NEW YORK – Javier Vazquez won his fourth straight start, pitching into the eighth inning to lead the New York Yankees past Colorado 2-1 Tuesday night in the Rockies’ first visit to Yankee Stadium.

Vazquez (7-4) retired his first 13 batters, struck out six and gave up five hits in seven-plus innings for the Yankees, who got a two-run single from Jason Giambi to win for the 12th time in 14 games. The AL East leaders, playing their first interleague game this season, have the best record in the major leagues at 36-20.

Colorado made it exciting in the eighth for the near-capacity crowd of 51,852. Todd Greene singled off Vazquez to start the inning and Tom Gordon relieved.

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 25 chances. The game ended when pinch-runner Denny Hocking was caught stealing at second by Posada following Vinny Castilla’s single.

Jeff Fassero (0-6), at 41 the oldest player on the Rockies, was making his third start this season, and it was easily his best. He allowed six hits, all singles, and walked four, giving up his only runs on Giambi’s hit in the third,

Diamondbacks 8, Orioles 1

BALTIMORE – Randy Johnson won his fifth straight start, limiting the Baltimore Orioles to three hits over seven innings in leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to an 8-1 victory Tuesday night.

Pitching in Baltimore for the first time since 1997, Johnson (8-4) allowed one run, struck out four and walked one. He had thrown only 89 pitches and was six outs from his 91st career complete game when manager Bob Brenly removed the left-hander with the Diamondbacks up 8-1.

Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli stacked his lineup entirely with right-handed batters and switch-hitters, but Baltimore got only one runner past second base in losing for the fifth time in six games.

Johnson got all the support he needed when the Diamondbacks scored twice in the third inning against Sidney Ponson. Arizona ultimately chased Ponson (3-7) during a four-run eighth.

Ponson gave up six runs, five earned, and 11 hits over seven-plus innings in losing his fourth straight start. He’s got an 8.17 ERA over that span.

Blue Jays 7, Dodgers 1

TORONTO – Ted Lilly won his fifth straight decision and Howie Clark hit his first major league home run and drove in a career-high four runs, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Lilly (5-2) hasn’t lost since April 21 at Boston – a span of nine starts. The 28-year-old left-hander also won his third consecutive start, allowing just one run on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking one in 7 1-3 innings.

Los Angeles starter Hideo Nomo, activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game, lost his fifth straight decision, matching a career high.

Giants 7, Devil Rays 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Michael Tucker hit a two-run homer to back Jerome Williams, and the San Francisco Giants began interleague play Tuesday night with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Barry Bonds went 1-for-2 with two walks in his first visit to Tropicana Field. He drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh, then added a RBI single in the ninth.

The game drew 13,275 – well below the 35,083 the Giants have averaged on the road in the NL. Fans booed when reliever Trever Miller’s only pitch struck the San Francisco star in the upper arm.

The Giants won for the fourth time in five games and improved to a major league-best 15-5 since May 18. The Devil Rays took up where they left off in interleague play a year ago when they went 3-15 – the most interleague losses by one team in one season.

Braves 4, Tigers 3

DETROIT – Danny Patterson’s throwing error allowed Mark De Rosa to score the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Tigers 4-3 victory Tuesday night in their first visit to Detroit.

De Rosa led off the 10th with a long double to center, and Rafael Furcal sacrificed. Patterson (0-3) threw the ball into right field, allowing the run to score and Furcal to reach second. Nick Green also tried to sacrifice, but Patterson hit him.

Jamie Walker retired the next three batters to keep it a one-run game.

Chris Reitsma (2-1) pitched two shutout innings and John Smoltz, playing for the first time in his home state, had a perfect 10th for his ninth save in 10 tries. Atlanta’s Mike Hampton allowed three runs and in seven innings, while Jason Johnson gave up three runs and seven hits in eight innings.

Marlins 7, Indians 5

CLEVELAND – Miguel Cabrera and Damion Easley each homered off the left-field foul pole with two outs in the ninth inning, leading the Florida Marlins to a 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Caberra tied it off Jose Jimenez (1-4) with his 14th homer – a shot that ricocheted off the top of the pole. Jeff Conine walked, and Easley followed by lining a shot that hit off the pole near the top of the wall.

Nate Bump (1-3) got the final two outs of the eighth, but allowed Omar Vizquel’s RBI single that gave Cleveland a 5-4 lead. Armando Benitez worked the ninth for his 23rd save.

The Marlins continued their mastery of the Indians. Cleveland lost Game 7 of the 1997 World Series 3-2 in 11 innings, and was swept in a three-game series at Miami two years ago.

The blown save by Jimenez was his third in six chances, and the 14th by Cleveland’s bullpen in 21 opportunities this season.

Cubs 7, Cardinals 3

CHICAGO – Derrek Lee went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to spark an offensive outburst, and Matt Clement kept up his mastery of the St. Louis Cardinals in a 7-3 victory Tuesday night.

Every Chicago starter except Clement got at least one hit. Todd Hollandsworth had a pair of RBIs, and Aramis Ramirez and Ramon Martinez each drove in a run. Clement (7-4) improved to 3-0 against the Cardinals this season, scattering three runs and five hits over eight innings while striking out nine.

Scott Rolen was the only Cardinal with any luck against Clement, homering twice and drawing a walk. But the Cardinals, playing without NL batting champion Albert Pujols, managed only four other hits – two in the final five innings – and Woody Williams (3-6) was roughed up again by the Cubs. Williams gave up seven runs – six earned – and 12 hits in five innings.

Royals 4, Expos 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rookie Zack Greinke pitched seven shutout innings for his first major league victory, and Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer in the Kansas City Royals’ 4-2 win over the Montreal Expos on Tuesday night.

Greinke (1-1), the youngest player in the majors at 20 years old, dropped his ERA in four starts to 1.73 in a matchup of the worst teams in each league.

Wielding a baffling array of sharp breaking pitches and tantalizing off-speed stuff, Greinke gave up just three singles. He struck out five and walked none.

Tony Armas Jr., (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits in five innings, with three walks and three strikeouts.

Twins 2, Mets 1

MINNEAPOLIS – Pinch-hitter Michael Cuddyer hit a game-winning RBI infield single in the ninth inning, scoring Jacque Jones from second base and giving the Minnesota Twins a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Jones led off the ninth with a single off Mike Stanton (0-3). One out later, rookie Joe Mauer hit what appeared to be a double-play grounder, but shortstop Kaz Matsui misplayed the ball for an error leaving runners at first and second.

Juan Rincon (7-3) struck out two in two perfect innings to give Minnesota its first back-to-back wins since winning five straight from May 11-15.

Tom Glavine allowed five hits and one run in eight innings for the Mets, who lost for just the third time in eight games.

Radke allowed five hits and one run in seven innings, while striking out a season-high seven and walking two.

White Sox 14, Phillies 11

CHICAGO – Juan Uribe and Paul Konerko both homered twice to help the Chicago White Sox overcome a pair of three-run homers by Jim Thome and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 14-11 Tuesday night.

Frank Thomas and Carlos Lee also connected for Chicago, whose six homers were one shy of the team record set in 1955 against Kansas City.

Uribe turned on a 3-2 pitch in the first inning for a two-run homer and added a solo shot in the second, his ninth homer this season. He also doubled and finished 3-for-4 with four runs and three RBIs.

Chicago batted around in a six-run first off Ryan Madson, who got just two outs in his first major league start. Philadelphia has lost six of its last eight games.

Mark Buehrle (6-1) gave up a three-run homer to Thome in the first and three runs in the second before settling down.

Thome tied a career high with six RBIs, getting another three-run shot in the eighth inning off Mike Jackson. Amaury