Yankees Still Looking for a Way Out

The Detroit Tigers were glad to take advantage of the New York Yankees’ troubles.

Juan Encarnacion homered and drove in four runs as the Tigers trounced the reeling Yankees, 13-6, Wednesday night at Detroit.

The Yankees have lost three in a row, five of six and nine of 12.

“We’ve never had a period of time where we’ve played this poorly for this long,” Yankee first baseman Tino Martinez said.

New York is 15-26 since reaching a season-high 13 games over .500 on May 9.

“We’re struggling right now. There’s no other way to put it,” shortstop Derek Jeter said. “When it rains, it pours. It doesn’t get much worse.”

Tony Clark, Luis Polonia and Deivi Cruz also hit home runs for the Tigers, who have won three in a row and are 5-0 at home this season against the two-time defending World Series champions.

“We’ve played certainly our five best games against them this year,” Manager Phil Garner said.

The Tigers have won five of their last seven and are 27-25 since a 5-17 start.

“You come to the ballpark now and feel like you’ve got a chance,” Detroit’s Dean Palmer said. “We’ve really played well the whole month and beaten some pretty good teams.”

Willie Blair (5-1) gave up four runs and seven hits, including Bernie Williams’ solo homer, in six innings. Blair is 3-0 in five starts since replacing C.J. Nitkowski in the Detroit rotation.

Steve Sparks pitched the final three innings for his first major league save.

Juan Gonzalez was a late scratch from the Tiger lineup because of a recurrence of soreness in his left foot.

Tuesday’s game was the Tigers’ first after a proposed trade that would have sent Gonzalez to the Yankees fell through.

Baltimore 8, Boston 7--B.J. Surhoff went five for six and scored on Harold Baines’ double in the 11th inning at Boston, sending the Red Sox to their fifth loss in a row.

Surhoff tied his career high for hits and also matched his personal best with a 21-game hitting streak.

Jose Mercedes (3-3) pitched one inning and Buddy Groom worked the 11th for his fourth save in 10 chances.

The win was Baltimore’s second straight after nine losses in a row. Boston has lost nine of 11.

Texas 5, Oakland 3--David Segui’s two-run double highlighted a five-run fifth inning at Oakland, and Rick Helling ended a six-game losing streak.

Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro each had two hits and an RBI for the Rangers, who won for only the second time in 11 road games.

Helling (8-7) gave up three runs, five hits and six walks in 5 2/3 innings, winning for the first time since May 23 at Kansas City.

Chicago 7, Minnesota 3--Frank Thomas hit two home runs at Chicago to help Cal Eldred win his eighth consecutive decision.

Thomas hit a three-run homer, his 19th, in the first inning and clubbed his 20th leading off the third. Magglio Ordonez followed Thomas’ second homer with his 17th, the ninth time the White Sox hit back-to-back homers this season.

Eldred (10-2) is 8-0 with a 3.04 ERA in nine starts. The winning streak is the right-hander’s longest since he won a career-high 10 in a row Aug. 8-Sept. 29, 1992.

Kansas City 8, Cleveland 1--Jay Witasick, with only one victory in 10 starts and a 5.97 ERA, pitched a four-hitter for the Royals at Kansas City, Mo.

Witasick, who struck out five and walked three, has pitched the Royals’ only two complete games this season. The lone run he gave up came on Jim Thome’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.