Associated Press
NEW YORKó Melky Cabrera ended a home run-filled opening homestand at the new Yankee Stadium with a two-run drive in the 14th inning Wednesday to give New York a 9-7 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
The Yankees overcame another shaky outing from CC Sabathia on a rainy afternoon that featured five more home runs. But after Oakland tied the score in the seventh, what had been a $1.5 billion hitters’ haven turned into a pitchers’ park until Cabrera’s drive off Dan Giese (0-2). Nick Swisher walked to start the inning.
Hideki Matsui and Cabrera hit consecutive homers in the second off Brett Anderson to start the comeback for New York, which opened 4-2 at its new ballpark after going 4,133-2,430-17 at the original Yankee Stadium. Derek Jeter also homered in the longest game of the season by innings and time (4 hours, 57 minutes).
Royals 2, Indians 0
CLEVELAND ó Brian Bannister and two relievers outpitched reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, and Kansas City beat the Indians.
Lee (1-3) allowed two runs and nine hits over eight innings, but matched his loss total of last season. A year ago, the left-hander went 5-0 against the Royals on the way to a 22-3 record and 2.54 ERA.
Bannister (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, improved to 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in six career starts against Cleveland. The right-hander allowed four hits and walked only one in six innings.
Jamey Wright worked two scoreless innings and Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
White Sox 8, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE ó Jim Thome hit his 545th career homer to back a superb pitching performance by John Danks.
Danks (2-0) allowed one run, four hits and no walks in seven innings. The left-hander has given up only two runs in 19 innings this season, both on solo homers.
Thome’s opposite-field solo shot to left put the White Sox up 4-0 in the third. It was Thome’s fourth homer of the season, and it put the 38-year-old slugger within three of 13th-place Mike Schmidt on the career list.
Jeremy Guthrie (2-1) gave up five runs and eight hits in six-plus innings.
Red Sox 10, Twins 1, 7 innings, 1st game
Red Sox 7, Twins 3, 2nd game
BOSTON (AP) ó Brad Penny pitched six solid innings after Tim Wakefield won a rain-shortened complete game, and Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader.
Wakefield (2-1) tossed a five-hitter for his second consecutive complete game in the opener, a victory that was called after seven innings because of rain. Kevin Youkilis, Nick Green and Mike Lowell each hit a two-run homer.
Penny (2-0) allowed two earned runs in the finale of the day-night doubleheader as the Red Sox extended their winning streak to seven games after a 2-6 start. Jeff Bailey hit a three-run homer and David Ortiz had a two-run double against Francisco Liriano (0-4).
In the opener, Scott Baker (0-2) gave up a two-run homer in each of the first three innings and the Red Sox added four runs in the seventh before the tarp came out.
Blue Jays 8, Rangers 7, 11 innings
TORONTO ó Kevin Millar singled home the winning run in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 8-7.
Vernon Wells walked to begin the 11th and went to second on Travis Snider’s sacrifice bunt. Scott Rolen was walked intentionally and C.J. Wilson (0-2) was replaced by right-hander Darren O’Day, who was claimed on waivers from the New York Mets earlier in the day.
Millar greeted O’Day with a single over the drawn-in outfield, scoring Wells.
Toronto’s Rod Barajas hit a pair of two-out, two-run homers to left, one in the second and another to almost the same spot in the fourth, the sixth multihomer game of his career. The homers were his first two of the season.
Jason Frasor (3-0) worked two scoreless innings for the victory.