Pitcher Jon Lieber shines in his New York debut.

NEW YORK – Ruben Sierra homered twice and drove in seven runs, and Jon Lieber looked great in his long-awaited Yankees debut, leading New York over the Kansas City Royals 12-4 Saturday.

Hideki Matsui also connected and had three RBIs for the Yankees, who have won a season-high five straight following a four-game skid.

Their latest victory came without manager Joe Torre, who was attending his daughter’s Holy Communion ceremony. Bench coach Willie Randolph ran the team in Torre’s place, with help from pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre.

Sierra hit a three-run shot off Eduardo Villacis in the third inning and a grand slam off Curtis Leskanic in the eighth, his 16th career multihomer game. It was Sierra’s seventh slam.

The Royals got shortstop Angel Berroa and slugger Juan Gonzalez back, but lost for the 13th time in 16 games. They dropped to 1-9 on the road and 7-15 overall, last in the AL Central.

A 20-game winner with the Cubs in 2001, Lieber (1-0) made his first major league appearance since Aug. 1, 2002. He didn’t pitch last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, and began this season on the DL with a strained right groin.

Tigers 4, Mariners 2

DETROIT – Ivan Rodriguez and Greg Norton homered, and the Detroit Tigers handed Seattle its eighth loss in 10 games with a 4-2 victory Saturday over the Mariners.

Jeremy Bonderman (3-1) allowed two runs on five hits. He didn’t walk a batter in 7 2-3 innings, helping the Tigers to just their second win in six games.

Seattle ruined Bonderman’s shutout when Jolbert Cabrera, subbing for injured second baseman Bret Boone, led off the eighth with an infield single, and John Olerud followed with an RBI double.

Bonderman retired the next two batters, but Ichiro Suzuki drove in Olerud with an infield single to shortstop.

Indians 3, Orioles 2

CLEVELAND – Coco Crisp hit a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning, giving the Cleveland Indians a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

Matt Lawton singled off Mike DeJean to lead off the inning and moved to second on Alex Escobar’s sacrifice. Lou Merloni was intentionally walked before Crisp, batting for the first time in the game, lined an 0-1 pitch to right field to score Lawton.

Chad Durbin (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

De Jean (0-2) allowed one run and three hits in 2 1-3 innings.

Athletics 6, Devil Rays 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Erubiel Duzaro hit his second career grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Oakland Athletics held on for a 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Saturday night.

Durazo’s bases-loaded shot off Trever Miller that made it 6-1 was his third homer in the past two games. He had a pair of two-run homers in Oakland’s 4-2 win over the Devil Rays Friday night.

In the bottom half, the Devil Rays scored four times off Oakland’s Jim Mecir behind Carl Crawford’s two-run triple – his second triple of the game – and Jose Cruz Jr’s two-run homer.

Mecir has given up nine runs over his last two relief appearances, a span of one inning.

He failed to get an out on Tuesday against the Yankees, and his ERA has ballooned to 12.91.

Eric Chavez homered and Bobby Crosby hit a sacrifice fly in a two-run eighth inning that put Oakland up 2-1.

Angels 1, Twins 0

MINNEAPOLIS – Chone Figgins hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning, and spot starter Aaron Sele allowed two hits in five innings to lead the Anaheim Angels over the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Saturday night.

Kevin Gregg gave up two hits over two innings, and Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) and Troy Percival pitched one inning each to complete the four-hitter.

Percival pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save in seven opportunities, and has not allowed an earned run against Minnesota in 38 2-3 innings.

White Sox 4, Blue Jays 3

CHICAGO – Joe Crede hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Chicago White Sox to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday in the opener of a doubleheader.

Magglio Ordonez singled in the 10th and after Frank Thomas walked, Ross Gload sacrificed. Justin Speier (1-3) then walked Paul Konerko intentionally to load the bases before Crede lifted a fly to right fielder Howie Clark.

Clark made a strong throw to the plate, but Ordonez slid around catcher Kevin Cash as the White Sox won for the sixth time in eight games.