Taiwanese righthander Wang Chien-ming (
The Yankees, 20-23, still trail the arch-rival Red Sox by 9.5 games in the American League East division, but taking the opener of a three-game set in Yankee Stadium helped show they have not quit.
"I still believe we have enough to win this thing," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We haven't played well but I have faith in the team I've put together."
PHOTO: REUTERS
Wang improved to 3-3, throwing a season-high 114 pitches, while Rodriguez hit his league-leading 18th homer and third in as many games to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Giambi's first homer since May 3 -- only his second hit in his past 27 times at bat -- padded the Yankees' edge to 4-0 in the second inning.
Wang escaped a bases-loaded situation in the second inning by striking out Kevin Youkilis and began the third by inducing a David Ortiz ground out and striking out Manny Ramirez, baffling two of the best Boston batters.
That opened a run of retiring 12 of 16 batters before Wang surrendered a walk and double to Youkilis, prompted Yankees manager Joe Torre to remove him.
The Red Sox, who took five of six prior meetings with the Yankees, were undone by the struggles of starter Tim Wakefield.
Indians 5, Mariners 2
At Cleveland, Casey Blake homered, Josh Barfield had two RBIs and the Indians remained baseball's best home team.
The game was a makeup of the April 6 home opener at Jacobs Field, which was called after the clubs played four-and-two-thirds innings in a snowstorm that dumped more than 0.6m of snow on the ballpark and caused the entire four-game series to be postponed.
Blake's fourth homer, a two-out blast off Baek Cha-seung, snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth.
Cleveland improved to 17-4 at home, with two of those wins coming in Milwaukee when the club had to move a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels under Miller Park's retractable roof last month.
Rangers 14, Twins 4
At Arlington, Texas, Gerald Laird hit his first career grand slam in an eight-run fifth inning for the Rangers.
Laird finished with a career-high five RBIs and Sammy Sosa had two doubles and three RBIs for the Rangers. The Rangers equaled a season high for runs in a 14-1 rout of the Houston Astros on Sunday, then matched that total against the Twins.
Frank Catalanotto, fresh off the disabled list, and Nelson Cruz also homered for Texas, which got at least one hit from all nine starters. Vicente Padilla (2-6) gave up two runs and five hits before exiting with two outs in the sixth after Mike Redmond's line-drive single glanced off Padilla's right hand. Padilla, who struck out four and walked two, was not seriously injured.
White Sox 8, Athletics 5
At Chicago, Rob Mackowiak hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning and Darin Erstad drove in three runs in the White Sox's victory. Paul Konerko added three of Chicago's season-high 14 hits and scored three runs.
Jose Contreras (4-4) allowed three runs on nine hits in six innings and struck out a season-high eight and walked one. Bobby Jenks pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his 14th save.
Javier Valentin's pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning rallied the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-7 victory on Monday over the Washington Nationals, who suffered their biggest blown lead of the season.
Valentin's homer off Jon Rauch (2-1) was set up by a misplay characteristic of the NL's worst team. Center fielder Nook Logan and right fielder Austin Kearns let Scott Hatteberg's fly drop for an RBI double ahead of Valentin's homer.
Jon Coutlangus (2-0) retired the four batters he faced and David Weathers finished for his ninth save in 10 chances.
Hatteberg homered and doubled twice, driving in four runs as the Reds overcame a six-run deficit. Ken Griffey Jr. added a solo homer, the 572nd of his career. Griffey is one behind Harmon Killebrew for eight place on the list.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 22 games. It was the longest streak in the NL this season and the longest by a Reds batter since 1996, when Hal Morris hit in 29 straight.
Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 5
At Phoenix, Carlos Quentin hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs as Arizona rallied to win.
Chris Snyder went 3-for-3, and Tony Clark also homered for the Diamondbacks.
Quentin, who entered the game hitting .189, drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Orlando Hudson led off with triple against Jeremy Affeldt (1-1) and Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew walked to load the bases for Quentin, who flied out to deep center to make it 6-5.
Brad Hawpe homered for Colorado, which has lost six of its last eight to fall a season-high nine games under .500 (18-27).
Doug Slaten (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning. Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances.
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