Baker’s 586th, tying him with Roger Craig for most victories by a San Francisco manager. Baker is 586-540.