AROUND THE HORN Friday's other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Yankees 2, Orioles 1
NEW YORK -- Kevin Brown gave the Yankees a big boost by pitching into the seventh inning in his first start in more than seven weeks, and Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in two runs. On the night before baseball's trade deadline -- with speculation swirling about whether the Yankees will be able to strike a deal with Arizona for Randy Johnson -- Brown was impressive. Brown (8-1), activated from the disabled list before the game after being sidelined since June 10 with a lower back spasm and an intestinal parasite, allowed one run and four hits in 61/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two, throwing 88 pitches. Tom Gordon struck out the side in the eighth, and Mariano Rivera got three outs for his major league-leading 36th save. Daniel Cabrera (8-5) took the loss for the Orioles, who scored on a homer by B.J. Surhoff in the third.
Red Sox 8, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS -- Bronson Arroyo pitched seven-plus sharp innings, Gabe Kapler drove in three runs and Boston ended Minnesota's four-game winning streak. Arroyo (4-7) frustrated the Twins, allowing two runs off eight hits and striking out eight in his first start since last week's bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park with the Yankees. The fight started after Arroyo hit Alex Rodriguez with a pitch and led to six players being suspended and/or fined. Boston got 11 hits off starter Kyle Lohse (4-8), who also walked four batters.
Tigers 5, White Sox 4
DETROIT -- Bobby Higginson drew a tiebreaking walk with two out in the eighth inning to help Detroit hand Chicago its sixth straight loss. Damaso Marte (4-4) loaded the bases in the eighth. Alex Sanchez led off with an infield single, Carlos Guillen singled with one out and Rondell White walked with two out to load the bases. Marte then walked Higginson on a 3-2 pitch. Esteban Yan (1-2) got two outs for the win and Ugueth Urbina pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save in 19 opportunities. Dmitri had a two-run homer for the Tigers. Carlos Lee drove in two runs for the White Sox.
Blue Jays 3, Devil Rays 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Josh Towers won his fourth straight start with seven innings of two-hit ball, and Josh Phelps homered twice to help Toronto beat Tampa Bay. Towers (6-3) walked just one and struck out four before Vinnie Chulk worked a hitless eighth and Jason Frasor pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 14 opportunities. Phelps hit a two-run homer in the fourth and a solo shot two innings later off John Halama (5-5), against whom he is now 4-for-8 with three homers.
Rangers 7, Athletics 5
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Laynce Nix and Michael Young hit consecutive two-run singles with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Texas rallied from an early four-run deficit to reclaim first place in the AL West. Oakland starter Rich Harden held the Rangers hitless until the fourth, and he left after six with a 4-2 lead. But the bullpen failed, and Chad Bradford (5-5) took the loss. Frankie Francisco (2-1) pitched a hitless eighth for the victory, ending a six-game winning streak for the A's. Texas had lost three straight and five of six. Francisco Cordero allowed Damian Miller's RBI double in the ninth but stranded him at second for his 31st save in 33 chances.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cubs 10, Phillies 7
CHICAGO -- Aramis Ramirez hit three home runs and the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat Philadelphia, sending the slumping Phillies to their fifth straight loss. Ramirez hit solo homers off Eric Milton in the second and sixth innings and another bases-empty shot off Roberto Hernandez in the seventh. It was the second three-homer game of Ramirez's career. While with the Pirates, he did it against Houston on April 8, 2001. The Phillies took a 6-3 lead as Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell hit two homers off Mark Prior, but the Cubs put together seven hits in a five-run sixth inning.
Braves 3, Mets 1
ATLANTA -- Marcus Giles had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run, and Atlanta handed New York its 12th loss in 17 games. Before the game, the Mets acquired pitchers Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano and a minor league infielder in separate trades, and unloaded infielder Ty Wigginton, highly touted minor league pitcher Matt Peterson and infielder Jose Bautista. He was acquired earlier in the day.
Expos 9, Marlins 0
MIAMI -- Livan Hernandez pitched a three-hitter and Brad Wilkerson and Nick Johnson homered to help Montreal spoil Josh Beckett's third return from the disabled list. Beckett (4-6), who had been out since July 6 because of torn skin on his right middle finger, lasted only three-plus innings, allowing four runs on six hits, including Wilkerson's two-run shot in the second inning.
Astros 2, Reds 26 innings, suspended, rain
CINCINNATI -- Houston's Jeff Bagwell singled home the tying run moments before a third rain delay resulted in a suspended game in the sixth inning. The game will be picked up today with the score tied at 2 and two Astros on base in the top of the sixth. The regularly scheduled game for Saturday will then follow.
Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 1
DENVER -- Randy Johnson allowed four runs and struck out six in what might have been his last start for Arizona, but Colorado beat the "Big Unit" for the second time in less than a week. Jason Jennings (10-8) allowed one run in seven innings and Matt Holliday hit a two-run triple in the Rockies' four-run seventh inning off Johnson (10-9).
-- Associated Press
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