BALTIMORE - The Yankees found an appropriate response to a verbal bashing from the Boss.
After owner George Steinbrenner openly questioned the desire of the richest team in baseball (see this page for details), the Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit Monday night to hand the Orioles their sixth straight defeat, 6-4.
Pinch-hitter Bernie Williams drove in the tiebreaking run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly to give New York its second straight comeback win. Sunday night, the Yankees also trailed by three before beating the Mets.
"It's not healthy to do that. But it feels good when it's over with," New York manager Joe Torre said. "We're fighting our way back."
New York showed its mettle by pulling out of a 4-1 hole after being held to two hits through five innings by Daniel Cabrera. The Yankees used a three-run sixth to pull even, then went ahead for the first time in the eighth.
New York won after trailing by three for the ninth time this season. But the Yankees are in third place, and that obviously isn't good enough for Steinbrenner.
"He's the owner. He has all the right to say whatever he wants," closer Mariano Rivera said. "I take it as an inspiration. I take it as a challenge."
With the score tied at 4, Jorge Posada led off the eighth with a single off Steve Kline. With Jason Giambi at the plate, Kline was called for a balk by home-plate umpire Marty Foster. Kline vigorously protested and was ejected by Foster as Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli joined the argument, standing between Foster and the charging Kline.
"He should be upset. There was no balk there," Mazzilli said.
Third-base umpire Dana DeMuth, the crew chief, said, "He started and he stopped. Once you start to take your set position, it has to be uninterrupted."
Jorge Julio then issued an intentional walk to Giambi, and Posada took third on a grounder by Ruben Sierra before Williams hit a fly ball to center.
Gary Sheffield added a run-scoring single in the ninth.
INDIANS 7, RED SOX 0: Kevin Millwood pitched six three-hit innings and Travis Hafner had three extra-base hits as visiting Cleveland snapped Boston's seven-game winning streak.
A week after the Red Sox went to Cleveland and stopped the Indians' nine-game win streak, Millwood allowed three hits and two walks and struck out six. The right-hander played a part in Boston's three-game sweep in Cleveland, allowing five earned runs in six innings June 21.
Hafner started a three-run rally in the fourth with the first of his two doubles, then homered in the seventh one out after Grady Sizemore hit a two-run shot.
ANGELS 13, RANGERS 3: Bartolo Colon won his 10th straight start against Texas and Vladimir Guerrero homered to help visiting Los Angeles win its seventh in a row.
Adam Kennedy hit his first home run of the season, and Juan Rivera had four hits for the Angels.
Colon threw 66 of his 87 pitches for strikes to beat the Rangers for the third time this season and ninth since joining the Angels before last season.
TWINS 3, ROYALS 1: Joe Mays pitched eight sharp innings and host Minnesota handed Kansas City its seventh straight loss. Mays allowed six hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter for the Twins, who won consecutive games for first time since taking three straight June 5-8.
