Yankees edge Orioles to take AL East lead
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-09-29 13:29

Chacon (7-3) was solid on the hill for the Yankees, allowing just one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings of work to notch his third straight win.

Tom Gordon tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief before Mariano Rivera took over in the ninth and recorded the final three outs for his 43rd save of the season.

In Boston, Frank Catalanotto, Vernon Wells and Eric Hinske all homered as the Blue Jays pounded Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo for seven hits and all seven runs in just three-plus innings on their way to their second consecutive win.

Wells put the Red Sox in an early hole, taking Arroyo over the wall in deep left to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 first inning lead.

Edgar Renteria answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning but Toronto came right back with a three-run burst in the third, highlighted by two-run blast from Hinske.

Catalanotto then doubled in a pair of runs in the fourth to take command 7-1.

In Cleveland, Seth McClung pitched eight shutout innings and Julio Lugo's brought across the game's only run with an eighth inning sacrifice fly as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays edged the slumping Indians 1-0, denting the Tribe's post-season hopes.

The loss was the third straight for the slumping Indians, who slipped three games back of the Chicago White Sox in the battle for the AL Central title.

McClung (7-11) was brilliant, retiring the first 11 batters he faced and keeping the Indians at bay until Lugo lifted a sacrifice fly ball to right bringing across Joey Gathright.

The Tampa Bay righthander scattered four hits while striking out four and walked none as the Devil Rays recorded their second consecutive one-run decision over the Indians.

Danys Baez came on to work a perfect ninth to nail down the win and his 41st save.

Cliff Lee (18-5) provided the Indians with eight solid innings but was tagged with the loss, allowing one run on six hits with three strikeouts.

In Detroit, Aaron Rowand belted a three-run homer, Juan Uribe added a solo shot and Carl Everett stroked a two-run triple as the White Sox inched closer to clinching the AL Central title with an 8-2 win over the Tigers.

The win reduced the White Sox's magic number to two.

They could claim the division crown on Thursday with another win over the Tigers combined with a Cleveland loss to Tampa Bay.

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