Indians - Yankees : 6-3 Four homers help New York avoid the Sweep.

The Yankees went from zero runs on Wednesday to four homers and six runs on Thursday to avoid getting swept by the Cleveland Indians.

Paul Byrd gave up five runs on eight hits in six and a third innings.  Masa Kobayashi came on in relief and immediately gave up another dinger in the loss.

Byrd was roughed up for three runs in a two homer fourth.  The first home run was to Johnny Damon with nobody out.  A Jeter single led to Bobby Abreu grounding into a double play.  With two out, Matsui singled and Jason Giambi homered, allowing the Yankees a 3-0 lead after four.

The Indians offense went to work in the fifth with a bit of small ball.  Ben Francisco, an offensive catalyst since being recalled from AAA,  was hit by a pitch.  Franklin Gutierrez singled Francisco to third.  Ryan Garko popped out for the first out of the inning.  Casey Blake, who has been clutch all year with runners in scoring position, drove both men in with a double to right.   He ended up on third after all was said and done.  Shoppach singled Blake in, but Sizemore and Carroll flied out and struck out respectively, killing the rally.  It did, however tie up the contest, at least for a minute.

The Yankees broke back on top in the bottom of the fifth, scoring their only run of the game that wasn’t a result of a home run.  Cano doubled and Damon doubled with a couple outs in between, to score Cano.  Jeter grounded out and finished off the Yankees.

The sixth and the top of the seventh were pretty quiet, then the Yankees went yard on Paul Byrd and chased him from the game.  Kobayashi wasn’t any better, surrendering a homer to Betemit and making the score 6-3 Yanks.

Other than a Francisco double in the ninth, the Tribe couldn’t generate any offense, and they lost in a whimper 6-3.

Gutierrez had two hits for the Indians, with Sizemore, Shoppach, Blake and Francisco each registering one. 

The Yankees out-hit Cleveland 9-6.  Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 9^th save of the season.  Chamberlain came on to redeem his Wednesday nights performance, holding the Indians hitless in his one inning of work.  Mike Mussina got the win.  Paul Byrd the loss. 

The Indians return home Friday for a four game set against the Toronto Blue Jays.  Game time is 7:05.  In a battle of  Aces, Roy Halladay pitches against C.C. Sabathia.   Halladay is 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA this year.  Sabathia is 1.5 with a 7.51 ERA.