Yankees’ Wright Turns Back A’s

Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer, Derek Jeter also connected and New York got a useful start from Jaret Wright in a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

Wright (1-2) held Oakland’s slumping lineup in check into the sixth inning, helping the Yankees improve to 12-0 in day games. He got strong relief work from Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth, who worked around Jeter’s ninth-inning error to earn his first save with the Yankees.

“Proctor has been incredible,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve never seen a guy improve so much in one year.”

The A’s have lost four games in a row, matching a season high, and seven of 10. They did get catcher Jason Kendall (suspension) and third baseman Eric Chavez (bacterial infection) back after both had sat out the previous four games.

Kendall had a run-scoring single. Chavez was hitless in five at-bats, including three strikeouts, and stranded six runners.

“I feel fine for a normal human being. But for a ballplayer, it isn’t good enough,” Chavez said.

Proctor threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings and Farnsworth worked the ninth because Mariano Rivera had pitched in the previous three games.

Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 1 -- Roy Halladay pitched a three-hitter to beat the Devil Rays at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Halladay (5-1), the 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner, struck out three and walked one.

Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells homered, and Alex Rios drove in two runs.

Detroit 3, Cleveland 0 -- Jeremy Bonderman (4-2) gave up three hits in eight innings and Chris Shelton homered at Cleveland to help extend the Indians’ losing streak to a season-high five games.

Shelton, who hadn’t homered in 41 at-bats since April 28, hit his 11th, on a 2-and-0 pitch from C.C. Sabathia (2-1) leading off the third inning.

The Tigers improved the best road record in the major leagues to 15-7.

Minnesota 8, Chicago 4 -- Justin Morneau’s two-run single followed Chicago Manager Ozzie Guillen’s ejection and capped a five-run fifth inning for the Twins at Minneapolis.

The Twins, who have won six of seven, overcame a 4-0 deficit with six singles and a disputed hit batter in a disastrous fifth for the White Sox and starter Javier Vazquez (4-2).

Baltimore 11, Kansas City 1 -- Kris Benson (5-3) gave up one run in seven innings, Ramon Hernandez and Javy Lopez each homered and drove in three runs, and the host Orioles clinched their first series win in eight tries.

Texas at Boston, ppd., rain -- The game will be rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on one of the days during the Rangers’ next trip to Boston on June 9-11. The teams play today to conclude the current series.