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  Saturday, Jul. 1 4:15pm ET
Martinez (3 RBI) snaps 0-for-15 skid
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The New York Yankees gave themselves a lift Saturday, though not without a fight.

Bobby Smith
Teammates try to restrain Bobby Smith after the Devil Rays batter had a dust-up with Yankees catcher Jorge Posada.

With owner George Steinbrenner in attendance, the two-time defending World Series champions won for only the third time in nine games.

In addition to a 6-1 victory over Tampa Bay, the Boss got to see a bench-clearing brawl, started when the Devil Rays' Bobby Smith tangled with catcher Jorge Posada after striking out on a check swing.

Order in the seventh inning was restored quickly and no other players entered the altercation as participants. Neither Smith nor Posada, who was wrestled to the ground after shoving the Tampa Bay player, were injured.

"I struck out, and I was walking away and I bumped him," Smith said. "I don't know if he thought it was on purpose or whatever, then he shoved me. ... I don't have a problem with anyone. I'm a nice guy. He pushed me, and he had no reason to push me."

Tino Martinez broke an 0-for-15 slump with a single and three-run double, while Orlando Hernandez (7-6) returned to the Yankees rotation after missing two scheduled starts because of a strained right elbow to win for the first time since June 7.

Their performances, however, were overshadowed by the confrontation between Smith and Posada, who were both ejected.

The two bumped as Posada moved forward with the ball and Smith crossed the plate on his way back to the dugout. The catcher spun and shoved Smith before the Devil Rays' third baseman retaliated by throwing a punch and wrestling Posada to the ground, where the players continued to go at each other.

Smith insisted the initial contact was incidental and added neither player said anything to one another. Posada was not available in the clubhouse after the game.

"It looked to me like he got up to throw the ball to third base after the strikeout, and it looked like Smith walked into him, or they met that way," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Then the pushing match started. Then I saw Jorgie reach across, going after him. It was one of those things when you get in the heat of a ballgame, it gets emotional and those things happen."

Hernandez allowed four hits, including Smith's solo homer, in 5 2-3 innings to snap a personal two-game losing streak in his first outing since his shortest appearance of the season against the Chicago White Sox on June 18.

Martinez, who was 2-for-5, is just 9-for-45 through the first 12 games of a season-long, 13-game road trip that ends Sunday. But his bases-loaded double off Mark Guthrie broke the game open after the Yankees wasted numerous opportunities to build on a 2-1 lead.

Paul O'Neill doubled twice and drove in one run off Albie Lopez (4-6). Shane Spencer and Derek Jeter added RBI singles for New York.

Bernie Williams has hit safely in every game on the Yankees road trip, going 23-for-51 (.451) with five homers and 15 RBI. He singled in the second to extend his streak to 12 games and scored on Spencer's RBI hit, then singled and scored on Martinez's double in the seventh.

Still, the Yankees stranded nine runners and were 2-for-12 with men in scoring position before Martinez broke the game open.

"That was big. Hopefully, this gets him going," Torre said.

Hernandez improved to 5-1 against the Devil Rays, with the lone loss coming on May 11 when he limited Tampa Bay to seven hits in a 1-0 complete-game loss to Steve Trachsel. He walked one and struck out three after allowing nine runs in 2/3 of an inning in a 17-4 loss to the White Sox two weeks ago.

The New York ace said he felt fine after throwing 84 pitches, 50 for strikes.

"I was not really concerned about winning or losing. I was more concerned with my health," Hernandez said.

"Tomorrow we'll see how he feels. He may be a little sore," Torre said. "I just hope he's sore in the right places."

Game notes
Randy Choate replaced Hernandez, making his major league debut, with one on and two outs in the sixth. The left-hander retired the only batter he faced, Fred McGriff, on a fly to center ... Yankees 2B Chuck Knoblauch was scratched from the starting lineup because of a left ear infection. He was replaced by Vizcaino, who batted leadoff and went 2-for-3 with a double and triple ... Devil Rays 3B coach Billy Hatcher was ejected in the third inning after reacting to 3B umpire C.B. Bucknor ruling a check swing a strike against Randy Winn ... Jeter fouled off eight straight pitches before taking a called third strike in the third inning.

 


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