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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The last time Kent Mercker was on Edison
Field's mound, he was doubled over in pain from a brain hemorrhage.
The sight of Mercker back on that mound Saturday night was
inspiring to Troy Glaus.
|  | | Kent Mercker's return to the mound Saturday night inspired Troy Glaus, who homered twice and had a career-high five RBI in Anaheim's victory. |
"The chance to see Kent again do what he loves was a highlight
for everybody," Glaus said after his two homers, including a grand
slam, led the Anaheim Angels over the New York Yankees 9-6 Saturday
night. "It gave a great lift for all of us. He is a very
influential part of this team, and it was great to see him pitching
in a game again."
Mercker didn't win, being limited to 74 pitches in 3 2/3
innings. But the left-hander scored a far bigger victory by
completing his comeback from the harrowing events of May 11, when
he was felled by bleeding in his brain while pitching against
Texas.
"I hope this is the last time I have to talk about it," said
Mercker, who was not happy with his performance and admitted he may
have been too pumped up. "I'm glad to have been able to return, but
that's no excuse for going out there and pitching poorly, the way I
did."
Mercker received a standing ovation from fans along the
third-base line as he made his way in from the bullpen after
warming up, then left the mound to another standing ovation.
In between, he gave up three runs and five hits with three walks
and one strikeout. He left with a 6-2 lead.
"I had too much energy," Mercker said. "I stood around for
three months, and I tried to make up for it in one game, and that
got me in trouble."
Mercker repeatedly pitched out of trouble. With two men on and
one out in the third, he retired Paul O'Neill and Brian Williams on
infield grounders.
The Yankees loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth. Mercker
got Scott Brosius to fly out to shallow right and retired Luis Sojo
on a foul pop.
Lou Pote (1-0) then took over to allow an RBI single to Derek
Jeter that made it 6-3; Glenallen Hill, running from second, also
tried scoring on the hit but was out at home on Tim Salmon's throw.
Glaus had a career-high five RBIs and his fifth two-homer game
of the season.
Hill's sixth homer in 36 at-bats since New York acquired him
from the White Sox put the Yankees ahead in the second, but Denny
Neagle (2-3) had his third straight shaky outing, allowing six runs
in the bottom half.
Neagle forced in the tying run with a bases loaded-walk to Benji
Gil, allowed the slam and then, one out later, left after Mo
Vaughn's 28th homer.
Neagle gave up three walks, five hits and six runs in 1 2/3
innings, his shortest outing since he got just one out for
Pittsburgh against Houston on July 15, 1994.
"In a nutshell, I stunk," Neagle said. "It was one of those
nights when I just couldn't get comfortable from the get-go. It all
felt foreign to me."
Shigetoshi Hasegawa got four outs for his fifth save in 10
chances, and hasn't allowed an earned run in 15 appearances and 25
1/3 innings.
Anaheim scored three times in the bottom half against Dwight
Gooden on Glaus' 34th homer and Garret Anderson's two-run double,
his third double of the game.
Jeter, who went 3-for-5, hit a two-run double in the seventh off
Mike Holtz and Jose Canseco hit a solo homer in the eighth.
Canseco's second homer since the Yankees claimed him on waivers
from Tampa Bay was a 435-foot drive into the rocks beyond the
left-center field fence.
It also was the 442nd of his career, tying Dave Kingman for 23rd
place.
Game notes
Jorge Posada's third-inning walk was his 79th of the
season, topping Wally Schang's 1921 total to set a Yankees record
for catchers. ... Glaus has seven career multihomer games. ...
Angels RF Tim Salmon left with a tight left groin after scoring on
Anderson's fourth-inning double. ... The game drew 43,394, the
Angels' fourth sellout of the season.
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