OAKLAND, Calif. - Aaron Small replaced injured Mike Mussina and pitched his first career shutout, and Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer to help the Yankees move back into a tie for the AL wild-card lead with a 7-0 victory over the Athletics on Saturday.
Hideki Matsui drove in New York's first two runs without a hit and Alex Rodriguez added a two-run single in a six-run seventh inning.
New York and Oakland are tied atop the wild-card standings, with Cleveland and AL West-leading Los Angeles playing late Saturday.
Small's five-hitter followed a 12-0 loss in the series opener and yet another team meeting called before the game by New York manager Joe Torre. The Yankees began the day 31/2 games behind Boston in the AL East, providing a sense or urgency for the final four weeks, but Torre insisted after the meeting that "my team is fine."
Making his first start since Aug. 10, the 33-year-old Small struck out three, walked two and didn't allow a runner to reach third base. After going nine years between major league starts, Small is 4-0 in five starts this season.
While the end result was a blowout, the game was tight early as Kirk Saarloos held the Yankees in check through the first six innings. But New York then broke through with a six-run seventh.
TWINS 3, INDIANS 2: Aaron Boone and Bobby Howry made throwing errors in the ninth inning to lift host Minnesota.
Coco Crisp's sacrifice fly tied the score in the top of the ninth following a leadoff double by Casey Blake off Joe Nathan, but the Twins won it in the bottom half.
Juan Castro led off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single to third off Howry and advanced to second when Boone's throw sailed past first baseman Jose Hernandez.
WHITE SOX 6, TIGERS 2: Tadahito Iguchi fell a homer shy of the cycle, Aaron Rowand and Jermaine Dye hit back-to-back solo shots for host Chicago in its third straight win.
After losing 15 of 22 at home before this series, the White Sox are in position to sweep the four-game set with a victory on Sunday. Detroit has lost eight of 10.
White Sox starter Mark Buehrle scattered nine hits, struck out eight and did not walk a batter in seven innings.
RANGERS 5, ROYALS 3: Juan Dominguez took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in his fifth start of the season for visiting Texas.
Dominguez wound up allowing one run, two hits and four walks in 71/3 innings. He left after Aaron Guiel's double in the eighth. Adrian Gonzalez and David Dellucci homered for the Rangers, who lead the majors with 224.
RED SOX 7, ORIOLES 6: Kevin Millar and David Ortiz homered as Boston's bats recovered following a rare off night.
After shortstop Edgar Renteria booted a potential double-play grounder by Luis Matos for an error in the ninth, Baltimore closed on Brian Roberts' run-scoring double and Melvin Mora's sac fly. With runners at the corners, Mike Timlin retired Miguel Tejada on a flyout for his sixth save.
MARINERS 6, ANGELS 3: Ichiro Suzuki drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning with his third hit, and Raul Ibanez had three RBIs as visiting Seattle scored four times in the ninth to snap Los Angeles' three-game winning streak.
