Yankees sweep twin bill from Indians, close in on history

The New York Yankees moved two victories closer to the AL record for wins, sweeping a day-night doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians yesterday. Yankees rookie outfielder Shane Spencer hit two home runs as the Yankees won the opener 10-4. Then Hideki Irabu pitched eight strong innings for a 5-1 victory. The Yankees improved to 109-48. The league record for wins is 111 by the 1954 Indians. "It's something to play for,'" Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez said. "Our division is clinched and we have to keep playing and winning ballgames. I think I'd like to get that record." The Yankees matched the second-highest win total in team history. The 1961 Yankees also won 109 games while the 1927 club won 110. "What means something to me is 111 wins," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. ''Two more would be the most ever for a Yankees team. To me that's significant." The Yankees have five games left to reach the Indians' mark set 44 years ago. "It's a part of our history and we're proud of it,'" Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove said. "But [Mark] McGwire and [Sammy] Sosa have proven this year that records are made to be broken. This franchise has had the record a long time." Irabu (13-9) allowed three singles and a fifth-inning double by Jeff Branson. He struck out seven and walked two. Chad Ogea (5-4) gave up two runs in the first inning on Spencer's RBI single and Chili Davis' sacrifice fly. Spencer went 5-for-7 with three RBIs in the doubleheader. He hit two of the Yankees' four homers in the first game to give New York a total of 201, second-most in team history behind the 240 hit in 1961. "He made a pretty good impression today," Torre said. "He's opened our eyes a little bit with some of the power he's shown." Spencer, Martinez and Scott Brosius homered in a four-run second inning. Spencer homered again in the fourth. Ramiro Mendoza (10-2) allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings and became the sixth Yankees pitcher to win 10 games this year. The last time the Yankees had six 10-game winners was 1977 -- the last team in the majors to accomplish the feat was the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays. Jim Bruske relieved Mendoza and pitched three scoreless innings before Joe Borowski pitched the ninth. Dave Burba (14-10) allowed five runs on eight hits in six innings and surrendered four homers. He was 4-0 in his five starts coming into the game. Martinez hit his 27th homer after Bernie Williams drew a full-count walk to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the second. Spencer connected for his fifth home run and Brosius followed by lining a full-count pitch over the left-center field fence. Spencer homered to center leading off the fourth for a 5-3 lead. The Yankees scored five more runs in the seventh, sparked by a Martinez two-run double.