Yankee HRs top Orioles
Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter homered to back a solid pitching performance by Javier Vazquez and the New York Yankees beat Sidney Ponson and the Orioles, 5-2, last night in Baltimore.
Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning to tie the game, and Jeter gave the Yankees the lead for good with a two-run drive in the fifth. Both homers came off Ponson (3-10), who lost his seventh straight start.
Vazquez (8-5) allowed two runs in the first inning, then blanked the Orioles over the next six. The righthander, who allowed nine hits, is 5-1 in his last seven starts.
Tom Gordon followed with one scoreless inning and Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 28th save in 29 chances.
Devil Rays 19, Blue Jays 13 -- A day after their club-record 12-game winning streak ended, Tampa Bay set team records for runs and hits in a win in Toronto. Jose Cruz Jr., Carl Crawford, and Geoff Blum homered for the Devil Rays, who finished with 24 hits, three more than their previous mark, set at Boston last July 24.
Julio Lugo went 5 for 7 to set a team record for hits, and Tampa Bay tied its record with 11 walks.
Rangers 9, Mariners 7 -- Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 18th, ending the longest major league game of the season. Soriano hit his 10th home run to left off Jamie Moyer (6-3) after Hank Blalock led off with a single.
The game -- which featured 16 pitchers, including Moyer's first relief appearance in eight years -- lasted 5 hours 47 minutes -- 43 minutes longer than the first two games of the series combined.
Tigers 12, Royals 3 -- Ivan Rodriguez had three doubles, a single, and four RBIs to help visiting Detroit stop a five-game losing streak.
Nate Robertson (6-3) combined with two relievers on a four-hitter for Detroit, which finished with 17 hits, including seven doubles.
Athletics 2, Angels 1 -- Mark Mulder matched his career best by winning his seventh straight decision and Jermaine Dye hit a two-run homer that led Oakland at Anaheim, Calif.
Mulder (9-2) pitched his major league-leading fourth complete game, allowing four hits. He struck out five and walked three.
White Sox 7, Indians 1 -- Jose Valentin hit a three-run homer in the first inning and host Chicago tacked on four runs in the eighth.
