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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- The New York Yankees didn't get the slugger they
really coveted. But they sure got the pitching they needed ... and they still got a pretty good slugger.
After trading Ricky Ledee for David Justice before the game, the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 8-0 behind Andy Pettitte's second career shutout.
Deals for sluggers Juan Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa fell through in
the past week, so the Yankees settled for Cleveland's Justice. But
pitching remains manager Joe Torre's top concern, and he was
ecstatic about Pettitte's six-hitter.
"David or Goliath don't help us if we don't pitch," Torre said. "It was a big lift for us. He didn't waste a whole lot over nine innings and then threw about 120 pitches. That's incredible. Everything seemed to be working for him."
The Tigers, shut out for a major league-high 10th time, scored a
combined 20 runs to beat the Yankees the previous two nights but
could get nothing going against Pettitte (8-4).
"That's what we needed," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said.
"The way they've been swinging the bat and scoring the runs, we
needed someone to shut them down."
Tigers manager Phil Garner said Pettitte had all his pitches
working.
"It's the best I've seen him throw in a long time," Garner
said. "He had a really good sinker; he was throwing it downhill.
And his breaking ball had good movement on it tonight."
Pettitte (8-4), who last pitched Sunday at Chicago, was moved up a day when Ramiro Mendoza was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a sore shoulder.
"I was determined to go out there and put in a great start,"
Pettitte said. "You hope you can go out there relaxed and have the
movement on the pitches you want. Hopefully this will carry over to
the next start."
Pettitte evened his career record for pitching on three days'
rest to 2-2. He struck out five and walked two in his first shutout
since July 5, 1997, at Toronto.
"Trade or no trade, no matter who we bring over, we win here
because we pitch well," Pettitte said. "That's the way we've won
for four years."
The win was the Yankees' first in six tries at Detroit's new
Comerica Park. It snapped a three-game losing streak and left the
two-time defending World Series champions 16-26 since reaching a
season-high 13 games over .500 on May 9.
Perhaps relieved that all the recent trade talk is finally
resolved, New York went out and hammered Tigers starter Dave Mlicki
(2-9). The Yankees scored eight runs in the fourth inning,
including a record-tying three sacrifice flies.
"I'm happy, and hopefully this will quiet things down so we can
focus on baseball," Torre said. "Hopefully it takes some of the
distractions away so we can focus."
Mlicki, who beat the Yankees to finish the Tigers' three-game
sweep May 14, lasted only 3 1/3 innings and gave up six earned runs
and nine hits. Mlicki had missed his last scheduled start because
of a severe sinus infection.
"Whatever happened out there tonight didn't have anything to do
with that," Mlicki said. "I was just off my spots and I couldn't
hit my fastball today."
The Yankees sent 13 men to the plate and scored eight times on
eight hits and an error in the fourth.
Jeter's two-run double was the big hit. Bernie Williams had an
RBI triple, Chris Turner a run-scoring double and Chuck Knoblauch
an RBI single.
Three sacrifice flies occurred because Jose Vizcaino reached
first when his fly ball was dropped by left-fielder Bobby
Higginson, allowing Scott Brosius to score from third. Tino
Martinez and Williams hit conventional sacrifice flies.
Both Higginson and Garner argued that Vizcaino should've been
out because the ball came loose as Higginson was transferring it to
his hand for a throw home. But third base umpire Jeff Kellogg ruled
it no catch.
Kellogg is the same umpire who ejected Torre and Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer for arguing a double play call against New York on Tuesday.
Game notes
The Tigers, who beat New York 13-6 Wednesday, are now 2-9
in games after they've scored in double digits. ... There have been
three sacrifice flies in an inning once before. The Chicago White
Sox did it on July 1, 1962 against Cleveland. ... Williams is
19-for-44 (.432) on the Yankees' road trip. ... The Tigers failed
to get their first home season series sweep of the Yankees since
1988. The Yankees are just 3-9 in Detroit the last two seasons.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
Justice served: Yanks get Indians' slugger for Ledee, 2 more
Yankees' deal for Justice ends their pursuit of Sosa
RECAPS
Toronto 12
Tampa Bay 3
Minnesota 10
Chi. White Sox 1
Texas 3
Oakland 1
Seattle 7
Anaheim 2
Boston 12
Baltimore 4
NY Yankees 8
Detroit 0
Kansas City 6
Cleveland 1
St. Louis 12
Cincinnati 3
Milwaukee 8
Philadelphia 6
Colorado 11
San Francisco 4
Pittsburgh 5
Chicago Cubs 4
Atlanta 6
NY Mets 4
San Diego 5
Los Angeles 4
Arizona 7
Houston 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 A sad Joe Torre is glad to see the drama end for Ricky Ledee.
wav: 94 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Derek Jeter sympathizes with Ricky Ledee over all the trade rumors.
wav: 69 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Joe Torre knows David Justice will be a tremendous offensive help.
wav: 129 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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