The Yankees trailed Boston by 14 ½ games at one stage this season but with 11 wins in the last 13 contests, New York are now the closest they have been to their bitter rivals since April 21 and can still pip the Red Sox for the division title.

The run of form has also enabled New York to open a 4 ½ game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League wild card race as the Yankees appear poised to reach the postseason for a 13th straight season.

"We still have work and cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in what people assume is a foregone conclusion," Yankee manager Joe Torre told reporters.
"We need to play baseball."

Mike Mussina made his second straight strong start since returning from his exile to the bullpen for the Yankees.

The veteran right-hander allowed just three singles over seven shutout innings and has now thrown 12 2/3 scoreless frames in those two starts.

"They gave me a chance to get back out there and I've done pretty well," Mussina said.

"Maybe they'll give me another chance or two. We'll see."

The win raised his record to 10-10 and also gave him an American League-record 16 consecutive season with at least 10 victories.

Doug Mientkiewicz hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs for New York, who also got three RBIs apiece from Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui.

Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano both had three hits.

The Yankees broke a scoreless tie with six runs in the fourth inning, capped by Mientkiewicz's fifth homer of the season.

*The Toronto Blue Jays rallied for three runs in the eighth inning off reliever Eric Gagne to pull out a 4-3 home victory over the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox led 2-1 before Gagne walked in the tying run and Russ Adams followed with a two-run double as Boston lost its third straight and fourth in five games.
Winner A.J. Burnett (9-7) struck out 11 in 8 2/3 innings.

*The Cleveland Indians blasted four home runs in a 7-4 home win over Detroit to stretch their Central Division lead over the Tigers to 6 ½ games.

Joe Borowski earned his 41st save for Cleveland, now 19-5 since August 25.

Detroit's Justin Verlander (17-6) had yielded four homers over his previous 12 starts before giving up four in this game.

*John Lackey struck out 10 in eight innings for his 17th win as the Los Angeles Angels beat the visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2-1.