Yanks give Giambi 1st start of playoffs

Jason Giambi got his first start of the playoffs Sunday night, inserted into the New York Yankees' lineup for Game 3 against Cleveland. The Indians also made a lineup change by putting Trot Nixon in right field _ and it paid off big when he improved his eye-popping numbers against Roger Clemens.

Nixon hit a solo home run in the second inning, making him 16-for-40 (.400) against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with five homers, five doubles, eight walks and 13 RBIs. Those are combined stats for the regular season and playoffs.

With the Yankees looking for more offense as they tried to stave off elimination in the best-of-five playoff series, Giambi batted sixth and replaced defensive whiz Doug Mientkiewicz at first base.

Slumping slugger Hideki Matsui was New York's designated hitter, batting seventh, with leadoff man Johnny Damon playing left field.

Giambi had just one plate appearance as the Yankees combined for only four runs in the first two games of the series at Cleveland. He singled as a pinch-hitter in the opener, late in a 12-3 loss.

The 2000 AL MVP with Oakland, Giambi hit .236 with 14 homers and 39 RBIs this year during a season interrupted by injury. He had only 254 at-bats, but walked 40 times to give him a respectable .356 on-base percentage.

Giambi entered 6-for-14 (.429) with two homers and five walks against the Indians' starting pitcher in Game 3, Jake Westbrook.

"That, plus the fact we really haven't done anything offensively. Our ballclub scoring four runs and three of them on home runs is not our identity," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We need to put men on base, get them in the stretch, make them think about what we're going to do."

Nixon batted in the No. 8 hole for the Indians. Franklin Gutierrez and Jason Michaels each started a game in right field early in the series.

"We don't have a great deal of experience with Roger. Trot has more than anybody. He's had some success. He knows Yankee Stadium," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "I think he deserves to be in there today."