NEW YORK – Utilityman Enrique Wilson brought New York from behind with his third career grand slam and Jorge Posada delivered a bases-loaded single breaking a seventh-inning tie as the Yankees defeated the Texas Rangers 7-5 on Thursday.

Wilson connected in the second inning, wiping out an early 3-0 Texas lead against Mike Mussina (12-6), who continued to have first-inning problems. Mussina allowed singles to Michael Young and Hank Blalock, and Rafael Palmeiro followed with his 28th homer for the quick Rangers lead.

It was the fifth time in the last six starts that Mussina has allowed first-inning runs after not allowing a run in the first in 18 straight games.

The Yankees got it all back and more in the second against Texas starter Joaquin Benoit. Posada opened with a single and Hideki Matsui walked. After Aaron Boone struck out, Karim Garcia walked, loading the bases.

Then Wilson, starting in place of injured Alfonso Soriano, hit a 3-2 pitch into the right field seats for a 4-3 Yankees lead.

Alex Rodriguez tied it in the third for Texas with his 30th home run. It was his 328th career homer and sixth in the last seven games. He has six straight 30-homer seasons and seven for his career.

In the seventh, Texas reliever Aaron Fultz (1-2) walked pinch-hitter Bernie Williams leading off. Derek Jeter also walked and Nick Johnson sacrificed the runners to second and third. Jason Giambi was walked intentionally, loading the bases.

Orioles 5, Twins 3

BALTIMORE – Jack Cust hit his first AL homer, a three-run shot off Rick Reed that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the Minnesota Twins 5-3 Thursday.

Rodrigo Lopez (5-6) allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings for the Orioles, who salvaged a split of the four-game series.

B.J. Ryan got four outs, three of them strikeouts, and Jorge Julio worked the ninth for his career-high 27th save.

Torii Hunter homered for the Twins, who were denied their bid to move two games over .500 for the first time since July 5.

Baltimore trailed 3-1 before rallying with a four-run fourth. Jeff Conine and Tony Batista singled before Cust hit the first pitch from Reed over the 25-foot scoreboard in right field.

Tigers 3, Athletics 2

DETROIT – Eric Munson hit a three-run homer, and the Detroit Tigers kept Barry Zito winless in more than a month with a 3-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.

Zito (8-10) has gone seven starts without a win and his victory on July 3 against Seattle is his only win in 12 starts.

The reigning AL Cy Young winner didn’t pitch poorly against the lowly Tigers, allowing just six hits without giving up an earned run.

But after shortstop Miguel Tejada’s two-out error in the fourth inning, Zito walked Carlos Pena and allowed Munson’s home run.

The A’s had a chance to tie the game in the eighth with two on and none out, but Scott Hatteberg popped up on a bunt, Eric Byrnes was thrown out at home on a perfect throw from left fielder Craig Monroe and Billy McMillon grounded out.

Devil Rays 3, Royals 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Pinch-hitter Al Martin hit a two-run triple and Julio Lugo followed with a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Thursday night.

The Royals have a half-game lead over the idle Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. Kansas City, which is 9-12 since the All-Star break, was coming off consecutive losses at Chicago.

Closer Mike MacDougal (3-5) allowed a leadoff single in the ninth to Toby Hall. Travis Lee reached when second baseman Carlos Febles misplayed his grounder for an error.

After a sacrifice by Damian Rolls, Martin lined a triple that went all the way to the wall in right-center field.

Indians 3, Mariners 0

CLEVELAND – Billy Traber pitched five-hit ball for seven innings, and fellow rookies Jody Gerut and Travis Hafner hit solo homers as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-0 Thursday night.

The Indians took two of three from the Mariners, who remained three games ahead of Oakland atop the AL West.

Traber (6-6) rebounded from his worst start, stopping Seattle with a variety of slow breaking pitches in much the same manner as Mariners veteran Jamie Moyer did in a 2-1 win over Cleveland on Tuesday night.

Traber struck out five and walked two.

The 23-year-old left-hander allowed six runs and five hits over two innings Friday in a 10-3 loss at Texas.