NEW YORK, Oct 3 - The New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and St Louis
Cardinals struck the first blow in their division series on Tuesday, as some of
baseball's most feared sluggers opened the post-season with a bang.
Frank Thomas (Oakland), Albert Pujols (St Louis), Jason Giambi and Derek
Jeter (both New York) all homered to help their teams to victory, while
Oakland's Barry Zito delivered a classic performance from the mound to outduel
Johan Santana in Minnesota.
In the Bronx, Giambi had a two-run blast and Jeter went five-for-five,
capping a spectacular night with a solo homer, as the Yankees beat the Detroit
Tigers 8-4.
The Tigers limped into the post-season mired in a five game losing streak and
the Yankees showed no mercy, pounding out 14 hits to secure a 1-0 lead in their
American League best-of-five division series.
"It was just one of those days, they don't happen very often in the regular
season or post-season," said Jeter. "In a short series you can't relax, you want
to win the first game at home.
"It was a big win but it means absolutely nothing unless we win tomorrow."
Yankees starter Wang Chien-Ming, who won 19 games in the regular season, went
6 2/3 innings to earn the win before Mariano Rivera finished off the Tigers in
the ninth.
In San Diego, Pujols broke open a scoreless contest in the fourth inning when
he smashed a two-run homer off Padres starter Jake Peavy as the Cardinals beat
the Padres 5-1.
"It was game changing," said Peavy. "You can't give Albert second chances
because he's going to hurt you."
The Cardinals would add another run in the fourth and pushed across runs in
the fifth and sixth to give Chris Carpenter a 5-0 cushion. That would be more
than enough for the lefthander and the Cards took Game One of the NL division
series.
In Minneapolis, Thomas homered to open the scoring in the second inning then
connected on a solo shot to deep left in the ninth to clinch a Game One win for
the AL West division champions in front of a disappointed capacity crowd of
55,542 at the Metrodome.
The 38-year-old slugger becomes the oldest player to have a multi-homer game
in Major League post-season history.
"Like I said, big-timers show up this time of year," said Oakland first
baseman Nick Swisher. "And it doesn't really get any more big-time than Frank
Thomas."
Oakland starter Zito surrendered just one run on four hits and did not allow
his first hit until Rondell White doubled with two out in the fifth.
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