Ben Sheets won for the first time since opening day and the Milwaukee Brewers again held off Derek Jeter and the punchless Yankees, sending New York to its ninth loss in 10 games with a 2-1 win Tuesday.
Sheets (2-5) allowed just two singles in seven strong innings, his third start since coming off the disabled list. He walked five and struck out five before turning things over to his stellar bullpen.
Ricky Bottalico pitched a hitless eighth and Derrick Turnbow got his 10th save in 12 chances.
Turnbow escaped a jam in the ninth, just as he did the night before -- when Geoff Jenkins ran down Jeter's drive in the right-field corner to preserve a 4-3 victory.
This time, Jenkins nearly made a diving grab of Robinson Cano's liner to right-center, but the ball squirted free for a double that left runners at second and third with one out.
"You never want to put yourself in that situation," said closer Derrick Turnbow. "Sooner or later your luck will run out."
Bernie Williams' RBI groundout gave the Yankees a run, but Jeter bounced back to the mound on the first pitch to end it.
Yankees right-hander Carl Pavano (4-5) allowed just five hits in six solid innings, but one was a two-run homer to Bill Hall that proved to be the difference.
"They're still a good ballclub no matter what people say," insisted Hall. "They might be struggling in the win-loss column, but I'm sure any GM would take that lineup any day of the week."
Nationals 2, Athletics 1
In Washington, Nick Johnson kept up his torrid homestand with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead the first-place Washington over Oakland for its eighth win in nine games.
Johnson went 2-for-3 with a walk, raising his average on the eight-game homestand to .560 (14-for-25), and the first baseman's nifty scoop of a one-hop throw completed a double play to end a threat in the eighth.
Tony Armas (2-3) pitched six innings of four-hit ball on a sultry night at RFK Stadium, allowing a first-inning run and working through long counts of endless foul balls. Armas walked three, struck out two and didn't take long to amass 110 pitches, but he quieted the A's bats that had come alive so well during Oakland's just completed 6-1 homestand.
Chad Cordero pitched the ninth for his 16th save.
Phillies 8, Rangers 5
In Philadelphia, Placido Polanco drove in three runs, Bobby Abreu homered and Jon Lieber pitched effectively into the seventh inning to win his third straight start and give Philadelphia a victory over Texas.
The Phillies bounced back from Monday's loss to win for the seventh time in the first eight games of their 13-game homestand.
Before the game, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he had talked to Lieber (8-4) about his conditioning after a start last month in Florida where the staff ace tired. After pitching eight innings each in three straight starts in April, Lieber hasn't gone past the seventh since May 7. He went 6 2-3 innings Tuesday.
Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his 15th save.
Mariners 4, Marlins 3
In Miami, a throwing error by Florida reliever Jim Mecir fueled Seattle's two-run eighth inning and enabled the Mariners to win for the seventh time in nine games.
Reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1-1) got just two outs and Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 18 opportunities.
The Marlins, who began a homestand following a 1-6 road trip, have lost 11 of 13.
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