Bernie's two-run blast helps Yanks top Texas

Alex Rodriguez hit his AL-leading 34th home run.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Bernie Williams hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning, and the New York Yankees overcame Mariano Rivera's first blown save in more than four months to beat the fading Texas Rangers 7-5 Saturday.
Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield each homered and drove in two runs for the Yankees (63-52), who won their third straight and moved 11 games over .500 for the first time this season. Rodriguez's AL-leading 34th homer was a mammoth shot to left, and it came one pitch after Sheffield's drive in the third inning.
Kevin Mench had four hits, including a two-run homer off Mike Mussina in the eighth and a tying, two-run single in the ninth for the Rangers, who have dropped a season-high six straight.
Tino Martinez, who replaced Jason Giambi at first base for defense, led off the 11th with a single off Kameron Loe (5-4). Williams hit the next pitch over the right-center fence for his ninth homer of the season.
Aaron Small (4-0) pitched a scoreless 11th for the win -- helped by Rodriguez's run-saving, diving stop of Sandy Alomar's shot down the third-base line to end the inning. One night after starter Shawn Chacon pitched in relief, Small did the same for the Yankees -- though he is expected to move to the bullpen next week when Jaret Wright returns from the disabled list.
Rare blown save
Rivera squandered a save opportunity for the first time since blowing his first two chances of the season against Boston on April 5 and 6. He had converted a career-best 31 in a row.
After a night off Friday when the Yankees used Tanyon Sturtze to close, Rivera returned Saturday with a two-run lead but allowed one-out hits by Hank Blalock and Alfonso Soriano. After hitting Phil Nevin with a pitch, Rivera got a force play at the plate on Gary Matthews Jr.'s dribbler, but Mench singled to left to tie it at 5.
The Rangers' rally spoiled a superb start by Mussina, who pitched into the eighth in sweltering heat. He allowed three runs and six hits before departing to a big ovation after Mench's two-run homer with one out. He struck out eight and walked none.
Soriano also homered for the Rangers, on their longest skid since an eight-game losing streak from June 15-23, 2003.
Juan Dominguez, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Oklahoma, allowed five runs and nine hits in his first start of the season. He had a career-high 10 strikeouts
Sheffield struck out in the first inning and looked bad while swinging through the first two pitches of his second at-bat. But he hit the next pitch over the left-field fence for his 24th homer, giving New York a 3-0 lead.
Rodriguez drove the next pitch into the area where the ambulance parks, well beyond Monument Park. The Yankees estimated the homer at 485 feet.
Rodriguez's homer was his 20th this season at Yankee Stadium, breaking the record held by Joe DiMaggio (1937) and Sheffield (2004) for most by a right-handed batter.
Soriano hit the first pitch of the fifth for his 29th homer.
Dominguez trailed 2-0 after 11 pitches. Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui hit consecutive run-scoring singles.
The Yankees added a run in the seventh when Cano legged out a two-out double and scored on Sheffield's single.
TEXASNEW YORK
abrhbiabrhbi
Dllucci lf5000Jeter ss5110
MYong ss5020Cano 2b5220
Txeira 1b5000Shffield rf4122
Blalock 3b5020Crosby rf1000
ASrano 2b5221ARod 3b5122
Nevin dh3110Matsui lf4011
McDgl dh1100JaGbi 1b4000
Mathws cf5000TMrtnz 1b1110
Mench rf5144BWllms dh5122
SAlmr c5020Flherty c4010
Wmack cf4000
Totals445135Totals427127
Texas00001002200--5
New York20200010002--7
No outs when winning run scored.
DP--New York 2. LOB--Texas 7, New York 6. 2B--Mench (30), Cano (25). HR--ASoriano (29), Mench (20), Sheffield (24), ARodriguez (34), BWilliams (9). SB--Crosby (2).
IPHRERBBSO
Texas
Dominguez7955110
BShouse2-300002
Loe L,5-42 1-332200
New York
Mussina7 1-363308
Gordon2-310001
MRivera252202
Small W,4-0110000
Loe pitched to 2 batters in the 11th. HBP--by MRivera (Nevin). WP--Dominguez. Umpires--Home, Angel Hernandez; First, Chad Fairchild; Second, Tom Hallion; Third, Greg Gibson. T--3:01. A--54,919.
Angels 9, Mariners 1
SEATTLE -- Ryan Franklin was roughed up in his return from a steroids suspension, and Bartolo Colon pitched four-hit ball through eight innings to lead Los Angeles past Seattle.
Chone Figgins missed the cycle by a triple and Juan Rivera added three RBIs on three hits, including a solo homer in the seventh. Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Molina each drove in two runs as the Angels piled up 15 hits one day after opening the series with a 13-hit game.
LOS ANGELESSEATTLE
abrhbiabrhbi
Figgins cf5331ISuzuki rf4111
OCbera ss5120Blmqist 2b4000
Erstad 1b4110Ibanez lf4010
Ktchm 1b1000Sexson 1b2000
VGrero rf4222Hansen 1b1000
DVnon rf1000Beltre 3b3000
GAndsn dh3010Morse ss0000
SFinley dh2010Reed cf3010
JRivra lf5233YBtcrt ss3010
Izturis 3b3000Spiezio dh3000
JMolna c4022WGonzl c3000
Mathis c0000
AKndy 2b4000
Totals419158Totals30141
Los Angeles210050100--9
Seattle000001000--1
E--Ibanez (1), Reed (3). DP--Los Angeles 1. LOB--Los Angeles 6, Seattle 3. 2B--Figgins (21), JMolina (3). HR--Figgins (6), JRivera (9), ISuzuki (10).
IPHRERBBSO
Los Angeles
Colon W,15-6841115
Yan100000
Seattle
RFranklin L,6-124 1-3128803
Harris3 2-321114
Thornton110001
WP--Thornton. Umpires--Home, Chris Guccione; First, Laz Diaz; Second, Dana DeMuth; Third, Marty Foster. T--2:45. A--42,500.
Athletics 5, Twins 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jay Payton hit a three-run homer to lead Oakland over Minnesota for the Athletics' major-league leading 23rd win since the All-Star Break.
Kirk Saarloos (8-6) gave up six hits over six innings to win his third straight decision as the A's remained tied for the AL West lead.
Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who lost for the fourth time in six games.
MINNESOTAOAKLAND
abrhbiabrhbi
ShStwrt lf5000Kendall c3010
LRdrgz 2b4000Kotsay cf4111
Tiffe ph1000Crosby ss4120
Mauer dh4110EChavz 3b3110
Mrneau 1b4122DJnson 1b4111
LFord cf3000Payton lf4113
MRyan rf4000Httberg dh3000
Cddyer 3b3000Swisher rf3010
Rdmnd c4030MEllis 2b4010
Bartlett ss3020
Totals35282Totals32595
Minnesota000002000--2
Oakland00000410x--5
DP--Minnesota 1. LOB--Minnesota 9, Oakland 7. 2B--Morneau (16), Redmond (6), MEllis (15). 3B--Crosby (4). HR--Morneau (16), Kotsay (10), Payton (13). SB--Bartlett (2).
IPHRERBBSO
Minnesota
Mays L,5-85 1-364431
Romero1-310000
Crain2-321101
Guerrier1 2-300011
Oakland
Saarloos W,8-6662201
Calero100012
Witasick110002
Street S,15110013
HBP--by Witasick (LFord). Umpires--Home, Marvin Hudson; First, Larry Young; Second, Eric Cooper; Third, Fieldin Culbreth. T--2:38. A--47,385.
Orioles 1, Blue Jays 0
BALTIMORE -- John Maine pitched five scoreless innings to earn his first major league win and Miguel Tejada singled in a third-inning run as Baltimore ended Toronto's four-game winning streak.
Rafael Palmeiro sat out his third straight game since returning from a 10-day suspension for using steroids. He is expected to start as Baltimore's designated hitter today.
Maine (1-0) and three relievers combined on a five-hitter, helping the Orioles improve to 6-3 under interim manager Sam Perlozzo.
Dave Bush (2-6) took the loss despite allowing four hits -- none after the third inning -- in his third career complete game.
TORONTOBALTIMORE
abrhbiabrhbi
Adams ss4010BRbrts 2b4110
Ctlnotto lf4010Newhn lf4000
Hlnbrn dh4000Mora 3b3000
Koskie 3b2000Tejada ss3011
Zaun c3000JvLopz c2000
Rios rf4010SSosa dh3000
Hinske 1b3010Gbbons rf3010
Jhnson cf2010Byrnes lf0000
OHudsn 2b3000Matos cf3010
Gomez 1b3000
Totals29050Totals28141
Toronto000000000--0
Baltimore00100000x--1
DP--Baltimore 3. LOB--Toronto 6, Baltimore 5. 2B--BRoberts (31). SB--Koskie (2), Johnson (4).
IPHRERBBSO
Toronto
Bush L,2-6841103
Baltimore
Maine W,1-0520033
Byrdak1 1-310010
Williams1 2-320000
BRyan S,26100002
HBP--by Bush (JvLopez), by Bush (Mora). Umpires--Home, Paul Schrieber; First, Jeff Kellogg; Second, Bob Davidson; Third, Andy Fletcher. T--2:14. A--29,445.