Rasner splendid for Yanks
Darrell Rasner pitched the way Roger Clemens hopes to with the New York Yankees. Before Clemens revealed that he'll return to the Yankees this season, making a dramatic announcement from the owner's box during the seventh-inning stretch, Rasner limited Seattle to three hits yesterday in a 5-0 victory over the visiting Mariners.
Darrell Rasner pitched the way Roger Clemens hopes to with the New York Yankees.
Before Clemens revealed that he'll return to the Yankees this season, making a dramatic announcement from the owner's box during the seventh-inning stretch, Rasner limited Seattle to three hits yesterday in a 5-0 victory over the visiting Mariners.
Derek Jeter hit a go-ahead single and Hideki Matsui got his 2,000th professional hit as the Yankees won for the fifth time in six games after losing eight of nine.
The bigger news was the return of Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner. He left the Yankees after the 2003 season, saying he was retiring, but after Andy Pettitte signed with the Houston Astros, Clemens followed his friend to their hometown team.
Pettitte returned to the Yankees this year, and Clemens has followed.
"Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it's a privilege to be back," Clemens said.
Rasner (1-1) worked 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Jarrod Washburn (2-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings for Seattle.
In other games:
* At Minneapolis, Curt Schilling (4-1) allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings to help Boston defeat the Twins, 4-3.
* At Baltimore, Trot Nixon went 5-for-5 with four RBI and C.C. Sabathia (5-0) remained unbeaten despite allowing nine hits as Cleveland outscored the Orioles, 9-6.
* At Anaheim, Calif., A.J. Pierzynski tied it with a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning, then singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Angels, 4-3.
* At Arlington, Texas, Michael Young, Mark Teixeira and Kenny Lofton homered against A.J. Burnett as the Rangers trimmed Toronto, 3-2.
* At St. Petersburg, Fla., Nick Swisher hit a tiebreaking solo homer as Oakland outlasted Tampa Bay, 5-3.
* At Kansas City, Craig Monroe, Curtis Granderson and Gary Sheffield hit two-run homers in the second inning and Detroit earned its seventh straight win, 13-4 over the Royals.
Noteworthy
* Seattle reliever Julio Mateo was suspended for 10 days without pay, a day after he was arrested following a dispute with his wife at a Manhattan hotel.
Mateo was suspended for missing Saturday's game against the Yankees without permission, the Mariners said. The suspension, if allowed to stand, would cost him $54,645 of his $1 million salary this year.
Seattle optioned the 29-year-old pitcher to Tacoma after Saturday's game and recalled pitcher Sean Green from the minor league team to fill the roster spot.
The 6-foot, 220-pound reliever was arrested on a charge of third-degree assault, posted bond and was released. Police said his wife needed five stitches to her mouth.
* Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps muscle.
* The brother of Yankees manager Joe Torre was moved back to intensive care when he developed pneumonia following kidney-transplant surgery.
Frank Torre had the kidney operation on Tuesday. Joe Torre visited his 75-year-old brother yesterday at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and said he did not have a fever, an encouraging development. *