Vernon Wells punches out a key homer for Toronto.
By The Associated Press

MONTREAL – Roy Halladay pitched into the ninth to win his 11th consecutive start and Vernon Wells homered for the fourth straight game to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Expos on Sunday.

Pitching on three-days’ rest for the first time in his 100 career starts, Halladay (11-2) extended his team-record streak and the longest in the majors in six years.

He allowed two unearned and three hits, leaving after the first two batters reached in the ninth. Cliff Politte bounced back a night after blowing the lead in an 8-5 loss to get three outs for his 11th save. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Orlando Cabrera.

Diamondbacks 6, Reds 5

PHOENIX – Steve Finley went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Cincinnati Reds for the 14th straight time, 6-5 Sunday.

David Dellucci drew a pair of bases-loaded walks for the Diamondbacks, who won their fifth straight. Arizona’s winning streak against Cincinnati dates back to May 7, 2001.

Angels 6, Dodgers 3

LOS ANGELES – Garret Anderson hit a two-run homer and the Anaheim Angels ended Kevin Brown’s nine-game winning streak, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 Sunday.

Brown (10-2) had won seven straight starts. But he allowed four runs on a season-high 10 hits in five innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

Marlins 3, Devil Rays 2

MIAMI – Rookie Miguel Cabrera hit an RBI triple and Mike Lowell homered to lead the Florida Marlins to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Sunday.

Cabrera’s third inning RBI triple off of a billboard in center field was the Marlins only hit until the seventh inning. Just a few feet to the right, and the 20-year-old Cabrera’s second career hit might have also been his second career home run.

Athletics 6, Giants 5

OAKLAND, Calif. – Miguel Tejada hit a three-run homer and four relievers combined four innings of hitless relief as the Oakland Athletics took two of three in the Bay Bridge Series, beating the San Francisco Giants 6-5 Sunday.

Erubiel Durazo hit a solo homer for the go-ahead run, and Eric Chavez had a two-run double as Oakland rallied from a three-run deficit to finish a 12-game homestand with nine victories.

Indians 8, Pirates 5

PITTSBURGH – C.C. Sabathia propped up Cleveland’s weary bullpen with a six-inning start and Matt Lawton drove in two runs to help along a pair of big innings, leading the Indians past the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 Sunday.

Cleveland shook off consecutive 15-inning losses Friday and Saturday to get 14 hits, 12 in the first six innings. The Indians avoided their second three-game interleague sweep in Pittsburgh in three seasons.

Padres 3, Mariners 1

SAN DIEGO – Donaldo Mendez doubled leading off the sixth to break up Ryan Franklin’s no-hit bid and Jake Peavy won his third straight start as the San Diego Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Sunday to take two of three from baseball’s best team.

Peavy (7-5) and three relievers combined on a five-hitter. The Padres, who have baseball’s second-worst record, also beat the Mariners 5-3 on Friday night, when Rondell White hit a grand slam with two outs in the ninth.

Orioles 9, Braves 3

ATLANTA – Jeff Conine drove in three runs, Luis Matos and B.J. Surhoff had two RBIs apiece and the Baltimore Orioles avoided a sweep in Atlanta, beating the Braves 9-3 Sunday.

Jason Johnson (6-3) again benefited from plenty of offensive support as Baltimore snapped a four-game losing streak, including the first two games at Turner Field.

Royals 5, Cardinals 2

ST. LOUIS – Jeremy Affeldt won for the first time in seven starts and hit an RBI single as the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 Sunday, taking two of three from their cross-state rivals.

There was a moment of silence before the game to remember the one-year anniversary of the death of Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile.

Rockies 5, Tigers 3

DENVER – Denny Neagle worked six-plus innings for his first victory of the year and Charles Johnson had a two-run single as the Colorado Rockies beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 Sunday.

Neagle (1-1) allowed three runs and six hits, fanning six in 6 1-3 innings in his second start of the season. Neagle, who hadn’t won since Sept. 4 at San Francisco, spent the first 71 games of the year on the disabled list with stiffness in his left elbow.

Yankees 7, Mets 3

NEW YORK – Jorge Posada and Charles Gipson received bases-loaded walks in the ninth and 11th innings, allowing the New York Yankees to rally against the New York Mets bullpen for a 7-3 win Sunday night.

Posada’s walk from closer Armando Benitez with two outs in the ninth inning forced in the tying run and Gipson’s walk started a four-run 11th that gave the Yankees a two-game sweep of the rain-shortened Subway Series.

Five Mets relievers walked eight batters – one intentional – in the final five innings.

Jason Phillips’ RBI single off Chris Hammond with two outs in the eighth gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, but Benitez couldn’t hold it.

He walked four batters in the ninth, forcing home the tying run.

The AL East-leading Yankees have won eight of nine since getting no-hit by six Houston pitchers on June 11.

Benitez, who had converted 12 straight save chances, walked Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra to load the bases with two outs in the ninth. The right-hander went to a 3-2 count on pinch-hitter Posada and, with fans of both teams on their feet and roaring, missed high and outside with a fastball.

A frustrated Benitez leaned back in disbelief and hopped on the mound, then retired pinch-hitter Juan Rivera to end the inning.

Benitez was booed loudly as he walked off the field, Mets fans in the sellout crowd of 55,031 no doubt recalling the ninth-inning lead he blew in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series against the Yankees.

Graeme Lloyd got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th when Matsui grounded into a double play, but Todd Zeile drew a leadoff walk from Lloyd (1-2) in the 11th and Ruben Sierra singled for his 2,000th career hit.

Posada hit a potential double-play ball, but rookie shortstop Jose Reyes booted it for an error, loading the bases. Lloyd walked pinch-hitter Gipson to force in a run – his second RBI of the season – and another run scored on Alfonso Soriano’s RBI groundout, making it 5-3. Enrique Wilson added a two-run double off Dan Wheler.

Mariano Rivera (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Matsui homered off John Franco in the seventh to tie it at 2.

Cliff Floyd homered and Tom Glavine pitched six strong innings for the Mets.

Glavine, scratched Saturday because of the rain even after he began to warm up, allowed just one run and five hits in six innings. The left-hander recently missed his first start in more than 10 years because of inflammation in his left elbow and was pulled after only 66 pitches. He had lost his last four starts.

Yankees starter David Wells gave up two runs – one earned – and six hits in seven innings. He did not walk a batter and has issued only four free passes in 107 2-3 innings this season.

Saturday’s game was washed out with the Yankees leading 4-3 in the fourth inning and will be made up as part of a day-night, two-ballpark doubleheader this Saturday – just as the teams did July 8, 2000.

Reyes singled leading off the game for his first career hit at Shea Stadium. Phillips finished with a career-high four hits.

Notes: The Mets plan to call up pitching prospect Aaron Heilman from Triple-A Norfolk this week and have him make his major league debut Thursday night against rookie Dontrelle Willis (7-1) and the Florida Marlins. Heilman, 24, was selected in the first round of the 2001 draft (18th overall) out of Notre Dame. … The Yankees are 20-12 against the Mets in interleague play. … Posada did not start because of a sore throat and fever. … Yankees 3B Todd Zeile snapped an 0-for-20 skid with a single in the fifth. He got two hits Saturday but they didn’t count because of the rainout. … Giambi has reached base safely in his last 28 games. … Mets OF Jeromy Burnitz left after the ninth inning with a cut on his right ring finger.

AP-ES-06-23-03 0002EDT