NEW YORK – Derek Jeter returned from a three-game absence to hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, and the New York Yankees overcame the loss of starter Kevin Brown by rallying past the Colorado Rockies 7-5 Wednesday night.

The Yankees won their 12th straight interleague game, the longest streak in the majors since AL vs. NL regular-season play began in 1997. Colorado lost its fourth in a row overall.

Jeter, sidelined by tightness in his left groin, Bernie Williams and Gary Sheffield homered as New York came back from an early 5-0 hole. The Yankees won when trailing by at least four runs for the sixth time this season; they did not do it once last year.

Brown was forced to leave after only two innings because of stiffness in his lower back – possibly a bad sign for the Yankees.

Joe Kennedy (4-4) took a 5-4 lead into the seventh, and Miguel Cairo led off with a double for the third of his career high-tying four hits.

Jeter followed by lining a fulPaul Quantrill (5-2) pitched one inning and got the victory. Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 25th save in 26 chances.

Orioles 8, Diamondbacks 2

BALTIMORE – Miguel Tejada hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning and Luis Matos added a two-run shot, powering the Baltimore Orioles past the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 Wednesday night.

Melvin Mora scored a career-high four runs for the Orioles, who won for only the sixth time in 18 games.

Baltimore batted around in a five-run seventh to take a 7-2 lead. Stephen Randolph (1-1), who came in with a 1.98 ERA, walked Brian Roberts and Mora before Tejada hit a 3-1 fastball over the right-field scoreboard.

Baltimore added a run in the eighth when Mora doubled and scored on a grounder by Javy Lopez.

John Parrish (4-2), who got the last out in the seventh in relief of starter Eric DuBose, earned the win.

Arizona’s Brandon Webb, seeking his second win in eight starts since April 27, allowed one earned run and four hits in five innings and left with the score tied at 2.

Cardinals 12, Cubs 4

CHICAGO – Edgar Renteria hit a grand slam, Jim Edmonds homered twice and the Cardinals roughed up Mark Prior in a 12-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs that showed last year’s feud between the NL Central rivals definitely is not over.

Edmonds finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk. Scott Rolen didn’t homer for the first time in three days, but he did have an RBI to add to his major league-high total of 63.

Matt Morris (6-5) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings, walking four. Corey Patterson hit a two-run homer for Chicago and finished 2-for-3 with a walk. But that was small consolation for Cubs fans, who watched Prior (0-1) have a rare bad outing against their loathsome rivals.

Blue Jays 4, Dodgers 0

TORONTO – Miguel Batista pitched a four-hitter for his third career shutout, leading the Toronto Blue Jays over the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 Wednesday night.

Batista (4-4) set a season-high with seven strikeouts and walked two in his first shutout since last July 18 against San Diego. Batista has allowed three runs in his last three outings, lowering his ERA to 4.20, and has won four of his last six starts after going winless in his first seven.

Howie Clark homered, one day after hitting his first major league home run.

Los Angeles starter Jose Lima (4-2) pitched three perfect innings before Reed Johnson singled leading off the fourth. Chris Gomez singled, and Lima threw a run-scoring wild pitch.

After Vernon Wells singled with one out, Gregg Zaun hit a two-run double for a 3-0 lead. Clark homered in the seventh.

Lima, who has started and relieved this season, allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Indians 8, Marlins 1

CLEVELAND – Jake Westbrook pitched eight impressive innings and Casey Blake homered to help the Cleveland Indians finally defeat the Florida Marlins 8-1 Wednesday night.

The Indians got past Florida for the first time since winning Game 6 of the 1997 World Series. The Marlins won Game 7 in 11 innings, swept a three-game series at home in 2002 and took the opener of this three-game set Tuesday night on two ninth-inning homers off the foul pole at Jacobs Field.

Westbrook (5-2) allowed one run and six hits in his first appearance against the Marlins. The right-hander struck out four without a walk in improving to 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA in seven outings, including five starts, at home this season.

Miguel Cabrera ruined Westbrook’s bid for his first career shutout by hitting a 446-foot homer, his 15th, to left-center leading off the seventh.

A.J. Burnett gave up eight runs and 12 hits in 4 1-3 innings, losing for the first time in 10 interleague starts.

Twins 5, Mets 3

MINNEAPOLIS – Johan Santana pitched seven strong innings to snap his four-game losing streak and Jacque Jones hit a three-run homer, leading the Minnesota Twins over the New York Mets 5-3 Wednesday night.

Matthew LeCroy followed Jones’ homer with a solo shot for Minnesota, which has won three straight.

Gerald Williams hit his first major league homer in more than three years and Mike Piazza drove in two runs for the Mets, who have dropped four of five.

Santana (3-4), who had lost a career-worst four straight starts, had a season-high 10 strikeouts and no walks. He allowed one run on six hits, and Joe Nathan got four outs for his 16th save in 17 opportunities.

Steve Trachsel (5-5) gave up five runs and eight hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one.

Devil Rays 4, Giants 3,

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Jose Cruz Jr. hit a two-out, bases-loaded single in the 10th inning, giving the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

The Devil Rays loaded the bases against right-hander Tyler Walker (4-1) on three walks. Cruz worked the reliever to a 3-2 count, and singled over the first-base bag on the 11th pitch of the at-bat.

Danys Baez (2-1) pitched two innings for the victory after blowing a save for the first time in 12 opportunities.

The Giants scored twice in the top of the ninth with Michael Tucker driving in one of the runs with pinch-hit single off Baez. The other crossed the plate when Duston Mohr grounded into San Francisco’s fifth double play of the game.

Phillies 13, White Sox 10

CHICAGO – Bobby Abreu homered twice and Eric Milton won his third straight start to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the Chicago White Sox 13-10 Wednesday night.

Abreu hit a solo home run in the first and a two-run shot in a seven-run fourth for the Phillies, who had lost six of eight. Jim Thome added his third homer in two games for Philadelphia.

Milton (8-1) was roughed up but still got the win, giving up a season-high six runs on nine hits in five innings. The left-hander is tied for second in the NL in wins with Randy Johnson and is off to the best start of his career.

It was a disastrous outing for Jon Garland (5-3) in what has been a solid start to the season. He went four-plus innings and allowed 10 runs, walking four and giving up eight hits. The right-hander’s ERA rose from 3.78 to 4.73.