Melky Cabrera

The New York Yankees removed starting centerfielder Melky Cabrera from the roster before last night's fifth game of the World Series because of a strained hamstring and replaced him with rookie infielder Ramiro Pena. Cabrera, who had been hitting .271 in the postseason, suffered the injury Sunday night while running out a ground ball in the sixth inning of Game 4. After talking to the trainer, he jogged out to his position for the bottom of the sixth but was lifted before play resumed.

Frank Thomas drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single, and host Toronto beat the Yankees last night, 2-1, to snap New York's seven-game winning streak. The Yankees, who fell 5 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East, now head to Fenway Park to begin a three-game series against their rival tonight. Yankees righthander Roger Clemens threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday and said he has "no doubt" he'll return from a sore elbow to start Sunday's series finale.

The Yankees likely will pull out of trade talks for Johan Santana if the Twins don't make a decision by late today. "I'm not going to be played against the Red Sox. That's not something I'll do. That's not something the Yankees should ever do, and that's I think what they're trying to do now," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said yesterday in Nashville, Tenn., site of the winter meetings. The Yankees have proposed swapping pitcher Phil Hughes, centerfielder Melky Cabrera and a midlevel prospect for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who can become a free agent after next season.

Joe Girardi sat behind his desk wearing a fake mustache. Bobby Abreu was busy cleaning up after Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera dumped Gatorade on him. Less than a week after falling nine games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, the New York Yankees are within 6 1/2 of the AL East leaders - and they're beginning to feel good about themselves. "They know we're still around. They know that," Mariano Rivera said after yesterday's 2-1, 10-inning victory over the visiting Rays completed a two-game sweep of the team with the best record in the majors.

Jeter out Derek Jeter, who suffered a bruised instep in the New York Yankees' 12-inning win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night, was held out of the lineup yesterday as the teams completed a three-game series at the Metrodome. Jeter was hurt when he fouled a ball off his foot in the fourth inning. He hobbled around but ultimately stayed in the game, smacking three singles. "He's sore," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "He'll never tell you that he can't play, but by saying that it's kind of sore and it's throbbing all night, you kind of get the feeling that it's pretty rough.

Even without Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees slugged their way to a satisfying blowout against Boston. Jason Giambi and Andy Phillips each hit a three-run homer in a seven-run second inning last night, and the New York Yankees battered old nemesis Josh Beckett in a 13-5 rout of the visiting Boston Red Sox. Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano added two-run doubles in the third, making it an easy night for ace Mike Mussina (8-1) in the opener of a four-game series. Derek sat out with a bruised right thumb after he was hit by a pitch Sunday in Baltimore.

Alex Cintron spotted a pattern, then waited for his pitch. Cintron hit a three-run homer off reliever Fernando Rodney in the eighth inning to lead the host Chicago White Sox to a 4-3 victory over the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers last night. With Detroit ahead, 3-1, Rodney walked Jermaine Dye leading off the eighth and Joe Crede with one out. Cintron then hit a 3-2 pitch out to right for his first homer of the season. "I figured him out," Cintron said.

THE NEW YORK Yankees became the first team in major league history to hit three grand slams in a game, with Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson connecting yesterday in a 22-9 romp over the visiting Oakland Athletics. In nearly a century of storied slugging, the Bronx Bombers never enjoyed a day like this. On a dreary afternoon, some fans headed home with the Yankees trailing, 7-1, after three innings and rain still falling in a game that began after an 89-minute delay.

Hank Steinbrenner thinks the New York Yankees are in a strong position to repeat as World Series champions due to the acquisition of pitcher Javier Vazquez and outfielder Curtis Granderson. Vazquez, obtained from Atlanta, joins a rotation that includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. Granderson, acquired from Detroit, takes over in centerfield from Melky Cabrera, who was sent to the Braves in the Vazquez trade by general manager Brian Cashman.

Robinson Cano singled home the winning run in the 10th inning after Toronto closer Jeremy Accardo balked home the tying run in a wild ninth, and the New York Yankees rallied past the visiting Blue Jays, 3-2, last night. Accardo's meltdown cost Roy Halladay his 11th win after he stymied the Yankees for seven innings in an entertaining pitching duel with Andy Pettitte. Aaron Hill's tiebreaking double off struggling reliever Kyle Farnsworth in the eighth gave Toronto a 2-1 lead. Andy Phillips opened the New York ninth with a single and pinch-runner Miguel Cairo stole second.

THE NEW YORK Yankees became the first team in major league history to hit three grand slams in a game, with Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson connecting yesterday in a 22-9 romp over the visiting Oakland Athletics. In nearly a century of storied slugging, the Bronx Bombers never enjoyed a day like this. On a dreary afternoon, some fans headed home with the Yankees trailing, 7-1, after three innings and rain still falling in a game that began after an 89-minute delay.

Eric Hosmer and Melky Cabrera homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees, 11-5, last night, sending New York to its first home series loss of the season. Robinson Cano homered a day after he was hit in the head with a pitch, and Alex Rodriguez homered for the first time in 65 at-bats. Sean O'Sullivan (2-2) retired his first 13 batters before running into trouble, but pitched into the seventh to give Kansas City its eighth win in 12 games, and knock the Yankees out of first for the first time since April 13. New York lost for the sixth time in nine games and slipped a game behind Tampa Bay just as the archrival Boston Red Sox prepared to come to town for three games.

NEW YORK - Freddy Garcia pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter provided the offense, and the New York Yankees' bullpen made it stand up in a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. Brett Gardner tripled and scored twice as the Yankees won for the eighth time in 10 games at home against the Royals. Kansas City has a major-league-best 15 wins at home but dropped to just 3-9 on the road this season. Garcia (2-2) gave up six hits and a pair of walks in six-plus innings to win for only the second time in nine decisions against the Royals.

Four games into the season, the team that was supposed to win it all hasn't won at all. This isn't what the Boston Red Sox expected. Josh Tomlin outpitched Boston's Josh Beckett, Cleveland came up with just enough timely hits and the Indians kept the visiting Red Sox winless with a 3-1 victory last night over the team many predicted would make it to the World Series this season. "It's not a lot of fun," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But I don't think anyone is going to feel sorry for us. We've got to play the game right and things will work out. " Tomlin (1-0)

CLEARWATER, Fla. ? American League baseball is supposed to be about brute force. The Bronx Bombers, Baltimore's Earl Weaver playing for the three-run homer, the designated hitter. National League baseball is supposed to be about the cerebral approach. Hit to the right side, Whitey Herzog's Cardinals winning despite hitting fewer than a hundred home runs in a season, pitchers batting. Few things fall into neat categories, and baseball lineups are no exception. Take, for example, your Philadelphia Phillies.

Hank Steinbrenner thinks the New York Yankees are in a strong position to repeat as World Series champions due to the acquisition of pitcher Javier Vazquez and outfielder Curtis Granderson. Vazquez, obtained from Atlanta, joins a rotation that includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. Granderson, acquired from Detroit, takes over in centerfield from Melky Cabrera, who was sent to the Braves in the Vazquez trade by general manager Brian Cashman.

There are only two people from whom Milton Bradley has ever wanted to get an autograph. He's about to play with one of them. "Some of the things that happen in your life and as a baseball player are kind of surreal to you. To play with Ken Griffey is one of those," Bradley said of the Mariners star. "It's an absolute blast for me. " The mercurial outfielder is now Griffey's newest teammate. Seattle acquired Bradley yesterday from the Chicago Cubs for expensive and underperforming pitcher Carlos Silva.

The New York Yankees removed starting centerfielder Melky Cabrera from the roster before last night's fifth game of the World Series because of a strained hamstring and replaced him with rookie infielder Ramiro Pena. Cabrera, who had been hitting .271 in the postseason, suffered the injury Sunday night while running out a ground ball in the sixth inning of Game 4. After talking to the trainer, he jogged out to his position for the bottom of the sixth but was lifted before play resumed.

ANAHEIM - When you get to this stage of a series, nearly anything is possible. You try to detect patterns before realizing the whole deal could change on one pitch. As the teams headed back to New York for tonight's scheduled (rain is in the forecast) Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees lead, 3-2. New York won Game 1 after the Angels could not catch the ball. The Yankees won Game 4 decisively. The teams split extra-innings wins in Games 2 and 3. And then Los Angeles won Game 5 on Thursday, 7-6, as the Yankees left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.

The Los Angeles Angels are hoping that a change of scenery will enable them to vault back into their American League Championship Series with the New York Yankees. After an off-day yesterday, the series shifts this afternoon to Anaheim for Game 3, with the Yankees having won the first two games in the best-of-seven series. While many in the East may have fallen asleep, the Yankees and Angels put on quite a show in Game 2 despite damp and dreary conditions in New York. The Yankees prevailed, 4-3, in 13 innings, in an epic battle that started Saturday and ended early yesterday, 5 hours and 10 minutes later.