NEW YORK – After another slow start by the Yankees, Mike Mussina made sure New York didn’t get blown out by the Chicago White Sox again.

Mussina gave up two quick runs, then watched his teammates rally for five in the first off rookie Neal Cotts. The Yankees went on to beat Chicago 7-5 Thursday in the finale of a three-game series between division leaders.

New York, pummeled by a combined 24-4 in the first two games, headed to Boston for a weekend series with a 4-game lead in the AL East.

Chicago, which began the day one game ahead of Kansas City in the AL Central, roughed up Roger Clemens and David Wells the previous two nights. And when Carl Everett and Paul Konerko hit run-scoring singles in the first, it appeared the White Sox might romp again.

Athletics 6, Orioles 4

OAKLAND, Calif. – Adam Melhuse hit a three-run homer and John Halama pitched into the seventh inning as the Oakland Athletics won their sixth straight, sweeping the Baltimore Orioles with a 6-4 victory Thursday.

Scott Hatteberg led off Oakland’s four-run first inning with a homer. Mark Ellis later added an RBI triple as the A’s cruised to their 10th win in 12 games – and their sixth straight victory over Baltimore this season.

The A’s former fifth starter was banished to the bullpen three months ago, but he was solid in his second spot start in place of 15-game winner Mark Mulder.

Devil Rays 3, Mariners 2

SEATTLE – Toby Hall homered in the ninth inning, sending the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 3-2 victory over the slumping Seattle Mariners on Thursday.

The Mariners fell two games behind Oakland in the AL West after leading the division for 4 months. They lost for the eighth time in nine games, leaving them a half-game back of Boston in the wild-card chase.

Seattle’s Bret Boone tied it at 2 with a solo shot in the eighth, but Hall drove a 1-1 pitch from Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1-1) into the Devil Rays’ bullpen in left field with two outs.

It was only the fifth time Hasegawa has allowed a run in 53 appearances this season.

Al Martin also homered and Jorge Sosa gave up one run in six innings for the Devil Rays, who took two of three from Seattle – only the third series Tampa Bay has ever won against the Mariners.

Lance Carter pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 28 opportunities.

Martin’s solo homer gave the Devil Rays a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Boone tied it, driving the first pitch he saw from reliever Travis Harper (3-7) over the wall near the left-field foul pole. It finally lifted the Mariners after seven listless innings.

Freddy Garcia pitched well for 6 2-3 innings, holding the Devil Rays to four hits and one earned run. He struck out four, including three in the second, and walked two before turning it over to lefty Arthur Rhodes in the seventh.

A 10-mph wind was blowing from the northwest, unfurling the flags above left field. For the first time in four months, the green and yellow “Athletics” banner was displayed on the first pole among the AL West teams.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the third, capitalizing on a rare error by second baseman Boone to score an unearned run.

Boone dropped a fly by Hall, who went to second on Damian Rolls’ single to left. Carl Crawford walked, and Julio Lugo hit a sacrifice fly.

Martin made it 2-0 in the fourth when he launched a 2-0 pitch deep into the stands in right field.

The Mariners couldn’t score until the sixth. John Olerud hit a two-out RBI single to left to score Boone, and Seattle had the bases loaded after Mike Cameron walked.

Sosa ended the threat, though, by getting Randy Winn on a short chopper that was corralled by Hall, the catcher.

Sosa allowed five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. He was making his first start since Aug. 10, when he couldn’t get out of the first inning of a 7-3 loss to Kansas City at Tropicana Field.

Notes: Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella was cheered when his 60th birthday was announced on the video board. Earlier, he received a plaque from Seattle baseball writers and several cards from well-wishers. … Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-4, extending his current hitless streak to nine at-bats. He went 1-for-12 in the series.

AP-ES-08-28-03 1934EDT