NEW YORK – Gary Sheffield hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, Jorge Posada added a three-run homer and the New York Yankees kept the pressure on in a pair of playoff races Tuesday night with a 12-9 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Aaron Small was not sharp, but didn’t need to be to remain unbeaten. The Yankees gave him plenty of early support by scoring four runs in the first and five more in the second, taking advantage of some horrendous Baltimore defense.

The Yankees (87-63) have won eight of nine and climbed 24 games above .500 for the first time this season. New York remained a half-game behind first-place Boston in the AL East, and also entered play 11/2 back of Cleveland in the wild-card race.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 45th homer, an opposite-field solo shot into the upper deck in right, and Sheffield added an RBI single in the eighth after the Orioles closed within three runs.

Small (9-0) allowed four runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings, the shortest of his eight starts this season. He became the first pitcher to win his first nine decisions for the Yankees since Tommy John in 1979.

Alan Embree struggled in the ninth, so Mariano Rivera got the final three outs in a non-save situation.

Baltimore rookie John Maine (2-2) didn’t get an out in the second inning, and All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts also left in the second after his left elbow was dislocated in a collision with Bubba Crosby while covering first base on a bunt.

Sheffield’s RBI double and Posada’s 17th homer gave New York a 4-0 lead in the first, but Roberts delivered a two-run triple during a three-run second. The Yankees answered right back by batting around in the bottom half.

Bernie Williams singled leading off and was balked to second. First baseman B.J. Surhoff rushed in to field Crosby’s bunt and his throw to Roberts arrived at about the same time Crosby did.

Crosby crashed into Roberts’ outstretched left arm, snapping it back. Roberts dropped the ball and went to the ground in tremendous pain, allowing Williams to jog home from third.

Interim manager Sam Perlozzo was ejected by plate umpire Sam Holbrook, perhaps for arguing that Crosby ran inside the baseline, and missed his team’s sloppy play that helped New York score four more in the inning.

Derek Jeter bounced back to the mound, but instead of possibly starting a double play, Maine fumbled the ball for an error that put runners at first and second. James Baldwin relieved and got Rodriguez to fly out.

Jason Giambi hit a high pop into short left field that shortstop Miguel Tejada called for but couldn’t come up with, and Sheffield followed with his 10th career slam, and first since May 17, 2003, with Atlanta.

Maine allowed seven runs, six earned, and six hits.

Jay Gibbons hit a two-run homer, his 23rd, in the seventh. The Orioles had 18 hits but lost for the 20th time in 30 games.

Notes: The Yankees have six grand slams this season. … Perlozzo said he plans to speak with Rafael Palmeiro soon to see what the first baseman’s plans are for the rest of the season. Palmeiro fell into a deep slump after returning from his suspension for a positive steroids test and was sent home to Texas to rest knee and ankle injuries earlier this month. … New York has scored 36 runs in Small’s last four starts.

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