Baltimore – After enduring two rain delays totaling nearly two hours, the New York Yankees regained sole possession of first place in the East with an 11-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
The victory moved the Yankees a half-game ahead of the Boston Red Sox, whose game against the Toronto Blue Jays was rained out.
“I’m not really worried about Boston right now,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. “This is a big series. We’ve got to play well against Baltimore.”
New York has six games remaining – three against the stumbling Orioles, who have lost a season-high nine in a row, and three in Boston to finish the season. Boston must play a day-night doubleheader today, forcing the Red Sox to shuffle their pitching rotation in the middle of a frenzied pennant race.
Randy Johnson (16-8) pitched six innings of shutout ball, Jason Giambi homered to cap a six-run fourth and New York got 12 hits in building an 11-0 lead against the hapless Orioles.
“We’re taking every game like it’s October, because it is for us,” said Alex Rodriguez, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
New York has won seven of eight and 13 of 15 to move a season-high 28 games over .500 (92-64). After starting the season with 19 losses in 30 games, the Yankees are within two games of the Chicago White Sox in the race for the best record in the AL.
And the Red Sox? “Tonight we posted another win,” Rodriguez said. “Now they know where we’re at.”
In first place, looking down at Boston.
“We’ll think about them Friday,” Jeter said.
Angels 4, Athletics 3
Oakland, Calif. – Steve Finley hit a two-run homer, John Lackey (13-5) pitched six strong innings, and Los Angeles moved within one victory of clinching its second consecutive West title.
The Angels opened a five-game lead and lowered their magic number to two. They will send 10-game winner Ervin Santana to the mound against lefty Joe Kennedy to try to finish off the A’s tonight.
Tigers 4, White Sox 3
Detroit – Curtis Granderson’s leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning helped Detroit reduce Chicago’s lead in the Central to two games over the idle Cleveland Indians.
“I don’t know what will happen when I get home,” joked Granderson, who was born in Blue Island, Ill.
The White Sox had a 15-game lead Aug. 1, and if they fail to finish in first, it would be one of the biggest collapses in baseball history.
Brandon Inge hit two homers for the Tigers, who have won three in a row after an eight- game losing streak.
Royals 5, Twins 0
Minneapolis – Rookie J.P. Howell (3-5) pitched five hitless innings before he was pulled, and Angel Berroa homered as Kansas City dealt Minnesota its fourth loss in a row.
