ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 4 (UPI) -- In the first meeting of the year between teams at the opposite end of the payroll spectrum, the New York Yankees hit five home runs Friday night en route to a 12-2 blasting of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Bernie Williams and Raul Mondesi each had four of the 18 hits for the Yankees, who are off to a 4-0 start. They have scored at least eight runs in each game, outscoring their opponents, 39-14.
Since 1900, only two other teams have scored at least eight runs in their first four games -- the 1978 Milwaukee Brewers and 1995 Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have done it against teams that finished a combined 73 1/2 games out of first place in 2002.
The richest team in baseball, the Yankees already had a laugher on their hands when Jason Giambi stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth inning. He appeared to fly out to right field, ending the inning.
With the Devil Rays running off the field, Mankees manager Joe Torre jogged out to meet with umpires because Giambi's ball hit the catwalk in right-center field. The umpires huddled and correctly ruled a home run.
Giambi's homer gave each Yankee in the starting lineup at least one hit. Williams, Robin Ventura, Jorge Posada and Alfonso Soriano also homered.
Lost in the explosion was the peformance of David Wells (1-0), who stepped to the mound for the first time since his controversial spring. He labored through the first inning but lasted eight, allowing one run and seven hits with four strikeouts.
Wells was fined $100,000 by the Yankees for making unflattering comments about some teammates in his controversial autobiography, then angered owner George Steinbrenner by refusing to participate in a magazine photo session.
Steve Parris (0-1) took the loss for the Devil Rays, who have lost four straight by a combined score of 42-20 after a dramatic Opening Day win over Boston.
