Giambi Slams Door on Twins

Jason Giambi hit a grand slam through the rain in the 14th inning Friday night, rallying the New York Yankees to a 13-12 victory over the Minnesota Twins at New York.

The Yankees hit six homers, including a tying solo shot by Bernie Williams with one out in the ninth. But New York stranded nine runners in the first four extra innings and gave up three runs in the 14th before winning in the bottom half.

Shane Spencer led off with a single against former Dodger Mike Trombley (0-1) and Derek Jeter singled with one out. Williams walked to bring up Giambi.

With only a few thousand fans left, Giambi provided the signature moment of his short Yankee career. He hit a shot into the right-center field bleachers, setting off a wild celebration.

The Yankees poured out of the dugout as Giambi rounded the bases and mobbed him at home plate. According to the Yankees, it was the 21st time a player has hit a game-ending grand slam with his team down three runs. Babe Ruth was the only other Yankee to do it, on Sept. 24, 1925.

New York hit six homers in all, tying the team record for most homers in a game at Yankee Stadium. Williams hit two, and Robin Ventura, Alfonso Soriano and Jorge Posada also homered. The Yankees have 20 homers in their last five games, a team record, and lead the majors with 68 this season.

Seattle 6, Boston 3--Jeff Cirillo’s two-run single broke a sixth-inning tie as the Mariners rallied past the Red Sox at Boston in the opener of a three-game series between baseball’s top teams.

Seattle overcame a 3-0 deficit on Ichiro Suzuki’s two-run double in the fourth and a three-run sixth capped by the bases-loaded hit by Cirillo, whose error led to a run that had put Boston ahead.

Kansas City 6, Cleveland 2--Paul Byrd became the AL’s second seven-game winner, and Tony Pena got his first victory as manager of the Royals in the win at Cleveland.

Byrd (7-2) gave up five hits in eight innings and beat the Indians for the second time in six days to join Chicago’s Mark Buehrle with seven victories.

Detroit 6, Texas 3--Robert Fick homered twice, and Dmitri Young and Wendell Magee also connected at Detroit as the Tigers ended a seven-game losing streak.

Young hit a two-run homer in the first off Dave Burba (3-1), Magee a solo shot in the second and Fick in the third. Fick had a two-run shot off John Rocker in the eighth.

Toronto 7, Oakland 1--Roy Halladay won his second consecutive start against the Athletics, and Shannon Stewart hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Baltimore 5, Tampa Bay 3--Jeff Conine hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, and Geronimo Gil drove in three runs as the Orioles ended a four-game losing streak by defeating the Devil Rays at Baltimore.