Chisox Ground Yanks While Clemens Rests

Tuesday, June 5th 2007, 7:56 am

By: News On 6

Forget knocking Yankees starter Matt DeSalvo out of the game. The Chicago White Sox knocked him all the way back down to Triple-A. Jon Garland pitched into the ninth inning and the White Sox chased DeSalvo early in a 6-4 win over New York, putting a quick end to any positive vibes the Yankees were feeling after taking a weekend series from the Boston Red Sox.

DeSalvo was called up from Scranton/Wilkes Barre to start in place of Roger Clemens, who pushed back his 2007 debut because of a sore groin. Clemens is expected to start Saturday against Pittsburgh.

DeSalvo (1-3) allowed three runs and four hits. He walked a batter and hit Rob Mackowiak after Paul Konerko led off the second inning with a single.

``We're asking him to do something he may not be ready to do just yet,'' manager Joe Torre said. ``You've got to sort of give him a pass, even though when you pitch at this level, expectations are higher. In all fairness to him, he certainly didn't figure in our plans.''

After Juan Uribe singled to load the bases in the second, Joe Crede sent a slow roller toward third baseman Alex Rodriguez _ who stepped on the base but bounced the throw to first. Konerko scored the first run, and the second one came in when first baseman Josh Phelps threw the ball into left field trying to start a double play on Jerry Owens' grounder.

Iguchi then drove in Crede with a single to right-center that made it 3-0, and Yankees manager Joe Torre decided he had seen enough of DeSalvo.

``I belong here, I think,'' DeSalvo said. ``I just need to get myself situated, get my pitches back. ... Some days, you just don't have your best stuff.''

In other AL games Monday, it was: Tampa Bay 4, Kansas City 2; Los Angeles 16, Minnesota 3; Seattle 7, Baltimore 4; and Oakland 5, Boston 4 in 11 innings.

Garland (3-4) allowed seven hits while striking out three and walking three for host Chicago, which won for just the second time in nine games.

``I guarantee there's no team in the Central that's counting us out,'' Garland said. ``I feel we can go out and pull off a streak, and win 10 in a row or 10 out of 12 and be right back where we need to be.''

For the Yankees, the only good news came on the medical front.

Clemens' MRI exam on Monday in Tampa, Fla., revealed some disrupted scar tissue _ nothing that should prevent The Rocket from starting Saturday. And Andy Pettitte felt better one day after leaving his start at Boston with a stiff lower back. He expects to pitch Friday against the Pirates.

Devil Rays 4, Royals 2

At St. Petersburg, Fla., James Shields (5-0) took a two-hitter into the eighth inning _ after pitching a complete game in his last start _ and Carlos Pena homered for the second straight day to lead the Devil Rays.

Relievers Casey Fossum, Shawn Camp and Gary Glover protected a one-run lead through the eighth and closer Al Reyes came on in the ninth for his 14th save.

Pena's homer to right-center off Gil Meche (3-5) was his 11th of the season. Meche, who has lost four straight decisions, allowed three runs and four hits in six-plus innings.

Angels 16, Twins 3

Gary Matthews Jr. had four hits, including his third career grand slam, and Orlando Cabrera matched his career high with four hits to help host Los Angeles rout Minnesota.

Vladimir Guerrero added three hits and Casey Kotchman, Mike Napoli and Garret Anderson also homered for the Angels, who are off to the best start in franchise history at 37-22.

Jered Weaver (5-3) won his fourth straight decision, allowing a run and eight hits over seven innings with four strikeouts and a walk.

Boof Bonser (4-2) gave up six runs and 12 hits in 5 1-3 innings to lose for the first time in five starts.

Mariners 7, Orioles 4

At Seattle, Ichiro Suzuki drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the eighth as the Mariners put together a four-run, two-out rally.

George Sherrill (2-0) got the win, retiring two batters in the eighth. J.J. Putz pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Suzuki's leadoff homer off Baltimore starter Erik Bedard was his 25th, tying him with Brian Downing for 14th on the career list.

Chad Bradford (0-2) took the loss, yielding two runs on two hits in 2-3 of an inning.

Athletics 5, Red Sox 4, 11 innings

Eric Chavez hit a two-out homer in the 11th inning to spoil visiting Boston's dramatic ninth-inning rally.

Mark Ellis hit for the cycle for the first time in his career, completing it with a broken-bat bloop single in the 10th inning. Ellis hit a two-run triple in the second, a solo homer in the fourth, and a double in the sixth.

Chavez left no doubt on his eighth homer of the season, this one off Kyle Snyder (1-1), ending a game with a homer for just the second time in his career. Santiago Casilla (1-0) earned his first major-league victory for the A's.