Orioles rise up to put down Sabathia

CC Sabathia had no reason to expect his game plan, the one that has been nearly perfect against Baltimore throughout his career, would fail him as he tried for his first 20-win season.

The newly pesky Orioles had other ideas.

Adam Jones capped a three-run first inning with a two-run single and Jake Arrieta made the lead stand up, lifting visiting Baltimore to a 6-2 victory over the New York Yankees last night.

"They kind of took my aggressiveness away," Sabathia said. "I'm trying to be agressive in the strike zone and they were swinging early. They put some good swings on some balls."

Buoyed by five early runs, Arrieta worked into the seventh inning to earn his second win in 10 starts, helping Baltimore clinch its second straight series win against the top two teams in the AL East; the Orioles took two of three games from Tampa Bay last weekend. Winners of four straight, they can complete their first three-game sweep in the Bronx in 24 years today.

Last-place Baltimore is 21-13 under Buck Showalter, who managed the Yankees from 1992-95.

Sabathia (19-6) came in 4-0 this season and 13-1 overall against the Orioles, but the big lefty was off his form from the start in the Yankees' third straight loss.

"I don't think about the past," Showalter said. "We have to worry about now."

Sabathia gave up four hits, three runs and a walk before getting an out, then allowed a long two-run homer to Nolan Reimold with two outs in the third. The loss ended Sabathia's streak of 21 starts at Yankee Stadium without a defeat. He had been 16-0 since early July 2009.

Arrieta didn't give up a hit until the fifth, when Lance Berkman led off with a single.His first career win came against New York on June 10.

In other games:

* At Boston, the Tampa Bay Rays hit five home runs to support David Price's strong six-inning performance and beat the Red Sox, 14-5, to gain a game in the AL East race. The Rays broke a three-game losing streak and cut the Yankees' division lead to 1 1/2 games.

Price (17-6) gave up two runs before retiring a batter but allowed just two more hits, both by Victor Martinez. Boston's 2-0 lead held up until Ben Zobrist's two-run homer in the third off Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-5). The Rays added homers by Jason Bartlett, Evan Longoria, Dan Johnson and B.J. Upton. Boston had not allowed a homer in its previous six games.

* At Minneapolis, Jim Thome hit another towering homer, Delmon Young drove in four runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 10-3, to take a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL Central. Francisco Liriano (13-7) raised his second-half record to 7-0 in 10 starts.

* At Toronto, Vernon Wells hit two home runs, Adam Lind and John Buck also connected and the Blue Jays beat Texas, 8-5, for their seventh consecutive victory over the Rangers. The Blue Jays lead the majors with 215 home runs.

* At Detroit, Justin Verlander (15-8) allowed five hits over seven innings and the Tigers ended the Chicago White Sox' seven-game winning streak with a 9-1 rout.