Cleveland ? As the ball screamed skyward, Jason Giambi was unaware he had a chance to become the first to hit a home run into the third deck at Jacobs Field.

He had other concerns.

“I was just praying it would hit the foul pole,” Giambi said. “Thank God it did. That would have been tough to call it fair or foul.”

Giambi homered off the top of the 90-foot high pole in right field and tied a team record by scoring five runs as the New York Yankees rolled to a 14-7 win Wednesday night over the Cleveland Indians.

New York led 10-0 after two turns at bat, and made things pretty easy for David Wells (11-5), who wasn’t sharp, but didn’t have to be. The left-hander is 9-1 in 11 starts against Cleveland since 1998.

Wells gave up one earned run and eight hits in seven innings, and won for the fourth time in five starts. He struck out seven and didn’t allow a walk.

“I made some good pitches, I made a few bad ones and I got away with a few of them,” said Wells, who improved to 17-4 in his career against Cleveland.

Wells enjoys beating the Indians as much as any other team after Cleveland fans taunted him during the 1998 ALCS.

“I leave here with a smile every time,” he said.

Giambi matched the club mark for runs done a total of 14 times by 11 different players. The last to do it was Tino Martinez in 1997.

“I’ll take it,” Giambi said. “Slowest guy on the team. I was light-headed by the third inning.”

Giambi added four hits and drove in three runs.

Bernie Williams, Rondell White and Robin Ventura also had three RBIs for New York.

Nick Johnson hit a two-run homer and Derek Jeter scored three times for the Yankees, who pounded rookie Ryan Drese (8-8) and improved to 63-37. New York was 59-41 after 100 games last season.

Giambi, who also had a two-run double, put the Yankees ahead 13-7 in the seventh with his 26th homer, a 455-foot shot to right off Ricardo Rincon that came within a few feet of clearing the pole.

If it hadn’t been knocked down, Giambi’s shot may have been the first ball to reach the Jake’s third deck since the ballpark opened in 1994.

“I touched that ball pretty good,” he said.

White Sox 8, Twins 1

Chicago David Ortiz hit a three-run homer and Torii Hunter had three hits as Minnesota beat Chicago for its ninth win in 11 games. Doug Mientkiewicz and Bobby Kielty also homered for the Twins, who opened a 14-game lead in the AL Central. Chicago, which stranded 12 runners, has lost 15 of 21.

Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2

Baltimore Chris Carpenter won his fourth straight decision, and Carlos Delgado hit the first of three straight RBI singles by Toronto in the eighth inning, leading the resurgent Blue Jays past Baltimore.

Devil Rays 9, Red Sox 5

Boston Andy Sheets hit a three-run home run to highlight a six-run second inning, and Tampa Bay’s bullpen did not allow a run over six innings as the Devil Rays beat Boston.

Rangers 4, Mariners 3

Seattle Kenny Rogers, starting a day after turning down a trade to Cincinnati, pitched eight effective innings as Texas posted a rare victory over Seattle. The Rangers were set to send Rogers to the Reds this week for three minor leaguers, but the left-hander cited family concerns and invoked his no-trade clause.

Angels 5, Athletics 1

Anaheim, Calif. Aaron Sele pitched seven strong innings and Orlando Palmeiro hit a three-run double as Anaheim beat Oakland.