New York ? The way the Boston Red Sox are playing these days, nothing seems to be able to stop them. Not even Mariano Rivera.

Orlando Cabrera and Johnny Damon hit RBI singles in the ninth inning off the majors’ top reliever, and the Red Sox stormed past New York, 3-2, Friday night to cut the Yankees’ AL East lead to 21/2 games.

“Without question, it was definitely a blow to their ego,” Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo said. “We start getting a little closer, they start doubting themselves a little bit more.”

Damon homered and had the go-ahead single as the Red Sox improved to 25-5 since trailing their longtime rivals by 101/2 games on Aug. 15. Boston has two more games at Yankee Stadium, highlighted by Pedro Martinez vs. Mike Mussina on Sunday, and three against New York next weekend at Fenway Park.

Rivera took over in the ninth with a 2-1 edge, poised to earn his career-high-tying 50th save. But with a boisterous crowd standing and stomping, Boston had other ideas, especially after Damon’s bloop single fell in front of center fielder Kenny Lofton, starting in place of slumping Bernie Williams.

“If I made my pitches, I wouldn’t have had a problem,” Rivera said. “The guys gave me a tremendous opportunity, but I blew it.

Trot Nixon drew a leadoff walk on a full-count pitch, and pinch-runner Dave Roberts stole second as Jason Varitek struck out. Rivera hit Kevin Millar with a pitch, and then Cabrera, playing in his first Red Sox-Yankees game, grounded a tying single to right.

After Kevin Youkilis struck out, Damon — who called Rivera “the best closer in the history of the game” — looped a soft single.

Rivera (4-2) appeared to mouth the words “Catch the ball” after it fell in front of Lofton, who had pulled up.

After the game, however, Rivera softened that stance.

Boston's Johnny Damon belts a home run. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees, 3-2, Friday night in New York.

“If he had a chance, I guarantee you he would have caught it,” he said.

Mariners 6, Athletics 3

Seattle — Rookie Greg Dobbs’ three-run pinch-hit double started Seattle’s five-run seventh inning, leading the Mariners over Oakland. Ichiro Suzuki broke the major-league single-season record with his 199th single in the seventh. He bettered the mark of 198 set by Lloyd Waner of Pittsburgh in 1927.

Suzuki went 2-for-4, giving him 235 hits this season — 22 shy of the major-league single-season record set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1920. The Mariners have 15 games left.

Edgar Martinez had his 1,000th career RBI as a designated hitter, a record for RBIs at the position. Martinez, 41, is retiring at the end of the season.

Angels 9, Rangers 5

Anaheim, Calif. — Vladimir Guerrero homered twice, and Troy Glaus and Jose Guillen also hit home runs as Anaheim kept pace in the AL West race with a victory over Texas.

Orioles 11, Twins 2

Minneapolis — Rafael Palmeiro hit his 548th homer to tie Mike Schmidt for 10th place on the career list, and Larry Bigbie had a career-high seven RBIs to lead Baltimore over Minnesota and stop the Twins’ longest winning streak of the season at nine. Bigbie had an RBI double in the fifth, then capped a pair of five-run innings with a three-run double in the sixth and a three-run homer in the seventh.

Tigers 11, White Sox 10, 10 innings

Chicago — Carlos Pena homered off Shingo Takatsu to lead off the 10th inning, and Detroit outslugged Chicago. Omar Infante led off the game with a home run and hit a two-run shot in the seventh.

Devil Rays 11, Blue Jays 4

Toronto — Aubrey Huff homered and drove in three runs for Tampa Bay.