Baseball

Relentless Yanks move into first

ARLINGTON, Texas - After 31/2 months of struggles, the New York Yankees moved back into first place.

Kevin Brown struggled in his return to the rotation, but Jorge Posada, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui homered and Ruben Sierra hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning in an 11-10 victory over the Rangers on Monday night.

New York, which won for the 11th time in 13 games, improved to a season-high nine games over .500 and leads the East by a half-game over Boston and Baltimore. The Yankees, whose 11-19 start was their worst since 1966, were nine games back May 7.

The Yankees, who have won seven straight division titles, had not been alone in first since beating the Red Sox in the April 3 season opener and had not held a share since April 9, when they were tied with Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Brown, sidelined by a back injury since June 18, gave up three runs in the first, but the Yankees scored six in the second and led 9-6 in the sixth before giving up four runs. Centerfielder Bernie Williams dropped Hank Blalock's two-out fly for an two-run error that tied the score and former Yankee Alfonso Soriano, who had four hits, followed with a single off Wayne Franklin that put the Rangers ahead.

Sierra injured his left hamstring on his go-ahead hit, a single into the gap off Doug Brocail with two outs after Robinson Cano singled and Alex Rodriguez walked. Sierra was helped off the field and likely is headed to the disabled list.

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his 24th straight save, the longest streak of his career within a season. Since blowing his first two chances of the season against Boston, he has been perfect.

Former Devil Ray Tanyon Sturtze, the fourth Yankees pitcher, pitched 21/3 innings for the win.

New York went ahead with a six-run second that included Posada's 12th homer, a three-run drive that made it 4-3. Cano added a run-scoring single and Sheffield had a run-scoring double off Ricardo Rodriguez.

Sheffield's 20th homer, his fifth in seven games, came with one out in the fourth. Rodriguez drew a walk before Matsui's 15th homer made it 9-5.

With three other starting pitchers still on the disabled list, Brown returned to the Yankees without a rehabilitation start.

ORIOLES 3, TWINS 2 (11): Sammy Sosa homered to move past Mark McGwire on the career list, Rafael Palmeiro had three hits to tie Al Kaline and Miguel Tejada homered in the 11th to lift visiting Baltimore.

Sosa's two-run homer in the seventh off Carlos Silva was his 584th, moving him into sixth place, two behind Frank Robinson. Sosa had not homered in 78 at-bats since connecting June 18 off Colorado's Byung-Hyun Kim.

Palmeiro went 3-for-5 to tie Kaline for 24th place at 3,007.

The Twins' Torii Hunter led off the ninth with a double into the corner off closer B.J. Ryan. Bret Boone followed with a bunt single, and Hunter raced around to tie it at 2 after Ryan dropped the throw from Palmeiro at first.

WHITE SOX 7, TIGERS 5: Joe Crede's three-run homer highlighted host Chicago's five-run seventh inning.

Crede's 423-foot home run to leftfield was one of three the White Sox hit in their big inning that started with them trailing 4-1. Chicago has won five straight since losing three in a row heading into the All-Star break.

Paul Konerko hit reliever Chris Spurling's first pitch of the seventh into the leftfield seats for his 21st homer. One out later, Jermaine Dye doubled and A.J. Pierzynski singled, setting up Crede's 13th homer. Juan Uribe then broke an 0-for-23 slump with another homer to left.

INDIANS 6, ROYALS 2 (5): Cliff Lee was credited with his first career complete game and Ben Broussard homered as host Cleveland snapped a five-game skid.

The game was called with one out in the bottom of the fifth after two rain delays.

[Last modified July 19, 2005, 01:09:13]