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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- Eric Milton thinks he may be getting a message from the New York Yankees, but he's responded by sending one of his own.
"I'm beginning to think the Yankees don't like me," Milton
said on Monday. "First, they trade me, and now this is the third
time in a row I've had to face (Roger) Clemens."
|  | | Yankees starter Roger Clemens struck out nine Twins but gave up five runs, all earned, and dropped to 1-2. |
Milton was up to the challenge, allowing only five hits over six
innings in the Minnesota Twins' 7-3 victory over the Yankees.
Milton (2-0) said he had no special motivation pitching against
the team that traded him on Feb. 6, 1998 in the deal that brought
second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to New York.. "It's been a while
ago," he said. "It's now my third year with the Minnesota Twins,
but it's always nice to pitch in Yankee Stadium, especially if you
win."
Milton staked to a 3-0 first-inning lead, but worked his way out
of a rough first inning in which he gave up two hits, a walk and
hit a batter, but allowed only one run.
"The first inning, I got into a jam and I tried to keep the
damage to a minimum," he said. "After that, I found a bit of a
groove."
Clemens (1-2), who has been inconsistant early in the season,
said he thought he pitched well even in the seventh inning when he
allowed doubles to the first two hitters after the Yankees had
rallied to tie the score, 3-3.
"I felt fine and I thought I made the pitches I wanted to make,
even in the seventh inning," Clemens said.
Jacque Jones, who lost a ball in the sun helping the Yankees tie
the game in the sixth, opened the seventh with a double and scored
the go-ahead run when Matt LeCroy doubled down the left-field line.
LeCroy moved to third on an infield out and scored on Todd Walker's
sacrifice fly.
The Twins added a pair of wrapup runs in the ninth.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said he wasn't worried about Clemens.
"His stuff was as good as last time and I think if we can continue
to see that stuff, we'll be fine," said Torre, whose club has now
lost three of its last four after an eight-game winning streak.
Milton struck out seven and walked two before turning the game
over to Minnesota's bullpen in the seventh.
The Twins jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Clemens walked Walker and Cristian Guzman before Matt Lawton's single loaded the bases.
Walker scored on Ron Coomer's infield out and Butch Huskey's
two-out single to left scored Guzman and Lawton.
Tino Martinez's RBI single gave the Yankees a run in the first
inning and Clemens retired 13 straight Twins before walking Huskey
with two out in the sixth.
Paul O'Neill opened the Yankees' sixth with a single to left
before Williams hit what appeared to be a routine fly to left. But
Jones lost the ball in the sun, giving the Yankees runners on first
and second with none out.
Milton's wild pitch advanced the runners and then Martinez
singled to right, scoring O'Neill while Williams stopped at third.
After Jorge Posada tapped back to Milton, Shane Spencer hit a
sacrifice fly to left to score Williams with the tying run.
Clemens struck out nine and walked four, allowing five hits and
five runs in 6 2/3 innings. The nine strikeouts raised his career
total to 3,344, moving him into eighth place past Phil Niekro on
the career strikeout list.
Minnesota got two runs in the ninth off reliever Jeff Nelson
when Huskey opened with a walk. Jones' doubled him to third and
LeCroy delivered a sacrifice fly. Then a throwing error charged to
Spencer allowed Jones to score.
Game notes
Lawton's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to
a career high 11 games. ... The Twins have not won a season series
from the Yankees since 1992 and are now 12-22 since then at Yankee
Stadium. ... Knoblauch missed the game with a mild sprain of his
left wrist, suffered while swinging a bat in Toronto on Sunday. He
was replaced by Clay Bellinger. ... Scott Brosius, who has been on
the disabled list since April 4 with a pulled ribcage muscle,
played six innings for the Gulf Coast Yankees in the rookie league,
going 1-for-4, and is expected to join the team in New York
Tuesday.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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RECAPS
Minnesota 7
NY Yankees 3
Chi. White Sox 8
Baltimore 2
Texas 5
Boston 4
Anaheim 10
Detroit 4
Toronto 3
Oakland 2
Cleveland 6
Seattle 0
NY Mets 1
Los Angeles 0
Colorado 0
St. Louis 0
Florida 3
Philadelphia 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Roger Clemens says he feels good.
wav: 64 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Joe Torre wants victories for his starting pitchers.
wav: 112 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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