Yankees Win in Rout

Robin Ventura drove in six suns and Alfonso Soriano had a career-high five hits to help the defending American League champion New York Yankees win their sixth consecutive game since an opening-day loss, 16-3, over the Toronto Blue Jays Monday at Toronto.

“Our pitchers are unbelievable, and our hitting is starting to come around. It’s going to be a lot of fun this year,” New York’s Jason Giambi said.

Soriano and Ventura each hit three-run homers and rookie Nick Johnson added a two-run shot for the Yankees, who had 22 hits, including nine in an eight-run sixth inning. David Wells won his second consecutive start, breezing past the team the Yankees had traded him to three years ago.

“A lot of people get intimidated by the offense that we have,” Wells said. “As long as we go out and throw strikes and make good pitches I think that we’ll just let the other team psyche themselves out.”

New York sent 13 men to the plate in the sixth, its biggest inning since a nine-run eighth during a 22-1 rout of Boston on June 19, 2000.

Cleveland 9, Minnesota 5--Travis Fryman hit a grand slam, Ellis Burks and Matt Lawton homered and the Indians cruised in their home opener.