New York ? The New York Yankees can’t even push a runner past first base lately, much less find a way to score.

Sidney Ponson became the latest pitcher to stop the suddenly punchless Yankees, throwing a two-hitter for his fourth career shutout in the Baltimore Orioles’ 7-0 victory Saturday.

Ponson faced just 29 hitters, two more than the minimum, and did not allow a runner past first. In fact, the Yankees have advanced only one runner beyond first in their last 17 innings — since the first inning of a 3-1 loss to Rodrigo Lopez and the Orioles on Friday night.

“Our offense is going to be fine,” Alex Rodriguez said. “Ponson threw a great game. We’ve just got to go back to playing a little baseball, take some small bites.”

Maybe, but this is no time for a major slump.

New York leads the AL East by only 21/2 games over Boston, which had its 10-game winning streak snapped Saturday with an 8-6 loss to Texas.

Rafael Palmeiro, Jay Gibbons and Brian Roberts homered for the Orioles, who have won six in a row following a 12-game losing streak. Baltimore starters are 4-0 with a 0.61 earned-run average in the last four games.

“You certainly have to give Ponson credit. He pitched his tail off,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “But we’re flat right now, no question. We’re not getting into hitters’ counts. We have to get back to simple, fundamental approaches, making the pitcher work harder.”

Mike Mussina allowed just two runs in seven innings for the Yankees, his best outing since coming off the disabled list. But he couldn’t quite match Ponson and has lost five consecutive decisions for the first time in his career.

Baltimore's Sidney Ponson delivers against New York. Ponson pitched a two-hit shutout as the Orioles defeated the Yankees, 7-0, Saturday in New York.

The Orioles broke it open with five runs in the ninth, four charged to Mariano Rivera, who got only one out. Palmeiro hit his 543rd career homer off Rivera, and Larry Bigbie had an RBI single.

Roberts hit the first pitch from Bret Prinz, just recalled from the minors, over the right-field fence for a three-run shot, making it 7-0.

“Rivera is probably the toughest pitcher that I’ve ever faced other than maybe Randy Johnson,” Palmeiro said. “He’s the best closer that’s ever played the game.”

Miguel Cairo’s third-inning single and Gary Sheffield’s single in the fourth were the only hits off Ponson (10-13). He struck out four and walked one in his 27th career complete game and fifth this season.

Ponson retired his final 13 batters and has permitted just one runner to advance past first base in his last 17 innings against New York. The right-hander threw a four-hitter in a 9-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on July 29.

Mussina (9-9) struck out eight and walked none. He is 0-5 since beating the Mets 11-6 on June 27, including 0-3 since coming off the DL. He missed more than a month because a stiff elbow.

Rangers 8, Red Sox 6

Boston — Boston lost for the first time in 11 games, falling to the Texas and missing a chance to pull within 11/2 games of New York in the AL East. Michael Young hit a three-run homer, and Rod Barajas went 3-for-4 with a two-run shot for Texas, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Red Sox, who had won 10 straight and 16 of 17 to climb from 101/2 games back in the AL East, remained 21/2 games behind the division-leading Yankees. New York lost to Baltimore, 7-0, and had the Red Sox won, they could have pulled within 11/2 games for the first time since June 2, when they began the day one game back.

It was Boston’s longest winning streak since capturing 12 straight Aug. 3-14, 1995, the year the Red Sox last won the AL East title. Since then, New York has won seven of eight division crowns.

Texas pulled within six games of the Red Sox in the AL wild-card race with the victory.

Angels 6, Indians 1

Cleveland — Amid a barrage of bugs, Jarrod Washburn returned from the disabled list and led Anaheim over Cleveland. Washburn (11-5), sidelined since July 20 because of an injured rib cage, allowed two hits in five innings as Anaheim stayed four games behind Oakland in the AL West. In his previous start, Washburn gave up 13 hits — four homers — in a loss to Cleveland.

White Sox 8, Mariners 7

Chicago — Ichiro Suzuki went 5-for-5, but Paul Konerko hit two home runs, and Mark Buehrle pitched seven strong innings to lead Chicago over Seattle.

Suzuki leads the majors with 223 hits, 34 short of the all-time single-season record. He has 27 games remaining to reach the record of 257 hits, set by George Sisler in 1920 with the St. Louis Browns.

Suzuki has had five or more hits in a game three times — all this season. He has two or more hits in six of his last seven games.

Buehrle (13-8) allowed three runs and nine hits in seven innings for the White Sox.

Athletics 9, Blue Jays 5

Toronto — Oakland scored twice on wild pitches to tie it, and Eric Byrnes provided insurance with a three-run double in the ninth, propelling the A’s past Toronto, their 16th win in the last 18 games.

Oakland pulled within 5-4 in the eighth on a wild pitch from Vinnie Chulk, then tied it in the ninth on another miscue by Jason Frasor. Mark McLemore put the A’s ahead with a sacrifice fly before Byrnes’ big hit.