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Baltimore, MD - Jeremy Guthrie hurled six solid innings, and Kevin Millar homered as Baltimore doubled up New York, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Camden Yards.

It wasn’t all bad for the Yankees, however. Before the clubs began their regularly scheduled game, they finished a contest that was suspended on June 28 in the top of the eighth inning with the Yankees leading 8-6.

New York held on in that one for an 8-7 win when Mariano Rivera nailed things down despite a shaky ninth inning.

In the nightcap Guthrie (7-3) allowed just two runs on six hits to win his third straight start for the Orioles, who have beaten New York five of seven times this season.

“He [Guthrie] is a pretty good pitcher,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “We had men at third base with less than two out a couple of times, but we couldn’t bring them in. Unfortunately, that does happen throughout the course of the year. We’ve been doing all the right things in that regard, but we just couldn’t get it done today. He’s got a lot of confidence right now.”

Ramon Hernandez was 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs for Baltimore while Jay Gibbons was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

“Well this is what we’ve been doing, playing team baseball,” said O’s manager Dave Trembley. “Tonight was an example of that to the highest degree, team baseball; contributions from everybody and no one giving in.”

Alex Rodriguez, who was celebrating his 32nd birthday, finished 0-for-2 with a run scored and remained stuck on 499 career homers. Rodriguez is vying to become the youngest man in major league history to reach 500 home runs.

“He’s been great at keeping things in perspective for himself,” Torre said of Rodriguez. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize on that stuff, but Alex is fine. He’s having a great year, and you just knock wood that he stays healthy and stays in the middle of our lineup because he’s so important for it.”

Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano each drove in a run for New York.

Andy Pettitte (6-7) was the hard-luck loser for the Yankees, who are now eight games behind Boston in the AL East and five games behind Cleveland in the wild card race. The left-hander surrendered three runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Down 1-0, the Orioles bounced back and took control of the game with a three- run third. With runners at the corners and two down, Pettitte lost the strike zone. He walked Aubrey Huff to load the bases and was down 3-1 to Hernandez before the catcher grounded a two-run single through the left side. Gibbons capped the frame by ripping a long RBI single over Bobby Abreu’s head in right.

New York drew within a run in the sixth. Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Hideki Matsui’s single and scored on Cano’s one-out single to right. Guthrie avoided any further damage by getting Andy Phillips to hit into a 4-6-3 twin-killing.

“We hit some balls hard,” Torre said. “The double play that Andy hit into, he hit the ball right on the button. It’s just one of those things. We’re having good at bats. We’re just not getting hits.”

Baltimore got an all-important insurance run in the eighth when Millar drilled a 1-0 Scott Proctor fastball over the wall in left-center for his 10th home run of the year.

“I saw a fastball down the middle and it went out of the ballpark,” Torre said of Proctor’s pitch. “It’s cause for concern. He’s had success against Millar in the past. He’s obviously not locating his pitches the way he needs to.”

Chad Bradford came on from there and threw a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.

The Yankees jumped on top with a run in the second. Phillips drew a two-out walk and came around to score when Cabrera ripped a triple to the gap in left- center. It looked like Corey Patterson had a beat on the ball but pulled up early, thinking he was closer to the wall.

Game Notes

The Orioles activated star shortstop Miguel Tejada from the disabled list Friday. Tejada was shelved with a non-displaced fracture of the left radius, a move that ended the fifth longest consecutive-game playing streak in major league history at 1,152 games. Tejada finished the game 0-for-4 but made a number of nice plays in the field. To make room for Tejada on the roster, the Orioles optioned outfielder Jon Knott to Triple-A Norfolk…The Yankees demoted struggling starting pitcher Kei Igawa to Triple-A Scranton and recalled infielder Chris Basak…Patterson swiped his 24th base on the season.

Kansas City, MO - Mark Grudzielanek had three hits, drove in a run, and scored a run, as the Kansas City Royals kicked off a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium against the Texas Rangers with a 6-1 victory.

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Billy Butler homered for the Royals, who won their second straight. Ross Gload went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the win.

Brian Bannister (7-6) scattered four hits with six strikeouts and two walks over seven innings for KC. The rookie right-hander has won his last two starts, scattering eight hits and just one run in 14 innings.

Sammy Sosa homered for the Rangers, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. He recorded the only Texas run, and was the lone Ranger with two hits.

Jamey Wright (3-3), who posted back-to-back wins for Texas before control problems plagued him the last time out, allowed five runs on 10 hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.

Kansas City plated three runs in the first when Grudzielanek singled, Mark Teahen walked, and Butler belted a three-run homer to center field on a 1-2 pitch.

The Royals scored another run in the third, as Teahen doubled, advanced to third on Butler’s groundout, and came home on a Gload sacrifice fly.

The Royals tacked on one more in the seventh, as John Buck lined a lead-off single and Tony Pena bunted him over to second. David DeJesus was then intentionally walked, and Grudzielanek singled home Buck.

Texas got on the board in the eighth off reliever Joakim Soria, who surrendered a solo shot to Sosa on a full count.

Kansas City, however, padded its lead with another run off reliever Scott Feldman. Gload singled, advanced to second on a balk, and, after a 37-minute rain delay, scored on an Alex Gordon double.

Game Notes

Bannister retired seven straight batters after Sosa’s third-inning single…Texas recalled outfielder Nelson Cruz from Triple-A Oklahoma…This series marks the first meeting between the Royals and Rangers in 2007. Both clubs split six games last year.

Houston, TX - Jake Peavy tossed seven solid innings, putting the brakes on a five-start winless streak, as the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros, 9-4, in the second test of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Peavy (10-5) allowed just one run on four hits, with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts. He had been 0-4 with a 4.06 earned run average in his previous five trips to the mound, including a personal three-game losing streak.

The right-hander, who was 6-0 in nine starts before the slide, had allowed three runs or more in five of his previous six trips to the mound coming in. The Padres ace, however, is unbeaten (5-0) in seven road starts this season.

Brian Giles knocked in a season-high three runs, Geoff Blum finished with two RBI and two runs scored, and Milton Bradley added a solo homer for the Padres, who won for just the second time in eight games.

Woody Williams (5-12) yielded five runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out four over six innings in the loss. The Houston veteran was unable to keep his perfect streak against San Diego in tact, after entering the game 4-0 in four career starts against the Padres.

Carlos Lee had three hits and knocked in a run for the Astros, who had a three-game winning streak halted.

Houston put up a first-inning run when Mark Loretta and Lance Berkman ripped consecutive one-out singles, and Lee poked a base hit through the right side.

The Padres quickly answered with a pair of runs in the second. Kevin Kouzmanoff reached on a fielder’s choice grounder, Blum walked and Peavy helped himself with an RBI single to center. Giles followed with a base hit, plating Blum, but Peavy was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Bradley’s solo homer in the third made it 3-1, and San Diego added two more in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Kouzmanoff and a sacrifice fly from Blum.

The rout continued as the Padres tacked on three more in the eighth. Blum’s single to center scored Khalil Greene, who had doubled with one out, and after pinch-hitter Jose Cruz walked to load the bases, Giles’ base hit scored two more.

Greene’s sac fly in the ninth made it 9-1, but the Astros scored a pair of runs in the home half on a throwing error by pitcher Joe Thatcher with the bases loaded.

Heath Bell replaced Thatcher and allowed an RBI single to pinch-hitter Morgan Ensberg before Craig Biggio went down swinging and Loretta flied out to end the game.

Game Notes

Bradley’s homer was his sixth of the season, but fourth of the year with San Diego…Astros second baseman Craig Biggio went 1-for-5 and is now tied with Rafael Palmeiro for 23rd on the all-time list with 3,020 hits…Attendance was 39,996…Astros catcher Brad Ausmus recorded his 100th career stolen base.

Chicago, IL - Juan Uribe’s two-out, two-run double in the sixth put the White Sox on top, and Chicago held on for a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game set.

Jon Garland (8-7) gave up 10 hits, but only three runs in 7 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking one. Bobby Jenks pitched the scoreless ninth for his 29th save. Jermaine Dye went 3-for-4 with a solo homer for the White Sox, who have won four out of five.

Reed Johnson went 4-for-5 for the Blue Jays, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Josh Towers (5-7) gave up seven hits and four runs with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

The White Sox went on top with Uribe’s clutch two-out hit in the sixth. A.J. Pierzynski was plunked with one out and moved to second on Josh Fields’ single to left. Both runners moved up on Scott Podsednik’s groundout, and Uribe came through with a double to left, plating both runners to give the White Sox the edge.

Troy Glaus almost tied the game with one swing in the eighth, but just got under a fastball up in the zone, instead lofting a long fly-out to the warning track in center. Vernon Wells followed with a ground-rule double, ending Garland’s night, but Ehren Wassermann came out of the bullpen and got the last two outs to end the threat.

Dye led off the second by blasting a home run to right, his 18th of the season, to draw first blood for the White Sox.

The Blue Jays jumped on top with a three-spot in the fourth. Alex Rios roped a leadoff single to center, but was almost stranded, as Glaus fanned and Wells flied out. Frank Thomas laced a double to left, though, plating Rios. Aaron Hill followed with an RBI single to left, and moved up to second when the throw went through to the plate. Matt Stairs followed with another single, scoring Hill and giving Toronto a 3-1 lead.

Alex Cintron’s RBI single to left in the fifth pulled the Sox to within one run.

Game Notes

Earlier Friday the White Sox dealt second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor-league pitcher Michael Dubee…The White Sox have hit 18 home runs in their last 14 games and 27 in the last 14 contests at home.

Philadelphia, PA - Lefty Jamie Moyer got his second straight win since ending a three-start slide, as the Philadelphia Phillies pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-1, in a rain-shortened opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.

Moyer (9-8), who had dropped consecutive starts to Houston, Colorado and the Los Angeles Dodgers from July 2-16 before rebounding with a 12-4 defeat of San Diego on July 21, gave up one unearned run on six hits with four strikeouts over seven innings.

Pat Burrell homered and knocked in three runs for the Phillies, who have won six of their last seven. Michael Bourn, playing for Aaron Rowand who hurt his left shoulder playing tag with children, finished 4-for-4 and scored twice in the win.

In other injury news for the Phils, second baseman Chase Utley had successful surgery on Friday to repair a broken bone in his right hand. Utley, hit by a pitch from Washington’s John Lannan on Thursday, had a pin inserted into his hand during a 20-minute procedure and could miss up to four weeks. They did receive some good news on Friday when pitcher Brett Myers, who suffered a right shoulder strain after throwing a wild pitch in Philadelphia’s win over Florida on May 23, was activated from the 15-day disabled list.

Right-hander John Van Benschoten (0-5), returning to the Pittsburgh rotation after having his last turn skipped, gave up seven runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old San Diego native has failed to get through the third inning in three straight outings, having given up six hits and nine runs in a 10-8 loss to Colorado on July 16 and seven hits and five runs in 2 2/3 innings while losing to the Chicago Cubs on July 7.

Ronny Paulino went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Pirates, who have dropped four of five and are at the bottom of the National League.

Philadelphia plated a pair of runs in the first. Bourn lined a lead- off single, Shane Victorino got hit by a pitch, and Jimmy Rollins walked. Ryan Howard and Burrell struck out, but Greg Dobbs singled home two runs.

The Phillies got six more runs in the third. Howard walked before Burrell’s two-run shot to left field on the first pitch he saw. Dobbs walked and came home on Carlos Ruiz’s double. Moyer then helped himself, singling home Ruiz, as Tony Armas replaced Van Benschoten on the mound.

Bourn, Victorino and Rollins followed with three straight singles to score another run. After Howard struck out swinging, Burrell then walked in another run to put the game away.

Pittsburgh got on the board with a run in the fifth. Josh Phelps reached on a throwing error by Dobbs, advanced to third on Jose Castillo’s double, and made it home on a Paulino single.

Game Notes

To fill the hole in the lineup and on the diamond vacated by Utley, the Phillies acquired second baseman Tadahito Iguchi from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league pitcher Michael Dubee. Philadelphia also purchased the contract of infielder/outfielder Joe Thurston from Triple-A Ottawa, designated infielder Danny Sandoval for assignment, and optioned pitcher Mike Zagurski to Ottawa…This was the first meeting between the two clubs this season after they split six games in 2006.

San Francisco, CA - San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds got within one homer of the all-time record, belting No. 754 in the first inning of Friday’s game against the Florida Marlins.

Bonds struck a 2-1 pitch from Rick Vanden Hurk over the wall in center field. The solo blast with two outs in the first inning gave the Giants a 2-1 lead.

More importantly, the homer moved Bonds within one of Hank Aaron’s all-time record. It was also Bonds’ first homer since he hit two on July 19 in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Vanden Hurk became the 444th different pitcher Bonds has homered off in his major league career.

Bonds now has 20 home runs on the season.

St. Petersburg, FL - Tim Wakefield allowed one run over six innings and Kevin Youkilis hit a three-run homer as the Boston Red Sox downed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 7-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

Wakefield (12-9) surrendered six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.

Coco Crisp drove in two runs and Manny Ramirez had two hits for the Red Sox, who have won seven of eight.

Tampa Bay starter Jason Hammel (1-1) went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on just one hit and two walks while striking out four.

Akinori Iwamura and BJ Upton had two hits apiece and Dioner Navarro also had two hits with an RBI for the Devil Rays, who have lost seven in a row and 24 of 29.

Tampa Bay got on the board in the second. With two-outs, Ty Wigginton singled to left and Jonny Gomes walked before Navarro singled to right, scoring Wigginton. Iwamura walked, loading the bases for Carl Crawford. Wakefield, though, got Crawford to ground out, ending the frame.

With one out in the sixth, Alex Cora walked and stole second. Julio Lugo then walked, ending Hammel’s night. Juan Salas entered and was greeted by a Youkilis three-run homer to left, his 10th of the season.

Boston added four more runs in the eighth. After Devil Rays reliever Casey Fossum walked David Ortiz with one out, Shawn Camp entered the game in relief and allowed back-to-back singles to right by Ramirez and JD Drew, scoring a run. Mike Lowell then popped out before Crisp drove in two runs with a double to left and Doug Mirabelli singled to right scoring another to give Boston a commanding 7-1 lead.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay returned catcher Josh Paul from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the 60-day disabled list. The Devil Rays also designated catcher Raul Casanova for assignment…Wakefield won for the fifth time in six starts and improved to 17-2 against the Devil Rays, the most wins by a Tampa Bay opponent. He is 8-0 at Tropicana Field…Lugo had his career-high 15 game hitting streak snapped…Hammel retired the first 11 batters he faced…Attendance was 33,144

Cleveland, OH - Jhonny Peralta hit a three-run and a two- run home run as the Cleveland Indians pounded the Minnesota Twins, 10-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Jacobs Field.

Josh Barfield went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while newly- acquired Kenny Lofton finished 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Indians, who had lost three of four coming into the game.

Paul Byrd (9-4) got the win as he gave up four runs on 10 hits in seven-plus innings of work.

Before the game, the Indians brought in fan favorite outfielder Lofton in a trade with the Texas Rangers. The Indians sent minor league catcher Max Ramirez to the Rangers in exchange for the 40-year-old Lofton, who returns for his third stint with the Tribe. Lofton spent the most productive years of his big league career with the Indians. After being dealt from Houston to Cleveland before the 1992 season, Lofton played nine of the next 10 years with the Indians.

Jason Kubel hit a two-run home run while Justin Morneau went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Twins, who have lost a season-high five straight games.

Boof Bonser (5-7) dropped his fifth straight decision as he gave up six runs — four earned — on nine hits in just 2 2/3 innings of work, his shortest outing of the season.

The Indians took advantage of a couple of Minnesota errors in the third inning to take a 6-0 lead. Barfield led off the inning by reached first thanks to Brian Buscher throwing the ball to first too high. Grady Sizemore then walked and Lofton loaded the bases with a bunt single. Victor Martinez then hit a grounder to short and Nick Punto rushed the throw and the ball went wide, allowing Barfield and Sizemore to score. Travis Hafner then singled to put runners at the corners and Peralta followed with a homer over the left- center wall.

Casey Blake and Trot Nixon then followed with singles and, after Kelly Shoppach grounded into a fielder’s choice, Barfield singled to score Blake.

Cleveland plated another two runs in the fifth for an 8-0 lead. Nixon led off with a double and, after Shoppach struck out, Barfield hit a double off the wall in right-center to score Nixon. Lofton later hit a single to left to score Barfield.

Peralta blasted his second home run of the game, a two-run shot over the center field wall in the sixth for a 10-0 lead.

Minnesota finally got on the board in the seventh as Morneau led off with a single and, two batters later, Jason Kubel belted a shot over the right field wall to make it a 10-2 game.

Morneau added a sacrifice fly and Jason Tyner scored on a wild pitch in the eighth inning to cut the Twins’ deficit to 10-4, but that was as close as they got.

Denver, CO - Friday’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up when the Dodgers return to Denver in mid-September.

Brett Tomko, Friday’s scheduled starter for the Dodgers, will pitch Saturday. Josh Fogg was slated to start Friday for Colorado, but now Jeff Francis will head to the mound for Saturday’s contest.

Flushing, NY - Mike Bacsik pitched seven strong innings, leading the Washington Nationals to a 6-2 win over the New York Mets in the opener of a four-game set.

Bacsik (4-6) scattered eight hits and allowed two runs with no strikeouts and one walk. Ryan Church and Austin Kearns each homered for the Nationals, who have won four of six.

Jorge Sosa (7-6) let up a season-high nine hits and five runs in six innings of work. Moises Alou returned to left field for the Mets. Alou had been sidelined since May 17 with a strained left quad. The veteran outfielder went 1-for-4 with a double and scored a run for New York, which has dropped two in a row after winning five of six.

The Nationals took the early lead with a three-spot in the second inning. Dmitri Young roped a leadoff double to left, and came home on Church’s double to right. Brian Schneider then ripped a one-out double to right, scoring another run, and Nook Logan followed with a ground-rule double that hopped the fence in left-center, scoring Schneider.

With runners at the corners and no outs in the home half, Lastings Milledge grounded into a double play, scoring the first New York run.

Church belted a solo homer to right-center with two outs in the third, restoring the three-run advantage for the Nats.

Damion Easley again brought the Mets to within two runs in the fifth, with a single to right that brought home one run and put runners at first and second with two outs. David Wright followed that with a groundout, though, ending the threat.

Kearns then led off the sixth with a shot to left, and the Nats held a 5-2 lead. The Washington rightfielder scored an insurance run in the eighth. After working a two-out walk, Kearns stole second, his first stolen base of the season, and came around on a Schneider single to right, giving the Nats a four-run pad.

Game Notes

In another roster move Friday, the Mets recalled reliever Jon Adkins from Triple-A New Orleans. The 29-year-old righty tossed a scoreless sixth…The Mets and Nationals meet on Saturday in a day-night doubleheader, making up a rainout from April 15. It will be the first twin bill of the season for the Nationals…The game ended a Nationals of 12 straight games decided by three runs or less…New York’s Carlos Beltran sat for the third consecutive game with a left abdominal strain.