Leiter Helps Bring Yankees Closer

Al Leiter knew he could still pitch. The New York Yankees weren’t so sure.

The 39-year-old left-hander rewarded New York only one day after being rescued from the scrap heap, pitching three-hit ball into the seventh inning on Sunday night to help the visiting Yankees beat Boston, 5-3, and pull within half a game of the Red Sox in the American League East.

“It felt really good to be in that uniform, be in this place, against a really good team,” said Leiter, originally drafted by the Yankees in 1984. “I knew I wasn’t done.”

With four starters on the disabled list and a thin trade market for pitchers, New York bought Leiter from the Florida Marlins and put him in the rotation. He responded with a season-high eight strikeouts and three walks in 6 1/3 innings, giving up only one run in his first AL win since 1995.

Despite a two-run rally against reliever Tom Gordon and closer Mariano Rivera in the ninth, the Yankees won three out of four from Boston, earning their 10th win in 12 games to move a season-high eight games above .500.

The Red Sox have lost five of six to whittle away what was a four-game lead in the division on July 6. Tim Wakefield (8-8) pitched his first complete game since 1998 and gave up only five hits, but they included two-run homers by Jorge Posada and Gary Sheffield and a solo shot by Alex Rodriguez.

Johnny Damon doubled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 29 games -- the longest in the majors since Albert Pujols went 30 games in 2003.

Oakland 5, Texas 4 -- Bobby Kielty led off the 14th inning at Oakland with a home run.

Oakland tied it on pinch-hitter Adam Melhuse’s one-out RBI double in the ninth off Francisco Cordero, who blew his fifth save. Both teams repeatedly threatened to score in the extra innings, but every rally ended without a run.

Kielty, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the ninth, finally did it with a long shot to right off Kameron Loe (3-2), ending both teams’ longest game of the season.

Kansas City 5, Detroit 0 -- Runelvys Hernandez gave up two hits through five innings before he was ejected after triggering a bench-clearing brawl in the sixth at Detroit.

Three relievers finished the six-hitter for the Royals, who had three players and Manager Buddy Bell ejected in the melee that started after Hernandez beaned Detroit’s Carlos Guillen in the helmet, his third hit batter of the game.

The scuffle appeared to be over with no punches thrown, but more pushing and shoving began. Detroit reliever Kyle Farnsworth then charged Kansas City relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, picked him up and slammed him to the ground. Hernandez, Bell, Emil Brown and Alberto Castillo were ejected for the Royals. For the Tigers, Guillen, Farnsworth and Jeremy Bonderman were tossed.

Seattle 8, Baltimore 2 -- Gil Meche became the Mariners’ first 10-game winner in two seasons and Miguel Olivo hit a solo home run at Seattle.

Meche (10-6) won for the fifth time in his last seven starts to rekindle memories of 2003, when he won 15 games.

Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 4 -- Jorge Cantu hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning and the Devil Rays rallied for the win at Toronto.

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The Yankees purchased the contract of right-hander Aaron Small from triple-A Columbus, designated infielder Russ Johnson for assignment and sent outfielder Melky Cabrera to Columbus.... The Mariners activated infielder Dave Hansen from the 15-day disabled list and sent outfielder Chris Snelling to triple-A Tacoma.