Yankees Defeat Schilling, Red Sox

Alex Rodriguez had a powerful answer for George Steinbrenner’s criticism, and the New York Yankees roughed up old nemesis Curt Schilling in a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at New York.

Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada and Rodriguez all homered off Schilling, sending the Yankees to their first win this season against their longtime rivals.

“I’m judged just the way I should be judged. I make an awful lot of money and I’m a talented guy,” Rodriguez said. “I expect all the criticism, and it motivates me.”

Mike Mussina (6-1) settled down after a shaky start to become the American League’s first six-game winner.

David Ortiz hit a two-run homer and went four for four, ending his two-for-24 skid. Mike Lowell’s solo shot gave Schilling a 3-0 lead, but he couldn’t hold it and the Red Sox had their five-game winning streak end. Johnny Damon added an RBI single for New York, his first hit in 11 at-bats against his former team. The Yankees rebounded from a 14-3 drubbing the night before and improved to 1-2 against Boston.

Toronto 9, Oakland 7 -- Lyle Overbay hit a grand slam and Reed Johnson tied a career-high with four hits and made a sprawling catch near the left-field foul line to prevent the tying run from scoring at Toronto.

Overbay homered off Joe Blanton (3-4) as Toronto took a 6-0 lead in the first inning, but Oakland came back and led, 7-6, in the fourth after home runs by Adam Melhuse, Mark Kotsay and Frank Thomas. Toronto pitcher Gustavo Chacin left after three innings because of a sore left elbow and will have an MRI exam today.

Detroit 6, Baltimore 3 -- Rookie Justin Verlander took a five-hitter into the seventh inning at Baltimore, Brandon Inge and Curtis Granderson hit successive homers in a four-run seventh, and the Tigers ended a three-game skid.

Magglio Ordonez went two for four with a single and a double for the Tigers, but his streak of hitting a homer in consecutive games ended at four. The last Detroit player to homer in five consecutive games was Willie Horton in 1969.

Tampa Bay 1, Seattle 0 -- Scott Kazmir gave up only three singles -- two of them infield hits -- and struck out nine over seven innings as the Devil Rays won at Seattle thanks to a run-scoring balk by Jamie Moyer.

In the fifth inning with runners on second and third and the count 1-and-1 to Damon Hollins, Moyer asked catcher Rene Rivera to go through his signs again. Just as he was about to start his delivery, Moyer stepped awkwardly off the pitching rubber with his back foot and looked to first base. Second base umpire Brian Knight called the balk. Moyer did not argue.

Kansas City 10, Cleveland 8 -- Aaron Guiel and Angel Berroa hit solo home runs in the eighth inning and the Royals swept three from the Indians at Kansas City, Mo.

Every Royal starter had at least one RBI.

Minnesota 4, Texas 3 -- Vicente Padilla forced in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning when he walked two batters and hit two others at Texas.