AMERICAN LEAGUE Yanks win second straight since 'wake-up call'

Gary Sheffield became just the second player to have 100 RBIs with five teams.
NEW YORK (AP) -- That record-setting defeat hit the New York Yankees like a punch in the face, stirring up their pride and refocusing their attention.
Gary Sheffield had three RBIs to reach 100 for the seventh time, Jon Lieber pitched seven shutout innings and Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer Thursday night to lead New York to its second straight win, 9-1 over the Cleveland Indians.
With its AL East lead over second-place Boston cut to 31/2 games from 101/2 on Aug. 16, the Yankees have faced a torrent of questions this week, especially following Tuesday night's 22-0 loss to the Indians. New York rebounded with a 5-3 victory Wednesday, then quickly broke on top Thursday.
"A game like that can wake you up," Sheffield said. "We looked like we were just trying to get the schedule over with. We got a wake-up call. Now we've got a pennant race going."
Jorge Posada hit an RBI single in the first and Rodriguez hit his 33rd homer to cap a five-run second against Cliff Lee (10-7).
But even with the two wins, the Yankees failed to increase their margin over the Red Sox, who beat Anaheim 4-3 to sweep a three-game series. The Red Sox have won 21 of their last 25 games.
"The other night was a dark time," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Hopefully, it increases our determination to show ourselves what kind of a team we are."
Milestone
Sheffield hit an RBI single off third baseman Casey Blake in the second, had a run-scoring double in the fourth against Kazuhito Tadano, doubled again in the sixth and added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to raise his RBIs total to 101. He became only the second player to reach 100 RBIs with five teams, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the first since Hall of Famer Dan Brouthers from 1887-94.
Lieber (10-8) followed Orlando Hernandez's seven innings of one-run ball Wednesday with a stellar effort of his own. He let just one runner get past first base, giving up five hits, striking out three and walking one.
"It's great, especially with what this team did to us a couple of days ago," he said.
Paul Quantrill pitched the eighth and was followed by Steve Karsay, who had been sidelined since the end of the 2002 season with back and shoulder injuries that needed operations. After receiving a big ovation when he was introduced, Karsay allowed a home run on his first pitch to Victor Martinez.
Martinez was Cleveland's lone bright spot, reaching 100 RBIs for the first time.