Yankees Ride Soriano’s Coattails

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees needed a jump start. Again, Alfonso Soriano provided the spark.

Soriano homered and scored three times, and the Yankees roughed up Mark Mulder to defeat the Oakland Athletics, 8-5, Sunday and avert a three-game sweep.

“He does a lot of things,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “He certainly did a nice job today.”

Soriano’s leadoff single started a three-run first as the Yankees broke their 17-inning scoreless streak. He doubled with two out to key a two-run second.

“I think my job is to get on base, not to hit home runs,” Soriano said.

Maybe, but he hit his 29th homer in the sixth, when the Yankees tagged Mulder (13-7) for a season-high eight runs.

“The Soriano homer, I thought it was a pretty good pitch,” Mulder said. “That was the only pitch all day where I made the pitch I wanted and they hit it. He just got to it.”

Jason Giambi drove in three runs against his former team, helping the American League East leaders maintain a four-game advantage over Boston and avert their first three-game losing streak since May 22-24.

Mike Mussina (14-6) continued to struggle, yet wound up with the victory. In his last three starts, he has given up 16 runs and 36 hits in 16 innings.

“I’ve got a lot to improve on,” he said. “I’m working hard at it and the guys have been out there supporting me offensively quite a bit.”

Terrence Long homered and made another excellent catch in center field for the Athletics. But he also grounded into two rally-killing double plays.

The Yankees finished 5-4 this year against the wild card-contending Athletics. New York eliminated the A’s from the playoffs in the last two seasons.

Behind Mulder, the Athletics hoped to finish off their first three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium since July 1994.

Instead, Soriano, Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams opened up with singles for a run, and Giambi followed with a bad-hop grounder over second baseman Mark Ellis for a two-run single.

Mulder recovered to strike out the next four batters, but Williams and Giambi hit run-scoring singles in the second.

Jeter, who began the day in a two-for-19 skid, had a run-scoring single in the fourth for a 6-3 lead.

“Well, they finally got some knocks out of the top of the order,” Manager Art Howe said. “The first two games, we were able to keep those guys off base.”

Shane Spencer homered on Mulder’s first pitch in the sixth, and Soriano connected one out later. Soriano is one home run shy of becoming the first second baseman with 30 homers and 30 steals in a season.

Jermaine Dye hit a run-scoring single, and Long followed with his ninth homer to tie the score, 3-3, in the second.