New York ? Only once in the hallowed history of the New York Yankees had they won 1-0 during the regular season on a game-ending home run — until Ruben Sierra came through with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sierra’s drive over the center-field wall lifted the Yankees to a dramatic win on a muggy afternoon after Orlando Hernandez gave their frail pitching rotation a big boost heading into New York’s weekend series at Fenway Park.

“It was very exciting,” Sierra said.

And historic, too.

The only previous 1-0 win on a game-ending homer for New York was accomplished by Joe Pepitone with leadoff shot in the ninth against the California Angels’ Hoyt Wilhelm on May 18, 1969, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In addition, Tommy Henrich did it against Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe leading off the ninth inning of the 1949 World Series opener.

After the win, the Yankees happily headed to Boston with a season-high nine-game lead over the second-place Red Sox. With Mike Mussina and Kevin Brown still sidelined, Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze and Jose Contreras are scheduled to start against Curt Schilling, Bronson Arroyo and Derek Lowe.

“You can’t put anybody to sleep in July,” Yankees manager Joe Torre cautioned before adding: “We’re certainly in better shape than they are.”

For most of the afternoon, the crowd of 53,657 was entertained by a great pitching duel between Hernandez and former Yankee Ted Lilly.

But after Vinnie Chulk (0-2) struck out Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez to open ninth, Sierra connected for his 12th homer of the season.

“I threw him two fastballs away and I tried to elevate a fastball,” Chulk said.

Sierra elevated it for him, putting it over the 408-foot sign in center.

Yankees third-base coach Luis Sojo, left, congratulates Ruben Sierra after Sierra's game-winning home run. The Yankees defeated Toronto, 1-0, Thursday in New York.

Orioles 8-0, Red Sox 3-4

Boston — Tim Wakefield pitched seven shutout innings five days after a line drive hit his pitching shoulder, and Boston beat Baltimore, 4-0, for a split of their day-night doubleheader. The Orioles won the opener, 8-3, behind Melvin Mora’s two homers and four RBIs, and the pitching of Rodrigo Lopez.

Boston salvaged the finale of the three-game series, ending its first three-game home losing streak of the season.

In the night game, David McCarty had a two-run single and Kevin Youkilis hit his fourth homer of the season, ending Baltimore’s four-game winning streak.

White Sox 3, Indians 0

Cleveland — Freddy Garcia pitched seven shutout innings and Chicago blanked Cleveland for the second straight night. Garcia (8-8) improved to 4-1 since joining the White Sox, who acquired the right-hander for the playoff drive in a trade last month with Seattle. Twenty-four hours after Mark Buehrle faced the minimum 27 batters and pitched a two-hitter in a 14-0 rout, Garcia nearly matched his new teammate.

Twins 7, Devil Rays 5

Minneapolis — Michael Cuddyer hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Nick Punto had a grand slam, leading Minnesota over Tampa Bay. Rocco Baldelli tied it at 5 with his first career grand slam for the Devil Rays, who have lost 12 of 17 since moving a season-high two games over .500 on July 3.

Angels 11, Rangers 1

Arlington, Texas — Bartolo Colon allowed just three singles in seven innings against Texas’ powerful lineup, and Anaheim beat the AL West-leading Rangers. Robb Quinlan had four hits for the Angels, who snapped a four-game losing streak and won for only the second time in seven games.

The Rangers lost for just the second time in the same stretch since the All-Star break. Third-place Anaheim is still five games behind Texas. Colon (8-8) limited Texas to two singles by Eric Young and Laynce Nix’s run-scoring hit in the seventh.

Rangers starter Ricardo Rodriguez (3-1), who entered the game with a string of 151/3 consecutive scoreless innings, broke his right elbow when he was struck by Quinlan’s liner to start the fourth.