NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer and the New York Yankees got another big hit from Andy Phillips, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on Monday night in a noticeably even-tempered game.

Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano also connected off Josh Towers (4-6) for the resurgent Yankees, who have won nine of 12 overall and four of five since the All-Star break. Mariano Rivera earned his third save in three days.

Troy Glaus homered twice against Kei Igawa, and Alex Rios also went deep for Toronto. Glaus barely missed another home run when he opened the ninth with a rare triple high off the center-field fence.

Rivera then struck out Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay before Aaron Hill grounded out to end it. The Blue Jays stranded 12 runners.

There were no beanballs in the first meeting between the teams since Rodriguez distracted Toronto third baseman Howie Clark by saying something as he ran past him on a popup in late May. The ball dropped for a run-scoring single, giving New York an insurance run in the ninth inning.

The Blue Jays were steamed about it at the time, but on Monday they downplayed any lingering anger toward Rodriguez or thoughts of potential retaliation.

Reds 10, Braves 3

ATLANTA – Ken Griffey Jr. passed Frank Robinson for sixth place on the career home run list, and Cincinnati pitcher Bobby Livingston went 4-for-4 with an RBI in the Reds’ 10-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

Griffey’s 24th homer, a three-run shot into the right-field seats at Turner Field, came off Atlanta reliever Oscar Villarreal in the second inning and gave the Reds a 5-0 lead.

With 587 homers, Griffey moved 15 behind Texas’ Sammy Sosa for fifth place. Griffey gave Cincinnati a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first.

Cincinnati called up Livingston (2-0) from Triple-A Louisville before the game, and the left-hander allowed eight hits, two runs and two walks in five innings. He struck out four.

Nationals 4, Astros 3

WASHINGTON – Dmitri Young hit a go-ahead, three-run homer Monday night to lead the Washington Nationals to a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros, who have lost seven consecutive road games.

Washington’s lone All-Star last week, Young lifted his batting average to a team-best .339 and his RBI total to a team-best 52. His ninth homer of the season came on a 1-0 pitch from Woody Williams with one out in the sixth inning.

It was the NL-high 22nd homer allowed by Williams (4-11) this season. The shot to right field followed a single by Ronnie Belliard and a bunt single by Ryan Zimmerman.

Young’s big hit put Washington ahead 4-2 and made a winner of rel perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Cardinals 5, Marlins 3

MIAMI – Chris Duncan and Adam Kennedy homered and Braden Looper won for the first time in seven starts as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Florida Marlins 5-3 on Monday night.

Looper (7-7) pitched 6 1-3 innings, scattering five hits and allowing two runs. His last win came on May 24 against Pittsburgh.

Byung-Hyun Kim (4-5) pitched six-plus innings for Florida, giving up five runs and eight hits. He walked seven and struck out four.

Kennedy’s solo home run in the sixth, his second of the year, stretched the Cardinals’ lead to 4-2. Kennedy, who hit his first homer of the season Sunday night against Philadelphia, also had a single and double in four at-bats Monday.

Cubs 3, Giants 2

CHICAGO – Two people hit balls over the Wrigley Field fence, and neither was Barry Bonds. The slugger just watched as his team lost another tough one.

Aramis Ramirez lined a go-ahead two-run double off the wall in left with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 3-2 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Rich Hill (6-6) won for the first time in more than a month, getting just enough offense in eight innings. Bob Howry finished for his sixth save in 10 chances.

Rockies 10, Pirates 8

PITTSBURGH – Matt Holliday drove in three runs for the Colorado Rockies, who almost let an eight-run lead slip away before holding on for a 10-8 victory o6tBxfPittgtWhPirates on Monday night.

All but one of the game’s 18 runs scored in the first five innings, and there were five errors and a major league record-tying five sacrifice flies.

Starters John Van Benschoten of Pittsburgh and Taylor Buchholz pitched a combined six innings and gave up 15 runs.

The only starters on either team not to get a hit were Rockies second baseman Kazuo Matsui and Van Benschoten, who did not have an official at-bat.

White Sox 11, Indians 10

CLEVELAND – Paul Konerko hit a three-run homer, highlighting Chicago’s nine-run sixth inning, but the White Sox barely held off Cleveland for an 11-10 win over the Indians on Monday night.

Konerko’s 19th homer, off reliever Fernando Cabrera, was one of five extra-base hits in the sixth _ Chicago’s highest-scoring inning of 2007 _ that helped the disappointing White Sox take out some frustration and open an 11-2 lead.

But the Indians, as they’ve done all season, roared back.

Cleveland got a three-run homer from Franklin Gutierrez in the sixth, and then scored five times off four Chicago relievers in the eighth to climb within one.

White Sox closer Bobby Jenks, though, finally ended the Indians’ bid for their 28th come-from-behind win by pitching the ninth for his 25th save in 29 tries.