D’backs 6
Yankees 1
PHOENIX – Considering how many large biceps surround Yankee pitchers, the feeling among the hurlers is basic.
“With the way we have been swinging the bats, everybody who goes out there and throws five or six decent innings has a chance to win,” pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said.
Well, Jon Lieber did more than that, limiting the Diamondbacks to two runs through seven frames. But knuckleballer Steve Sparks and Elmer Dessens were mysteries Yankee hitters didn’t solve last night at Bank One Ballpark, where the Yankees dropped a 6-1 decision in front of a sold-out crowd of 48,252.
Sparks and Dessens limited the Yankees to four hits, one of which was Alex Rodriguez’ 16th homer in the sixth that tied the score at 1-1. Yet, Sparks didn’t dominate the Yankees’ sticks, issuing seven walks in seven innings though none of them turned into runs.
“We had a couple of spots where we hit the ball hard but he got outs when he needed them,” Joe Torre said of Sparks, who stranded two runners in the first, second and seventh innings and induced Lieber to bang into an inning-ending double play that killed a scoring chance in the fifth.
The Yankees’ lineup started the night batting .415 (61-for-147) against Sparks.
Lieber, who is still adjusting to coming back from Tommy John surgery and missing all of last season, gave up two runs in the eighth and was replaced by Felix Heredia with Danny Bautista on third and no outs.
The loss stopped the Yankees’ winning streak at four and reduced their AL East lead over the Red Sox to 4½ games going into Los Angeles for a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Sparks, who hadn’t won since April 22 in a relief appearance, gave up one run on three hits, walked seven and fanned three. He is 3-4.
“That was the best I felt in a while,” said Lieber, who allowed four runs and nine hits and is 5-4. He has dropped three of his last four decisions. “I felt I had good life on the ball.”
According to Torre, Lieber paid for two flat sliders: one Juan Brito hit for his first major league homer in the seventh and another Bautista drilled for a double in the eighth. Lieber agreed with his boss.
“It was inconsistent at times and it came back to haunt me,” Lieber said. “You have to make pitches late in the game.”
Had the Yankees done better against Sparks, Lieber would have pitched well enough to win. But they didn’t take advantage of the walks and two balls Derek Jeter crushed were caught by Bautista in right field. And center fielder Steve Finley robbed Jorge Posada of an extra base hit.
Despite Sparks not taxing his arm through 125 pitches, manager Bob Brenly summoned Dessens to start the eighth and the move worked since Dessens retired A-Rod on a grounder, fanned the slumping Jason (2-for-23) Giambi looking and retired Gary Sheffield on a routine fly to left.
The Diamondbacks scored four in the eighth. Finley, who went 3-for-4 off Lieber opened with a single and scored from first on Bautista’s double to right-center. When Bernie Williams juggled the ball at the wall, Bautista went to third.
Heredia surfaced to face left-handed hitting Luis Gonzalez but Heredia walked him. That brought Bret Prinz into the game and he gave up a two-run double to Shea Hillenbrand that gave Arizona a 5-1 bulge. Brito’s RBI single made it 6-1.