Wang records 17th win as Yankees slip past Orioles

Derek Jeter had two hits and an RBI in the 3-2 victory.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE -- The New York Yankees were without two of their most prolific hitters, making it imperative that Chien-Ming Wang keep the Baltimore Orioles' offense in check.
Wang did his job, and with help from Derek Jeter, the Yankees pulled out a 3-2 victory Saturday.
Wang pitched effectively into the eighth inning to earn his 17th win, and Jeter had two hits and an RBI to help Yankees bounce back from a 9-4 loss to Baltimore less than 24 hours earlier.
"He's been as good as anyone in the league this year," Jeter said of Wang. "And he's pitched well when we've needed it."
The Yankees played without first baseman Jason Giambi, who's nursing a hand injury, and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who was ill. Closer Mariano Rivera (forearm soreness) was also unavailable.
But New York had Wang and Jeter, and that was enough to send the Orioles to their fifth loss in six games.
Wang (17-5) allowed one run and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out one and walking none. He permitted only one runner past second base despite retiring the side in order just twice.
The right-hander has won four straight decisions and is 9-1 in his last 12 starts. Wang is now tied with Minnesota ace Johan Santana and Chicago starter Jon Garland for the major league lead with 17 wins.
Just as important to the Yankees is that he's 8-2 following a New York defeat.
NEW YORKBALTIMORE
abrhbiabrhbi
Damon dh4121BRbrts 2b4010
MeCbr lf2001Mora 3b4000
Jeter ss4021Mrkkis rf4020
Posada c4010Tejada ss4010
BWllms cf4010Gbbons dh4010
Cano 2b4010Millar 1b4221
CWlson 1b3000Newhn cf4000
BAbreu rf0000RChavz c3010
Thmps rf1100RaHrdz ph1000
APhllps 1b1000Fahey lf3011
NGreen 3b3110
Totals30383Totals35292
New York000020010--3
Baltimore000000101--2
E--BRoberts (6). DP--New York 1, Baltimore 3. LOB--New York 5, Baltimore 6. 2B--Damon (34), Jeter (35), Cano (32), Millar (22). HR--Millar (12). CS--Damon (9), BAbreu (2). S--MeCabrera. SF--MeCabrera.
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Wang W,17-57 1-381101
MMyers1-300000
Proctor1-300000
Farnsworth S,3111101
Baltimore
Loewen L,5-5762226
RLopez221111
PB--Posada. Umpires--Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Larry Poncino; Second, Ed Hickox; Third, Gary Darling. T--2:43. A--45,827.
Twins 2, Tigers 1
MINNEAPOLIS -- Boof Bonser brought the Minnesota Twins a little bit closer in the tightening three-team race in the AL Central.
Bonser struck out five and allowed only five hits in seven strong innings, leading the Twins to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers that closed the gap in the standings to three games.
Torii Hunter had Minnesota's only RBI, a second-inning single, against Tigers starter Nate Robertson (12-12). But Bonser (5-5), the stone-faced, right-handed rookie with the peculiar first name, was good enough to give the Twins their second straight win over the division leade
Pat Neshek struck out two in a perfect eighth, and Joe Nathan handled the ninth for his 30th save.
DETROITMINNESOTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Grndsn cf4010LCstillo 2b4010
IRdrgz c4020Punto 3b3000
Monroe lf4000Rdmnd c3010
MOrdz rf3010Cddyer rf4110
CGillen ss4000Mrneau 1b4110
Casey 1b3100THnter cf4011
Thmes dh4000RoWhte lf3010
Inge 3b3010LFord lf1000
Infante 2b3001Nevin dh3010
Bartlett ss3000
Totals32151Totals32271
Detroit000100000--1
Minnesota02000000x--2
E--CGuillen (26), Infante (5), Cuddyer (4). DP--Detroit 1. LOB--Detroit 6, Minnesota 8. 2B--Inge (27).
IPHRERBBSO
Detroit
Rbrtsn L,12-12762115
Zumaya110011
Minnesota
Bonser W,5-5751125
Neshek100002
Nathan S,30100001
WP--Robertson. Umpires--Home, Paul Nauert; First, Charlie Reliford; Second, Larry Vanover; Third, Greg Gibson. T--2:29. A--39,160.
Devil Rays 9, Athletics 6
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Rocco Baldelli and Carl Crawford had RBI singles during a tiebreaking three-run sixth inning for Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay took a 7-5 lead on the hits by Baldelli and Crawford off Esteban Loaiza (9-8). Ty Wigginton extended the advantage to 8-5 with a bases-loaded walk off reliever Chad Gaudin.
Loaiza allowed eight runs, 12 hits, one walk and had seven strikeouts over 5 1-3 innings. He was 5-0 in his previous six starts, giving up seven runs -- six earned -- over 451/3 innings during the stretch.
Frank Thomas homered for the fourth consecutive game for the Athletics, who started the day with a 51/2 game lead over Los Angeles. The Angels hosted Toronto late Saturday night.
Tampa Bay got a solo homer from Greg Norton.
B.J. Upton had an RBI double, and Wigginton and Kevin Witt hit run-scoring singles during a four-run fourth that put the Devil Rays ahead 4-2.
Norton had a sacrifice fly in fourth, and hit his 14th homer inning later to make it 5-3.
Oakland tied the score at 5 in the sixth on Marco Scutaro's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Dan Johnson off Dan Miceli (1-1).
Seth McClung pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Thomas hit his 482nd career homer and Jason Kendall was hit by a pitch from J.P. Howell with the bases loaded to put Oakland ahead 2-0 in the second.
OAKLANDTAMPA BAY
abrhbiabrhbi
Kendall c4011Baldelli cf5111
Kielty lf3110DYong rf5120
DJnson 1b0001Crwfrd lf4121
Brdley rf5030Norton 1b4112
Thmas dh5122ToPerz 2b0000
Payton cf5000Wggntn 2b4122
EChavz 3b5110Nvarro c5000
Swisher 1b2210Witt dh4221
Ellis 2b3110Upton 3b4121
Scutaro ss3012Zobrist ss3121
Totals356116Totals389149
Oakland020012010--6
Tampa Bay00041310x--9
E--EChavez (4). DP--Tampa Bay 1. LOB--Oakland 9, Tampa Bay 9. 2B--Kielty (17), EChavez (21), Swisher (20), Crawford (19), Witt (1), Upton (3). 3B--Zobrist (1). HR--Thomas (34), Norton (14). SB--Crawford (48), Upton (7). SF--DJohnson, Scutaro, Norton.
IPHRERBBSO
Oakland
Loaiza L,9-85 1-3128817
Halsey1-300000
Gaudin2-321110
Witasick1 2-300012
Tampa Bay
Howell4 1-363325
Camp2-300000
Miceli W,1-1132210
Meadows211100
McClung S,6110011
HBP--by Howell (Kendall). Umpires--Home, Dale Scott; First, Gary Cederstrom; Second, Lance Barksdale; Third, Dan Iassogna. T--3:03. A--22,016.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.