Yankees Walk the Walk on Mets

Jorge Posada and Charles Gipson received bases-loaded walks in the ninth and 11th innings, allowing the New York Yankees to rally against the New York Mets’ bullpen for a 7-3 win Sunday night at Shea Stadium.

Posada’s walk from closer Armando Benitez with two out in the ninth inning forced in the tying run and Gipson’s walk started a four-run 11th that gave the Yankees a two-game sweep of the rain-shortened Subway Series.

Five Met relievers walked eight batters -- one intentional -- in the last five innings.

Jason Phillips’ RBI single off Chris Hammond with two out in the eighth gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, but Benitez couldn’t hold it. He walked four batters in the ninth, forcing home the tying run.

The AL East-leading Yankees have won eight of nine since getting no-hit by six Houston pitchers on June 11.

Benitez, who had converted 12 save chances in a row, walked Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra to load the bases with two out in the ninth. The right-hander went to a 3-and-2 count on pinch-hitter Posada and, with fans of both teams on their feet and roaring, missed high and outside with a fastball.

A frustrated Benitez leaned back in disbelief and hopped on the mound, then retired pinch-hitter Juan Rivera to end the inning.

Benitez was booed loudly as he walked off the field, Met fans in the sellout crowd of 55,031 no doubt recalling the ninth-inning lead he blew in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series against the Yankees.

Yankee starter David Wells gave up two runs -- one earned -- and six hits in seven innings. He did not walk a batter and has issued only four walks in 107 2/3 innings this season.

Mariano Rivera (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Philadelphia 5, Boston 0 -- Rookie Brett Myers pitched a three-hitter for his first major league shutout and the Phillies won at Philadelphia in front of a sellout crowd of 60,960.

The crowd was the largest at Veterans Stadium since the 1993 home opener, and the eighth-largest since the park opened in 1971.

Bobby Abreu homered for the second game in a row and rookie Marlon Byrd hit his first home run of the season. Jimmy Rollins also homered as the Phillies won for the fifth time in six games.

Nomar Garciaparra went 0 for 3 with a walk, one game after tying a Red Sox record with six hits. The Phillies swept the two-game series, cut short by a rainout.

Chicago Cubs 2, Chicago White Sox 1 -- Blanked for seven innings by Bartolo Colon, the host Cubs rallied for two runs in the eighth off reliever Damaso Marte to beat the White Sox and avoid a three-game sweep.

Colon had given up only three hits in seven strong innings and had a 1-0 lead. But after coming out to warm up in the bottom of the eighth, he was suddenly replaced by Marte (2-1). White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel said Colon’s pitch count was high and that he was fatigued.

Mark Grudzielanek singled and scored on Ramon Martinez’s double to left-center field, just avoiding the tag by Miguel Olivo on a relay throw from Jose Valentin.

Corey Patterson then lined a a go-ahead single to make it 2-1 as the Cubs ended a three-game losing streak, their longest of the season.

San Diego 3, Seattle 1 -- Donaldo Mendez doubled leading off the sixth to break up Ryan Franklin’s no-hit bid at San Diego and Jake Peavy won his third straight start as the Padres took two of three from one of baseball’s best teams.

Peavy (7-5) and three relievers combined on a five-hitter. The Padres, who have baseball’s second-worst record, also beat the Mariners, 5-3, on Friday night, when Rondell White hit a grand slam with two out in the ninth.

San Diego had only five hits, including Brian Buchanan’s pinch-hit homer leading off the eighth against reliever Matt White.

Kansas City 5, St. Louis 2 -- Jeremy Affeldt won for the first time in seven starts and hit an RBI single to lead the Royals at St. Louis.

There was a moment of silence before the game to remember the 1-year anniversary of the death of Cardinal pitcher Darryl Kile.

The Royals have won six of eight overall and evened the all-time interleague series against the Cardinals at 12 wins each.

Houston 3, Texas 1 -- Lance Berkman homered and Jose Vizcaino hit a tiebreaking RBI triple at Arlington, Texas, in leading the Astros to a three-game sweep.

Texas has lost 19 of 21 games, its worst stretch since also going 2-19 in September 1972. Their seven-game losing skid is the longest current streak in the majors.

The NL Central-leading Astros were scoreless against Joaquin Benoit (2-3) until Berkman’s two-out solo homer, his 13th, tied the score in the sixth. Richard Hidalgo then doubled before Vizcaino’s triple that chased Benoit.

Baltimore 9, Atlanta 3 -- Jeff Conine drove in three runs, Luis Matos and B.J. Surhoff had two RBIs apiece and the Orioles avoided a sweep at Atlanta.

Jason Johnson (6-3) again benefited from plenty of offensive support as Baltimore ended a four-game losing streak, including the first two games at Turner Field.

Cleveland 8, Pittsburgh 5 -- C.C. Sabathia gave the Indians’ weary bullpen a lift with a six-inning start and Matt Lawton drove in two runs to help along a pair of big innings at Pittsburgh.

Cleveland shook off consecutive 15-inning losses Friday and Saturday to get 14 hits, 12 in the first six innings. The Indians avoided their second three-game interleague sweep in Pittsburgh in three seasons.

Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 -- Rookie Miguel Cabrera hit an RBI triple and Mike Lowell homered to lead the Marlins at Miami.

Cabrera’s third-inning RBI triple off a billboard in center field was the Marlins’ only hit until the seventh inning. Just a few feet to the right, and the 20-year-old Cabrera’s second career hit might have also been his second career home run.

Lowell hit his major league-leading 23rd home run.

Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 3 -- Kenny Rogers won for only the second time in seven weeks despite leaving the game at Milwaukee after getting hit on his left ankle by a grounder in the Twin victory.

Minnesota, which lost the first two games of the series, got home runs from Corey Koskie, Denny Hocking, Torii Hunter and Justin Morneau.

Colorado 5, Detroit 3 -- Denny Neagle worked six-plus innings for his first victory of the season and Charles Johnson had a two-run single to lead the Rockies at Denver.

Neagle (1-1) gave up three runs and six hits, striking out six in 6 1/3 innings in his second start of the season. Neagle, who hadn’t won since Sept. 4 at San Francisco, spent the first 71 games of the year on the disabled list because of stiffness in his left elbow.