Baltimore ? After completing their most successful homestand in 35 years, the Baltimore Orioles headed west trying to extend their longest winning streak in five seasons.

“We’re going to ride the wave,” manager Lee Mazzilli said Monday after Baltimore won its seventh straight, beating the Texas Rangers, 7-3, to complete a four-game sweep.

After stumbling through the first four months of the season, the Orioles open a three-game series on Tuesday in Anaheim with designs of making noise in the AL wild-card race.

“The guys are feeling good about themselves, and they should be,” Mazzilli said. “They feel like they’ve got something going, no question.”

Melvin Mora homered twice and drove in three runs, and Larry Bigbie also connected for the Orioles, who enjoyed their first 7-0 homestand since September 1969. Baltimore, which began the run with three wins over Seattle, is within four games of .500 (53-57) for the first time since June 13.

Before the homestand, the Orioles had the worst home record in the American League. Now they’re 29-29 at Camden Yards after outscoring the Mariners and Rangers by a combined 50-24.

Dave Borkowski (3-2) pitched six innings of four-hit ball, giving the Orioles their longest winning streak since September 1999.

David Dellucci and Alfonso Soriano homered for the Rangers, outscored 30-10 in their first four-game sweep in Baltimore in 13 seasons. Texas, which started the series in first place in the AL West, now stands 21/2 games behind first-place Oakland.

“You can’t sit there and sulk about it,” shortstop Michael Young said. “Obviously, it’s something nobody wants or accepts, but you have to find a way to put it behind you and get ready for the next series.”

Texas has lost nine straight to the Orioles since May 29, 2003.

“I haven’t necessarily thought about it, dwelled on it, didn’t know it until you told me,” Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. “Probably won’t think much about it after you’ve told me.”

Mora gave Baltimore the lead for good with a two-run drive in the first inning off Mike Bacsik (1-1), then added a solo shot in the fifth off reliever Joaquin Benoit. He has three home runs in his last two games, and his 20 homers this season are a career high, eclipsing the 19 he hit in 2002.

“I don’t try to hit a home run, but when you go up there and make a good swing, things can happen,” he said.

Mora went 2-for-3 with a walk and has hit in 11 straight games, going 18-for-41 (.439) during that span to lift his batting average to .351.

Dellucci got the Rangers started in the first inning with a solo homer, becoming the ninth Texas player to hit 10 home runs this season, a club record.

During their winning streak, the Orioles have benefited from solid pitching, timely hitting and exceptional defense. This game was no exception.

Borkowski pitched well, but he received solid play from the fielders behind him. Converted center fielder Jerry Hairston made a diving catch of a sinking liner; Mora made a fine throw on a slow grounder to third; and Brian Roberts saved a run with a diving stop and rapid throw on Rod Barajas’ two-out grounder in the fourth.

“They deserved to win all four games,” Young said. “They outplayed us.”

Blue Jays 5, Yankees 4

New York — Gabe Gross hit his first major-league home run, Josh Towers took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Toronto won in John Gibbons’ first game as manager, snapping New York’s five-game losing streak.

A day after Toronto fired manager Carlos Tosca and replaced him with Gibbons for the rest of the season, the last-place Blue Jays built a 5-0 lead in winning the finale of the four-game series.

They kept Esteban Loaiza (9-6) winless in two starts since the Yankees acquired him from the Chicago White Sox on July 31 for Jose Contreras.

Towers (7-4) won for the fifth time in six starts, allowing five hits in seven innings. New York had won five straight and eight of nine.

Athletics 8, Twins 2

Minneapolis — Mark Kotsay and Scott Hatteberg each drove in two runs, and Rich Harden gave Oakland’s bullpen a rest in a victory over Minnesota.

A day after each team used seven pitchers in Oakland’s 18-inning victory, starters Harden and Kyle Lohse each pitched into the seventh. The A’s took three of four from Minnesota in a matchup of AL division leaders.

Harden (6-5) allowed two runs in 62/3 innings to win his third straight decision. Lohse (5-9) gave up four runs in 61/3 innings for the Twins, who have lost four of five.

The Athletics placed RHP Chad Bradford on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained back and called up RHP Jairo Garcia, who made his major-league debut by pitching two scoreless innings.

Devil Rays 8, Red Sox 3

Boston — Aubrey Huff hit one of Tampa Bay’s four homers, and the Devil Rays handed Curt Schilling his first home loss this season, snapping a nine-game road losing streak with a victory over Boston. Schilling was 7-0 with a 3.32 earned-run average in 11 previous starts for the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Toby Hall hit a two-run homer, and Tino Martinez and Julio Lugo each added a solo shot for Tampa Bay, which had scored just three runs in 231/3 innings against Schilling this season. John Halama (6-5) won for just the second time in eight starts. Schilling (13-6) allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings, including a season-worst three homers. His ERA rose from 3.38 to 3.73.

Indians 13, White Sox 11

Chicago — Ben Broussard hit his second career grand slam, and Omar Vizquel, Travis Hafner and Casey Blake added solo home runs to send Cleveland over Chicago. Jose Valentin homered twice for the White Sox, who trailed 8-0 in the sixth inning. But after Chicago rallied for three runs in the ninth, Valentin popped up with a runner on for the final out. Cleveland hung on for its fifth win in six games and moved past the White Sox for second place in the AL Central. Chicago lost for the 12th time in 15 games. Indians starter Jake Westbrook (10-5) sailed through the first five innings before he was chased in the sixth. Felix Diaz (1-3) gave up seven runs in 21/3 innings.