Lidle pitches in, Yankees sweep

August 04, 2006|Associated Press

The New York Yankees' rotation is coming together and Cory Lidle is primed to be a big part of its success.

Lidle pitched six effective innings in his first start with the Yankees and Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer to help New York beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 8-1, yesterday at Yankee Stadium for its fourth straight win.

Lidle allowed one run and four hits in his first outing since being acquired from the Phillies. New York sent four minor league prospects to Philadelphia for Lidle and right fielder Bobby Abreu, who had three hits and is 5 for 13 in three games since joining his new club.

``Since the trade, I was just thinking about this day and mentally preparing to not get too excited," Lidle said. ``I knew I was going to have some extra adrenaline out there so I was really doing what I needed to do just to stay calm, you know, just try not to do too much."

Giambi also hit an RBI double during New York's three-run sixth that made it 8-1. Craig Wilson, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, added a two-run single.

Toronto's Ryan Roberts homered for his first major league hit. The Blue Jays lost their season-high fifth in a row to fall 8 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees and finish a 2-8 road trip.

``We knew coming in here it wasn't going to be easy," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ``They shut down a good-hitting team."

Dodgers 3, Reds 0 -- Greg Maddux made a memorable debut for the Dodgers, pitching six no-hit innings before leaving after a rain delay, and visiting Los Angeles beat Cincinnati to win its sixth in a row.

A 46-minute rain delay finished Maddux before the bottom of the seventh. Joe Beimel relieved and Scott Hatteberg led off with a clean single.

Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Dodgers Monday, Maddux (10-11) was his vintage self. The 40-year-old righthander posted his 328th career victory, facing only one batter over the minimum.

Even if the game had been called because of rain, Maddux would not have gotten official credit for a no-hitter. In September 1991, an eight-man committee chaired by then-commissioner Fay Vincent ruled that a pitcher had to throw a complete game of at least nine innings to have it count as a no-hitter. As a result of that decision, 50 no-hitters were tossed out of the record book.

Marlins 4, Mets 1 -- Miguel Cabrera's three-run double broke a tie with two outs in the eighth inning, and Dontrelle Willis earned his first win since July 7 as host Florida beat New York.

Willis (7-8) retired the side in order only once but outdueled Pedro Martínez, limiting New York to an unearned run in eight innings.

Florida's Mike Jacobs broke a scoreless tie with a two-out homer in the sixth, his 15th. New York scored an unearned run in the seventh.

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