Posted at 4:40 p.m., Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Baseball: Yankees rout Baltimore, close in on Red Sox
By Jay Cohen
Associated Press
Mussina limited Baltimore to three singles over seven innings, Mientkiewicz hit a three-run homer and the Yankees beat the Orioles 12-0 today.
New York, which has won 11 of 13, closed within 2 1/2 games of the Red Sox in the AL East, the Yankees' smallest division deficit since before play on April 21. They also opened a 4-1/2-game lead over Detroit in the wild-card race.
The Yankee Stadium crowd roared when Boston's 4-3 loss at Toronto was posted on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning. By then, New York had scored in double digits for fourth time this month and 21st time this season.
Mientkiewicz also had an RBI single, and Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui drove in three runs apiece for the Yankees, closing in on their 13th straight playoff appearance. Derek Jeter added three hits.
