NEW YORK (AP) -John Lackey earned his major league-leading eighth victory and the Los Angeles Angels barely had to swing the bat during a seventh-inning rally Sunday that gave them a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees and a three-game sweep.
Los Angeles took advantage after starter Mike Mussina got a quick hook, with pinch-hitter Erick Aybar and Chone Figgins drawing bases-loaded walks from Scott Proctor.
Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez held on in the ninth inning, giving up Melky Cabrera’s sacrifice fly before retiring Derek Jeter on a flyball with a runner on third for the final out. The AL West leaders won for the ninth time in 11 games and posted their first sweep at Yankee Stadium since 2004.
The Yankees lost for the seventh time in 10 games and dropped a season-high six games below .500.
Lackey (8-3) gave up five hits, and Rodriguez got his 16th save in 17 chances.
Proctor (0-2) gave up two runs, walking three and allowing a hit. He covered his face with his cap when manager Joe Torre came to get him.
Orioles 8, Athletics 4
BALTIMORE (AP) – Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora and Nick Markakis homered for Baltimore, negating another home run by Oakland’s Nick Swisher.
Oakland starter Joe Blanton (4-3) had allowed six homers in 67 2-3 innings before yielding three in six innings against Baltimore’s rejuvenated attack. The Orioles have scored eight runs in two straight games after going 13 straight games without scoring as many as seven runs.
Daniel Cabrera (4-5) allowed four runs, five hits and four walks in six innings for the Orioles. Tejada has homered in two straight games and three of four after connecting only twice in his first 46 games. Mora’s homer was his sixth, the first since May 1.
Swisher homered in a third consecutive game, a three-run shot that got the A’s to 5-4 in the fifth. It was his ninth home run of the season, the fifth in five games against Baltimore.
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