NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez homered for the third straight day, Hideki Matsui keyed a five-run fourth with a two-run double and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-7 Sunday.

Tony Clark hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Rodrigo Lopez and Kenny Lofton also connected as the Yankees greeted new teammate Esteban Loaiza with their 11th win in 13 games over Baltimore this season despite being outhit 14-9. New York took three of four in the weekend series.

With the win, and Boston’s 4-3 loss to Minnesota, the Yankees took a season-high 91/2-game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East.

Loaiza was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on Saturday for Jose Contreras. He will make his first start in pinstripes on Wednesday against Oakland.

Orlando Hernandez baffled Baltimore for five innings, striking out nine. But after leaving his start Tuesday at Toronto with a tight left hamstring and throwing 104 pitches in the humidity Sunday the Yankees didn’t send him out for the sixth.

Hernandez (3-0) threw a towel in the dugout during the Yankees’ long fifth inning, apparently upon learning that Tanyon Sturtze would take over in the sixth.

El Duque allowed nine hits and one walk in his fifth start this season. He gave up Melvin Mora’s 16th homer in the third, a two-out, run scoring single to Brian Roberts in the fourth and Rafael Palmeiro’s 14th homer in the fifth.

After Scott Proctor gave up Miguel Tejada’s 21st home run and walked Palmeiro to start the ninth, Mariano Rivera got three outs for his major league-leading 37th save in 40 chances.

New York struggled against Lopez for the first three innings, striking out five times and getting just one hit – Derek Jeter’s single in the first.

It was a different story in the fourth. Jeter led off with a single and Gary Sheffield walked. After Rodriguez struck out, Jorge Posada walked and Matsui followed with his tying double down the left-field line that seemed to awaken the crowd of 51,632.

Bernie Williams added an RBI groundout and Clark capped the inning with a towering drive almost halfway into the upper deck in right to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead.

Lofton led off the fifth with his third home run, Rodriguez hit a two-run shot – his 28th homer – and Clark had a sacrifice fly two batters after reliever John Parrish botched a comebacker for an error to prolong the inning. The Yankees batted around for the 19th time this season.

Lopez (8-7) gave up seven hits and eight runs in 4 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

David Newhan greeted reliever Paul Quantrill with a two-run double in the seventh to make it 9-5.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the seventh on a single and two walks, but B.J. Ryan struck out the side to end the threat.

Notes: The Yankees matched last year’s total of 41 come-from-behind victories with the win, in just 104 games. … Orioles OF Jay Gibbons, out since June 29 with a strained left hip flexor, will begin a rehab assignment at Class-A Frederick on Monday. He will spend three days there then go to Double-A Bowie. … A video tribute to Thurman Munson, shown before the eighth inning, received a warm ovation. On Monday, it will be 25 years since Munson died in a plane crash.

AP-ES-08-01-04 1701EDT