American LeagueWang Chien-ming (
Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada and Jason Giambi each added two RBIs.
Wang (15-5) has lost just once in nine starts since July 8, and is tied with Justin Verlander and Johan Santana for the second in wins in the majors -- one behind Roy Halladay.
Felix Hernandez (10-12) lost his third straight start by allowing nine hits and seven runs in 3 2-3 innings, his shortest start of the season. The Yankees blew open the game with a five-run fourth. Damon had a two-run single, Giambi a two-run double and Posada a run-scoring single to make it 7-0.
White Sox 7, Tigers 5
Jim Thome limped off the field in the second inning with a hamstring injury in the Chicago White Sox's 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
The White Sox lost the first two matchups in the four-game series with the American League Central leaders, but bounced back with Joe Crede's two home runs and Jermaine Dye's three-run homer.
Chicago trails the Tigers by 6.5 games in the division and has a half-game lead over Minnesota in the wild-card race.
Freddy Garcia (12-8) allowed five runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings. Thornton and Mike MacDougal combined for 2 2-3 innings of scoreless relief before Bobby Jenks worked the ninth for his 36th save in 38 opportunities.
Rookie Zach Miner (7-5) gave up six runs, four hits and two walks in 1 1-3 innings, his shortest outing and third straight loss.
National League
Geoff Blum had four hits and three RBIs and the San Diego Padres beat Los Angeles 7-2 to pull within one game of the division-leading Dodgers.
Mike Cameron had three hits, including his 19th homer, and 40-year-old Woody Williams (7-4) threw seven solid innings to win his third straight start.
Astros 7, Reds 3
In Cincinnati, Aubrey Huff's bases-loaded single highlighted Houston's seventh-inning rally, and Houston avoided a sweep to Cincinnati.
Willy Taveras bunted for a single that extended his hitting streak to a club-record 26 games, and Adam Everett homered and drove in a pair of runs for the fading Astros, who won for only the third time in 12 games.
The Reds lost their cool during the Astros' six-run rally in the seventh that turned on an ejection.
Trying to hold Cincinnati's 2-1 lead, reliever Todd Coffey (6-5) gave up a single by Chris Burke that tied it, then intentionally walked Lance Berkman to load the bases. Coffey later became upset when plate umpire Wally Bell called a pitch to Morgan Ensberg a ball. Coffey took a couple of steps toward the plate, screamed and waved his arm before he was ejected.
Roy Oswalt (10-8), who missed his last start because of a bruised pitching hand, improved to 16-1 career against Cincinnati.
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