Rookie Duncan Fits Right Into the Yankees' High-Powered Offense

Yankees 21, Devil Rays 4

When the fourth inning was done — after the Yankees had batted around, after 10 runs had scored and it had taken 29 minutes to record three outs — the thrashing that led to the Yankees’ 21-4 victory against Tampa Bay yesterday was still not complete. The Devil Rays had barely dipped into their woeful bullpen at that point, so the Yankees had plenty of time to pad the lead in their latest laugher.


thrash v. (用棍，鞭等)打，痛擊；【口】大勝，擊敗
dip into 舀，掏
woeful a. 悲慘的，令人遺憾的



There would be a chance for Shelley Duncan, who made his major league debut Friday and who began the day as the designated hitter to give Johnny Damon a rest, to emerge as a folk hero in the mold of Shane Spencer. He hit two home runs yesterday, one a three-run shot in the endless fourth, giving him three homers for his career. That is 495 fewer than Alex Rodriguez has.


emerge v. (從困境中)出頭；浮現(+from)
folk a. 民間的，通俗的
mold n. 類型


A few minutes after Duncan took his second curtain call of the day in the sixth inning, Rodriguez smashed a pitch into the left-field seats for his 34th home run this season and the 498th of his career. In the eighth inning, a two-run home run by Robinson Canó put the Yankees’ run tally at 20.

curtain call 要求演員謝幕的掌聲或歡呼聲

By the time the Devil Rays wearily departed the Bronx, the Yankees had scored 45 runs in 28 hours, a testament to how efficiently even a team with significant issues just a few weeks ago can take advantage of the truly troubled.


wearily adv. 疲倦地，消沉地
testament n. 證明，證據(+to)


The 10 runs in the fourth were the most the Yankees had scored in an inning this season, and the six home runs in the game — one of which was a solo shot by Hideki Matsui, who had a game-high five hits — were their most in a game in two years. All just hours after they scored 17 runs in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

“I've never seen anything like these last two days,” Manager Joe Torre said. “Even in batting practice you don't get hits every time you swing the bats. This was incredible.”

It is nothing new for the Devil Rays to serve as a balm for whatever ails their opponents. As the Yankees try to claw their way into playoff contention, Tampa Bay pitching provided a weekend of feel-good moments for an offense that earlier this season could have used a fraction of these runs. And one that may need more days — and more opponents — like this as the summer wanes.


balm n. 香油；安慰(物)；鎮痛軟膏
ail v. 使...痛苦，使...苦惱
claw v. 費力地奮回
wane n. 衰退期


The Yankees are 9-3 since the All-Star Game break and they have played only Tampa Bay and Toronto, both of which have losing records. Tonight they begin a seven-game trip against two more of baseball's woebegone franchises — Kansas City and Baltimore — trailing the Red Sox by seven and a half games. In all, the Yankees will play 16 more games against teams with losing records before going to Cleveland on Aug. 10.


woebegone a. 悲哀的
franchise n. 特權


“You feel like you should beat teams that aren't quite as strong in terms of record,” said Andy Pettitte (6-6), who allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out eight.

Not that it was an easy day for Pettitte. He sat for so long during the bottom of the fourth — he guessed 40 minutes — that he eventually went into the clubhouse and threw a ball against a wall, just to loosen up. He acknowledged later that as the inning wore on and the scoreboard lit up like a pinball machine, he began to think that it would be O.K. if the Yankees made an out or two.


wear on 緩慢地進行
light up 點燃
pinball machine 彈球機


Afterward, he struggled to locate his pitches. But while Pettitte suffered, Duncan reveled in his star turn. Because the Yankees’ Class AAA team in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was on a trip when Duncan’s contract was purchased Friday, Duncan has been on the road for 11 days. He had a clubhouse attendant do his laundry as soon as he arrived Friday, and by yesterday he found himself rounding the bases while the score of “The Natural” played in the background.


revel in 著迷，陶醉
round v. 環繞...而行


“It’s a crazy experience,” Duncan said.

In the dugout, as the fans stood for Duncan, Torre turned to Rodriguez. “I said to Alex, You’re not the guy anymore,” Torre said.