DETROIT – Orlando Hernandez keeps winning while the New York Yankees wait for Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina to come off the disabled list.

El Duque won his second straight start since the Yankees brought him up, and the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 Saturday night for their sixth victory in seven games.

Gary Sheffield homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees. Detroit, which matched its 2003 wins total Friday, lost for just the third time in nine games.

Before a crowd of 41,857, the third-largest in Comerica Park’s 5-year history, Hernandez (2-0) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. Hernandez, who struck out six and walked three, beat Tampa Bay 10-3 last weekend, his first game in the major leagues since 2002.

The former Cuban defector, believed to be 38, had shoulder surgery in May 2003 to repair a small tear in his rotator cuff, and he was brought in to patch a rotation missing Brown (bad back) and Mussina (sore elbow).

Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera finished. Gordon struck out four in 1 2-3 perfect innings, and Rivera got three straight outs for his AL-leading 33rd save in 34 chances.

Orioles 3, Devil Rays 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Miguel Tejada had three hits and an RBI on Saturday night, leading Rodrigo Lopez and the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Tejada, batting .356 with 27 RBIs in his last 29 games, went 3-for-4 after going hitless in his first two games since the All-Star break, when he won the Home Run Derby.

Earlier in the day, Tampa Bay designated Fred McGriff for assignment, ending his comeback with the Devil Rays. The 40-year-old slugger is seven homers shy of 500.

Lopez (7-5) allowed one run on five hits, struck out one and walked five in 5 1-3 innings. Relievers Buddy Groom, B.J. Ryan, Jason Grimsley and Jorge Julio held Tampa Bay in check the rest of the way, with Julio working the ninth to earn his 14th save in 16 opportunities.

Twins 4, Royals 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Johan Santana allowed one hit in eight innings, and Lew Ford and Justin Morneau backed him with consecutive home runs, leading the Minnesota Twins over the Kansas City Royals 4-1 Saturday.

Santana (8-6) improved 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA in his last eight starts, allowing only a leadoff double to Angel Berroa in the second inning as Minnesota stopped a five-game losing streak.

Santana, who pitched a three-hit shutout against Kansas City on July 6, struck out nine to raise his league-leading total to 145. He walked four and hit a batter.

Joe Nathan finished for his 24th save in 25 chances, completing the first one-hitter against the Royals since Pittsburgh pitched one on July 13, 2001.

White Sox 5, Athletics 2

OAKLAND, Calif. – Freddy Garcia won for the third time in four starts since his trade to the White Sox, leading Chicago over the Oakland Athletics 5-2 Saturday.

Paul Konerko, Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand homered for the White Sox, who won for only the second time in their last 17 games at Oakland.

Garcia (7-8) is 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA since Seattle dealt him to the White Sox on June 27, and he improved to 5-0 in six day games this season. He allowed two runs – one earned – and two hits in 6 2-3 innings, struck out six and walked two.

Damaso Marte pitched 1 1-3 innings, and Shingo Takatsu finished the four-hitter to remain perfect in six save chances.

Mark Redman (6-7) lost his fourth straight start, his longest losing streak since an eight-game skid from May 15, 2001, and May 15, 2002. He allowed five runs and six hits in seven innings.