Al Leiter escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and the New York Mets beat up rookie Brad Halsey in a six-run fourth that propelled them past the New York Yankees 9-3 on Saturday.
In his first major league game against Hideki Matsui, Kaz Matsui -- who isn't related -- hit a two-run single that opened up a 6-2 lead. Jose Reyes had a big single and a key stolen base, and every Mets starter except Mike Cameron had a hit.
"The atmosphere, the energy, the voltage was high," Kaz Matsui said after playing his first game at Yankee Stadium. "There's probably nothing like it anywhere else."
PHOTO: AP
The Mets finished with 12 hits and stopped a seven-game losing streak against their crosstown rival, pulling back to .500 at 36-36.
"They beat us up," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "There's not much to talk about. We couldn't get them out."
Derek Jeter, celebrating his 30th birthday, was a quiet 2-for-4 for the Yankees, who are 24-13 against the Mets in the regular season since interleague play began in 1997. Alex Rodriguez, in his first game against the Mets since he was dealt to the Yankees last winter, was 0-for-5 and stranded seven runners, including five on second or third.
PHOTO: AP
Phillies 9, Red Sox 2
In Boston, Jim Thome hit his major league-leading 26th home run as Philadelphia took advantage of a season-high four Boston errors to score five unearned runs.
A day after Boston broke out with an eight-run inning and 12 runs in all -- Philadelphia's worst loss of the season -- the Phillies responded with a big inning of their own. They scored five in the fourth to break open the game -- four unearned, thanks to errors by pitcher Bronson Arroyo and first baseman Kevin Millar.
Thome's homer was his 14th of the month, one shy of the franchise record set by Cy Williams in May, 1923. It was his 10th homer in 13 interleague games -- and his 44 since interleague play began in 1997 are the most in the majors.
Ryan Madson (5-2) allowed four hits and struck out four in 2 1-3 innings.
Blue Jays 10, Expos 5
In Toronto, Miguel Batista pitched seven strong innings, and Frank Menechino and Reed Johnson hit home runs to lead Toronto over Montreal.
The Blue Jays won despite missing their top three hitters: first baseman Carlos Delgado, center fielder Vernon Wells and left fielder Frank Catalanotto, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained right groin.
White Sox 6, Cubs 3
In Chicago, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede homered in a five-run third to back a solid six-inning effort from rookie right-hander Felix Diaz as the Chicago White Sox downed the Cubs.
Jose Valentin added a solo homer in the seventh for the White Sox, who lead the majors in scoring and tied the interleague series between the teams at 1-1.
Diaz (1-1) allowed three runs and six hits for his first big league victory in a frenetic setting at US Cellular Field. Shingo Takatsu pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in as many chances, extending his scoreless streak to 25 1-3 innings.
Angels 7, Dodgers 5
In Los Angeles, Garret Anderson's second two-run homer drove in the go-ahead runs in the eighth, and Vladimir Guerrero added a two-run shot and scored three times to help Anaheim rally past Los Angeles.
Anderson's sixth homer off Guillermo Mota (3-3) followed a leadoff single by Guerrero and snapped a 5-5 tie.
Braves 5, Orioles 0
In Baltimore, Russ Ortiz pitched seven scoreless innings to blank Baltimore and earn his first victory in June for Atlanta.
Ortiz (7-6) allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out four. He was 0-2 in four starts this month after going 4-1 in May. John Smoltz earned his 12th save and sealed the Braves' third win in 10 games.
Atlanta got all the offense it needed in the first inning against Rodrigo Lopez (5-4).
Rangers 8, Astros 7
In Arlington, Texas, Hank Blalock matched a career high with four hits, including the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, to lead the Texas over Houston for its eighth straight win.
Blalock went 4-for-5, and his 18th homer came with two outs off Dan Miceli (3-3).
Devil Rays 6, Marlins 4
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Carl Crawford drove in three runs, including a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh, and Tampa Bay beat Florida to tie a major league record with their 13th straight interleague victory.
The Devil Rays also became the first team in major league history to climb above .500 at any point in a season after being 18 games below, continuing a surge during which they've compiled baseball's best record -- 26-7 -- since May 20.
Tampa Bay was 10-28 after losing 19 of 22 from April 25-May 19. But their turnaround, which included a club-record 12-game winning streak, has them at 36-35 -- the latest point in a season they've been above .500.
The Devil Rays improved the majors' best interleague record to 13-1 by matching the 13-game run the New York Yankees began against National League opponents last year and ended on June 11.
Reliever Jorge Sosa (2-0) pitched three scoreless innings to get the win. Josias Manzanillo (0-1) was the loser.
Indians 4, Rockies 3, 12 innings
In Cleveland, Ben Broussard lined a game-winning double in the 12th as Cleveland defeated Colorado.
The Indians lost ace C.C. Sabathia, who left with a sore shoulder after retiring the side in the first on only eight pitches and was taken for an MRI.
Jody Gerut singled with one out off former Indians reliever Steve Reed (1-2). Broussard then lined a 3-2 pitch the opposite way to left-center and Gerut, running on the pitch, scored standing.
Jeriome Robertson (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Saturday, pitched two scoreless innings for his first win since being acquired by Cleveland in spring training from the Houston Astros.
Athletics 8, Giants 7, 10 innings
In Oakland, California, Marco Scutaro singled in Bobby Kielty for the winning run in the 10th inning as Oakland snapped San Francisco's seven-game win streak.
Octavio Dotel (1-0) blew a save -- the A's 15th this year -- in his Oakland debut, but pitched 2 2-3 innings for the win.
Scutaro, who hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh, got his winning hit with two outs off Jim Brower (5-4).
Dotel, acquired from Houston in a three-team trade Thursday, entered with one out in the eighth after Jim Mecir allowed two walks and a hit to load the bases. Dotel got Michael Tucker to pop out on the first pitch, then struck out Marquis Grissom.
Dotel walked Barry Bonds leading off the ninth, then allowed a single to Pedro Feliz, and A.J. Pierzynski followed with a three-run homer to pull the Giants within 7-6. Tucker tied it at 7 with a sacrifice fly.
Mariners 7, Padres 3
In Seattle, Julio Mateo set a Seattle record by winning his first five career decisions and Jolbert Cabrera hit a three-run homer off Ismael Valdez (6-4) in the sixth inning to beat San Diego and snap a four-game losing streak.
Randy Winn had three hits, including a two-run homer in the seventh for Seattle. Cabrera tripled in the eighth and scored on Dan Wilson's RBI double. Ichiro Suzuki had a double and two singles in Seattle's 13-hit attack.
Mateo (1-0) needed 91 career appearances -- 29 this season -- over three seasons to improve to 5-0 for his career. He pitched 2 1-3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Phil Nevin hit a two-run homer for San Diego.
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