AL | Igawa helps Yankees end 7-game skid

NEW YORK - Banished to the bullpen, Kei Igawa saved the struggling New York Yankees when they desperately needed him.

Igawa (2-1) shut out the Boston Red Sox for six-plus innings after replacing injured starter Jeff Karstens in the first, and New York snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory yesterday.

Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (2-3) and Mariano Rivera earned his first save to help the Yankees avoid their first eight-game skid since August 1995.

The slump had owner George Steinbrenner seething in Florida, and it raised questions about manager Joe Torre's job security. But the Yanks (9-13) got what they needed, even though they lost another starter to injury.

Karstens was hit in the knee by Julio Lugo's line drive on his first pitch and crumpled to the turf in pain. He tried to stay in, but lasted only six pitches in all.

Orioles 7, Indians 4

CLEVELAND - Umpires added a run to Baltimore's total three innings after it appeared to be waved off in the third, and the Orioles beat Cleveland.

The Indians played the game under protest after crew chief Ed Montague called the official scorer in the bottom of the sixth to add the third-inning run which scored on a sacrifice fly.

It wasn't immediately clear if it was a miscommunication between the official scorer and the umpires, or if the umpires changed their earlier decision.

The bizarre sequence started with Baltimore leading by 2-1 in the top of the third. Nick Markakis was on third base and Miguel Tejada on first with one out when Ramon Hernandez hit a line drive to center field.

Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore made a diving catch. Markakis tagged up, headed for home and appeared to cross the plate before Tejada doubled off first. Plate umpire Marvin Hudson waved off the run.

The umpiring crew conferred separately with Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo and Cleveland manager Eric Wedge twice after the top of the third. After the Indians scored a run in the fifth to tie it at 2, it was announced in the bottom of the sixth that the Orioles' run in the third had counted, giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead.

Corey Patterson hit a two-run double in the eighth inning to help the Orioles snap a five-game losing streak and end the Indians' winning streak at six.

Twins 11, Tigers 3

DETROIT - Justin Morneau homered and Minnesota roughed up Justin Verlander in a win over Detroit.

Morneau had three hits and scored three times for the Twins, who reached base 23 times - 17 hits, five walks and a hit by pitch - against five Tigers pitchers. Every player in their lineup had at least one hit.

Verlander (1-1) had his first poor outing of the year, allowing five runs - three earned - and eight hits in three innings.

Rangers 9, Blue Jays 8

TORONTO - Hank Blalock atoned for an earlier error with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to lift Texas over Toronto.

Michael Young hit a one-out double in the 10th and stole third. Mark Teixeira walked and Sammy Sosa was given a free pass from Brian Tallet (0-1) before Blalock flied out to the warning track in center to drive in Young.

Athletics 12, Devil Rays 5

OAKLAND, Calif. - Travis Buck hit a three-run homer in Oakland's six-run first and Eric Chavez had a three-run drive in the seventh in a win over Tampa Bay.

Mark Ellis added his first homer of the year for the A's. Dan Haren (3-2) struck out a season-high seven and allowed two earned runs in 71/3 innings to win his third straight start.

B.J. Upton homered and went 3 for 4 for the Devil Rays.

Angels 3, White Sox 0

CHICAGO - Jered Weaver (1-2) pitched 52/3 innings for his first win of the season and Gary Matthews Jr. led off the game with a home run to help Los Angeles beat Chicago.

Royals 8, Mariners 3

SEATTLE - Gil Meche (2-1) pitched six innings in his return to Seattle, and Kansas City ended the Mariners' five-game winning streak.

Jeff Weaver (0-4) surrendered five consecutive hits to start the game and didn't make it out of the first inning. He recorded one out, allowing six runs and seven hits to raise his ERA to 18.27.