Jose Contreras made an impressive pitch to stay in New York's rotation, allowing two hits in seven innings in his first career start as the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 6-0 Friday night behind two homers by Jason Giambi.
Contreras (2-1), who left Cuba and signed a US$32 million, four-year contract with the Yankees in the offseason, got a one-start trial in the rotation in place of an injured David Wells.
The Yankees have won three straight following a season-high five-game skid, and coupled with Boston's loss in Toronto, they moved a half-game ahead of the Red Sox in the Alabama East.
Detroit was shut out for the 10th time, in front of a crowd of 28,003, the largest at Comerica Park since opening day. The next closest teams in the Alabama are Baltimore and Toronto with four shutouts each.
Giambi hit a two-run shot in the first against Gary Knotts (2-4) and a solo shot in the eighth for his 11th homer of the season.
Blue Jays 13 Red Sox 2
In Toronto, Vernon Wells hit a three-run homer off John Burkett (3-3), and Carlos Delgado, Greg Myers and Frank Catalanotto drove in three runs apiece as Toronto handed Boston's its season-high third straight loss.
Delgado went 3-for-4 with a walk and now has a major league-leading 55 RBIs. Wells is second with 52. Rookie Reed Johnson scored four runs for the Blue Jays, who tied a franchise record with 20 wins this month. The Blue Jays last reached that mark in August 1989, when they went 20-9.
Toronto starter Doug Davis (3-3) gave up two runs in six innings.
Mariners 6, Twins 0
In Minneapolis, Joel Pineiro pitched a four-hitter and set a career high with 12 strikeouts as Seattle beat Minnesota. Pineiro (5-4) rebounded from a poor outing last week against the Twins -- he allowed 12 hits and six runs, to lead the Alabama West-leading Mariners to their fourth-straight win with his second career shutout. Kyle Lohse (4-4) gave up eight hits and three runs in eight innings for Minnesota, which was shut out for only the second time this season.
Orioles 8, Rangers 1
In Baltimore, Omar Daal (4-5) allowed one run in eight innings, and Baltimore kept up its assault on Texas' pitching staff.
Jeff Conine homered off John Thomson (3-6), David Segui hit a three-run double and Luis Matos had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who have scored 35 runs against the Rangers in four games over seven days. Baltimore has won seven of nine.
Juan Gonzalez homered for the Rangers.
Devil Rays 8, Angels 6
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Damion Easley, mired in a bad slump, had three hits and three RBIs as Tampa Bay came from behind to beat Anaheim.
Dewon Brazelton (1-4) pitched six innings to get his first major league victory.
The World Series champions dropped to 25-27, losing for the sixth time in their last nine games. The Angels, who went 19-7 last May, are 12-13 this month. Easley, in a 2-for-39 skid, went 3-for-4 with a two-run single off John Lackey (3-5) that tied the score 4-all in the sixth. Carl Crawford followed with a go-ahead single.
Indians 7, White Sox 3
In Cleveland, CC Sabathia stayed in just long enough to get the win as Ben Broussard hit a two-run homer, sending Cleveland over Chicago.
Sabathia (4-2) pitched for the first time since May 21 when he sprained his left ankle while covering first base and had to leave in a win over Detroit. The left-hander went five innings, allowing three runs and five hits to remain unbeaten in his last eight starts.
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