A 13-Run 8th Helps Yankees Win, 20-11

The New York Yankees had the Tampa Bay Devil Rays right where they wanted Tuesday night in New York.

Trailing, 10-2, after four innings, the Yankees rallied -- including scoring 13 runs in the eighth inning -- for a 20-11 victory.

“If there’s a turning point in the season, this should be it,” New York’s Bernie Williams said. “This is incredible, especially this late in the game. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The 17-run turnaround matched the largest victory after trailing by eight runs in major league history. Tampa Bay led Cleveland, 10-2, before losing, 20-11, on May 5, 1999.

“Just shocking,” Tampa Bay’s Jorge Cantu said.

Williams put the Yankees ahead with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth, and Gary Sheffield had two three-run homers. Derek Jeter tied a career high with five hits and scored a career-best five runs.

The game mirrored New York’s roller-coaster season -- the Yankees have won seven of eight on this 13-game homestand after dropping nine of 12 on their last trip.

Sheffield had seven runs batted in, and Williams drove in five runs. Yankee starter Randy Johnson lasted only three innings in his shortest outing in nearly five years, giving up seven runs.

“I’ve never been a part of something like that, probably never be a part of it again,” Jeter said.

Oakland 4, Seattle 2 -- Dan Johnson hit his first major league home run, and Rich Harden (3-3), who had not pitched since straining an abdominal muscle May 13, gave up only two hits in five innings at Seattle to help the Athletics win their fourth in a row.

Chicago 5, Kansas City 1 -- Jon Garland gave up four hits in 8 1/3 innings at Chicago and became the major leagues’ first 12-game winner, and the White Sox won their sixth in a row.

Garland (12-2) struck out two and walked one to win his fourth in a row.

Detroit 7, Minnesota 2 -- Jeremy Bonderman (9-4) gave up five hits at Minneapolis in his first complete game of the season, and the Tigers handed the Twins their eighth loss in 11 games.

Boston 9, Cleveland 2 -- David Ortiz homered twice -- his fourth multihomer game this season -- and drove in four runs to help the Red Sox win at Cleveland and move a season-high 10 games over .500 at 40-30.

Baltimore 9, Toronto 5 -- The Orioles won for the sixth time in eight games behind Geronimo Gil, who homered twice, and Eli Marrero, who homered and drove in three runs at Toronto. Rodrigo Lopez (7-2) won his fifth consecutive decision.