AROUND THE HORN | Friday's other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Yankees 8, Red Sox 7
BOSTON -- Even three homers by Kevin Millar couldn't stop the New York Yankees from beating the Boston Red Sox yet again. After Millar tied the score in the eighth inning with his third solo home run, Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI single in the ninth that gave the Yankees a victory and extended their lead to 91/2 games in an AL East race that increasingly appears to be over. After losing six of seven games to the Red Sox in April, the Yankees have won four straight against their longtime rival, opening their largest margin since winning the division by 101/2 games in 2002. New York overcame a 4-1, fifth-inning deficit against Curt Schilling to win this one, bursting ahead 7-4 with five runs in the sixth before Boston rallied to tie.
White Sox 6, Tigers 4
CHICAGO -- After learning that Magglio Ordonez could miss the rest of the season because of an injured knee, the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers as Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs. Ordonez, a four-time All-Star, went back on the disabled list Friday and could spend up to eight weeks on crutches. The outfielder has a fluid problem in his knee, stemming from a collision the All-Star right fielder had with second baseman Willie Harris on May 19 in Cleveland. Ordonez went on the 15-day disabled list a week after the collision and had surgery to repair torn cartilage on June 5. Chicago already is missing two-time AL MVP Frank Thomas, expected to miss eight weeks with a broken bone in his left foot.
Twins 7, Orioles 3
BALTIMORE -- Corey Koskie homered and had a season-high four RBIs to lead the Minnesota Twins to their fifth straight victory. Jacque Jones also homered and Torii Hunter had three hits for the first-place Twins, who maintained their half-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central. Minnesota starter Carlos Silva (9-7) allowed three runs and nine hits in six-plus innings to earn his first win in a month.
Blue Jays 7, Devil Rays 4
TORONTO -- Frank Menechino had three hits, including a solo homer, and the Toronto Blue Jays scored six unearned runs in the third inning of a victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Reed Johnson also had three hits, and Miguel Batista pitched six strong innings for the Blue Jays, who ended a three-game losing streak. Batista (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits to win for the seventh time in his last eight decisions at SkyDome. He struck out four and walked two.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cubs 5, Phillies 1
PHILADELPHIA -- Moises Alou, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee homered to back Kerry Wood, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies for their third straight win. Alou went 2-for-4 and has six homers and 13 RBIs in his last nine games. Lee's homer was his fifth in nine games and his fifth in 31 at-bats against Brett Myers (5-8). Sosa hit a two-run drive in the eighth off Ryan Madson, a 445-foot drive to center that ended the pitcher's scoreless streak at 21 innings. Wood (5-3) improved to 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA since returning from nearly two months on the disabled list caused by a strained right triceps.
Expos 2, Marlins 1
MONTREAL -- Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the fourth ended Montreal's 42-inning scoreless streak against Florida, and Jose Vidro hit a go-ahead RBI double in the fifth to lead the Expos to victory over the Marlins. Tony Armas Jr. pitched five strong innings for Montreal, which played its first game at Olympic Stadium in four weeks. The Expos had been shut out in each of their last four games against the Marlins, but Cabrera's sac fly off Brad Penny tied the game at 1 and put Montreal on the scoreboard against Florida -- finally.
Giants 7, Cardinals 2
ST. LOUIS -- Dustin Hermanson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Barry Bonds hit a three-run homer, helping the San Francisco Giants end the St. Louis Cardinals' five-game winning streak. Hermanson (4-3) allowed only a fourth-inning walk to Albert Pujols before Pujols' 28th homer ended his no-hit bid with one out in the seventh. Bonds never moved in left field as the ball sailed far above him -- a drive estimated at 434 feet. Hermanson, released by the Cardinals last June, gave up two runs on three hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out five and walked one for his first victory since June 27.
Brewers 7, Astros 6
HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens tied his season high by allowing three home runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers stopped a four-game losing streak by beating the Houston Astros on Wes Helms' ninth-inning sacrifice fly. Clemens, who didn't get a decision, left trailing 5-0 after allowing five runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings. Scott Podsednik broke the Brewers' 25-inning scoreless streak with a home run on the second pitch of the game. Keith Ginter then homered leading off the sixth, Geoff Jenkins singled, Lyle Overbay walked and Ben Grieve homered for a 5-0 lead. Clemens walked one and struck out seven, raising his career total to 4,232. He remains stuck at 321 wins, two behind Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for 12th place on the career list.
Source: Associated Press
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