Yankees Manage to Win, but Boos Shower Irabu

Hideki Irabu’s relief appearance was ugly, but the New York Yankees still won their ninth consecutive home game against the Baltimore Orioles, 14-7, Wednesday in New York.

Irabu was booed loudly by New York fans after Harold Baines’ three-run home run made it 8-7 in the seventh inning. He gave up five runs in one-third of an inning in his first appearance at Yankee Stadium this season.

Chuck Knoblauch had five hits, including a leadoff home run, and the Yankees took advantage of shoddy play by Baltimore to win their seventh game in a row.

“I don’t feel physically bad. I just need to throw the ball better,” Irabu said through a translator. “There are many different ways to get out of a slump. It is up to the manager to decide.”

Yankee interim Manager Don Zimmer said he doesn’t know what the next step should be for Irabu, who was dropped from the rotation after failing to cover first base twice in one week during spring training and called a “fat . . . toad” by owner George Steinbrenner.

“His confidence can’t be high right now,” Zimmer said. “We need to get him right. We got him into the perfect situation with a six-run lead. Before you know it, we were in a fight for our lives.”

After his homer off Scott Erickson (0-2), Knoblauch added singles in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh innings to tie his career high in hits and raise his average from .174 to .321. His run-scoring single in the seventh put the Yankees up, 9-7.

One out later, Paul O’Neill hit a three-run homer off Jesse Orosco, his first hit in 17 at-bats against the left-hander. O’Neill finished three for four with four RBIs and three runs scored.

Toronto 7, Tampa Bay 6--Jose Cruz Jr. hit a game-winning single in the 11th inning as the Blue Jays overcame Jose Canseco’s 400th career home run and won at Toronto.

Shannon Stewart scored the winning run in the 11th. He singled off Albie Lopez (0-1), stole second and beat Randy Winn’s throw to the plate after Cruz’s single.

Graeme Lloyd (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings to gain his first win for Toronto.

Pinch-hitter Willie Greene’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly off Jim Mecir tied it, 6-6, for Toronto. The Devil Rays had led, 4-1, after Canseco’s home run in the fourth inning.

Cleveland 11, Kansas City 4--The Indians’ nine-run sixth inning put away the Royals at Jacobs Field and extended their winning sreak to seven games.

The Royals led, 3-0, entering the fourth but came out of the sixth down 11-3.

In that inning the Indians amassed 10 hits, three doubles and home runs by Sandy Alomar and Manny Ramirez. It was Alomar’s first homer since August.

Roberto Alomar went three for four with two runs scored and Richie Sexson had two hits for the Indians, who didn’t get their first hit until the fourth inning against Kansas City starter Jeff Suppan (0-2).

During their seven-game streak, the Indians have outscored the opposition, 69-28, and have 35 doubles, three triples, 10 homers and are batting .371.

Bartolo Colon (2-0) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings to improve to 3-0 against the Royals over the past two seasons. He struck out seven.

“Cleveland has a subtle intimidation,” Kansas City Manager Tony Muser said. “There is no breathing room. You have to pay attention on every pitch. If not they can bury you real quick.”

Detroit 7, Minnesota 1--Jeff Weaver pitched five shutout innings in his major league debut and the host Tigers stopped the Twins to end a six-game losing streak.

Weaver, the Tigers’ top pick in the 1998 amateur draft, made his first big league start after only six minor league appearances. Called up as an emergency starter from double-A Jacksonville because of injuries to Seth Greisinger and Bryce Florie, the 22-year-old right-hander gave up only one hit and a walk with five strikeouts.

“It went like I hoped; it was fantastic,” said Weaver. “Once I got past the first inning I settled down a little bit and everything was going well. I wanted to throw strikes and get ahead of the hitters, and luckily I was able to keep the ball down.”

Weaver, who combined on a three-hitter with three relievers, threw first-pitch strikes to most of the 17 batters he faced. In 36 regular-season innings as a professional, he has struck out 44 with only two walks.