Bronx Bombers bash Boston

Yankees use long ball to top Red Sox, 5-2

? Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams socked it to Curt Schilling, and Mariano Rivera stitched up the victory for the Yankees.

Giambi shook off a steroid controversy and a slump with a two-run homer to break a sixth-inning tie, and Williams added another homer Wednesday night to chase Boston’s postseason hero and give New York a 5-2 victory over the Red Sox.

“I’ve been working hard. It’s starting to pay off,” said Giambi, who hit .208 last year and was batting .190 this season as he rebounds from an intestinal parasite and offseason reports that put him at the center of baseball’s steroid scandal.

“I’m happy with the way everything has been going so far. I think it definitely felt good making a difference in a game. That’s what I came here to do.”

Rivera came on to a standing ovation from the Fenway fans, who remember him blowing four straight saves against the Red Sox — two in the playoffs as Boston came back from an 0-3 deficit to reach the World Series. But this time Rivera completed the job.

“I don’t know if they’re happy to see me come in,” he said. “They’re just being sarcastic. I’ve been struggling .”

It was Schilling’s first appearance since blood seeped through his sock in Game 2 of the Series, when he had his right ankle stitched together and shut down the St. Louis Cardinals to set the stage for Boston’s first title since 1918.

The sock went to the Hall of Fame, but Wednesday’s outing won’t earn Schilling any honors. After limiting the Yankees to three hits in the first four innings, he left with two outs in the sixth having given up five runs on five hits and a walk; he struck out five.

“It’s a loss,” Schilling said, dismissing the suggestion that he would be happy to come out of the game healthy. “These count. I get paid to win, period. I don’t take positives out of these.”

New York Yankees' Jason Giambi, left, is congratulated by teammate Derek Jeter after his two-run home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling. New York beat Boston, 5-2, Wednesday in Boston.

Schilling led the majors with 21 wins in 2004 and did not lose at Fenway last year until Aug. 9; his last regular-season loss.

Trot Nixon had two hits, including a homer.

Jaret Wright (1-1) allowed two runs, six hits and four walks, striking out two in five innings. Williams, dropped to ninth in the order for the first time since 1995, had three hits and his first two extra-base hits of the season.

Giambi has been spared much of the heckling that was expected to haunt him after reports that he admitted, during grand jury testimony in 2003, that he used steroids.

Orioles 5, Devil Rays 1

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Brian Roberts kept up his torrid start with a tiebreaking RBI single, and Miguel Tejada and Sammy Sosa also had clutch hits in a four-run seventh inning that carried the Orioles.

Left-hander Steve Kline (1-1) faced one batter — striking out Aubrey Huff to end a Tampa Bay threat in the sixth — and got the win.

Twins 8, Tigers 4

Minneapolis — Terry Tiffee had a two-run homer and a career-high three RBIs in his first game of the season, and Jacque Jones also hit a two-run homer to lead the Twins, who have won three straight games.

Brandon Inge hit a solo homer for the Tigers, losers of three straight.

White Sox 5, Indians 4, 10 innings

Cleveland — Juan Uribe drove home the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the White Sox improved to 4-1 against the Indians and are off to their best start in 15 years with a 6-2 record.

Luis Vizcaino (1-1) pitched 11/3 perfect innings and Dustin Hermanson worked the 10th for his first save.

Rangers 7, Angels 5

Arlington, Texas — Michael Young hit a tiebreaking three-run triple and Chan Ho Park become the first Texas starter to win this season.

Alfonso Soriano went 3-for-5 to help the Rangers to their first victory in three home games.

Athletics 6, Blue Jays 3

Oakland, Calif. — Jason Kendall hit a tiebreaking single to left in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics avoided a three-game sweep with a win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

Rookie Nick Swisher scored the go-ahead run after leading off the inning with a single off Jason Frasor (1-1) to go along with his sixth-inning solo home run.

Alex Rios drove in a run in the ninth against A’s closer Octavio Dotel with a ground out.