Boston ? Cla Meredith cruised through the Red Sox minor-league system in less than a year, stopping at Triple-A for just three days before being promoted to Boston.

Then he found out all about Fenway Park.

Making his major-league debut, Meredith gave up Richie Sexson’s wind-blown grand slam, and the Seattle Mariners beat Boston, 6-4, in Sunday’s second game to split their doubleheader and end a seven-game losing streak.

“I saw that drifting and drifting and drifting. I knew then it wasn’t going to be an outcome,” said Meredith, who described himself as “pumped up but not nervous” about being thrust into a tie game. “I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any different.”

The 21-year-old Meredith, whose first name is pronounced like “clay,” had not allowed a homer in 42 professional appearances.

But he walked the bases loaded after coming in with one out and one on in the seventh. Sexson’s looping fly looked harmless, but right fielder Trot Nixon kept drifting over to the wall as the ball got caught in a strong wind coming from left.

It went over the short wall behind the Pesky Pole, about 325 feet from the plate, to break the tie and make it 6-2.

“It was a weird day,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “The ballpark played so big — except right there.”

Kevin Millar wasn’t so lucky in the early game: His long drive with the bases loaded was knocked down by the wind, but it hit the Green Monster for a three-run double, and Boston won, 6-3, for its fifth straight win.

Seattle pitcher Ron Villone protests a ball ruled in play -- a double by Boston's David Ortiz -- in the seventh inning of the second game of a doubleheader. The Mariners went on to win, 6-4, and split the twinbill Sunday in Boston.

Millar has yet to homer this year, and the wind also might have cost Doug Mirabelli and David Ortiz a couple of home runs apiece. Ortiz barely cleared the Green Monster in the second game to make it 2-1, then he doubled into the wind in the sixth to tie it.

“You can’t mess around with Mother Nature,” Ortiz said, noting that it was Mother’s Day. “When Mother Nature says you aren’t going anywhere, you aren’t going anywhere.”

Ryan Franklin (2-4) snapped his four-game losing streak, allowing two runs, six hits and an intentional walk while striking out two in the late game. Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

John Halama (1-1) gave up one run and three hits and a walk in 12/3 innings. Meredith gave up three runs, two hits and two walks while getting just one out.

Wade Miller came off the disabled list to make his Boston debut in the second game. He allowed two runs and three hits in five innings while striking out six in his first game in the majors since he pitched for Houston last June.

Wiki Gonzalez, making his first major-league appearance in almost two years, was 3-for-4 for the Mariners in the late game.

The opener of the split admission doubleheader was a makeup of Saturday’s rainout, and though every ticket was sold, there were several thousand empty seats as fans decided not to sit through 46 degree temperatures.

Rain came during the late game to add to the spectators’ problems.

“It was as bad as anything I’ve ever played in,” Sexson said.

Yankees 6, Athletics 0

New York — Kevin Brown escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams and pitched seven sharp innings.

Alex Rodriguez hit a go-ahead homer, and slumping Hideki Matsui had a run-scoring single off Rich Harden (2-2). Tino Martinez added a three-run homer in the eighth off Kiko Calero, and Jorge Posada followed with a solo shot as the Yankees hit back-to-back homers for the first time this season and won consecutive games for the first time since late April.

White Sox 5, Blue Jays 4

Toronto — Mark Buehrle won his fourth straight decision, and Jermaine Dye and Juan Uribe homered to lead Chicago to its eighth straight victory.

Toronto’s Gregg Zaun was carted off after he was kneed in the head by Chicago second baseman Pedro Lopez while trying to break up a double play in the bottom of the ninth inning. Zaun was down on the field for 15 minutes and was fitted with an oxygen mask and a head and neck brace. Damaso Marte recorded the final two outs for his second save.

Rangers 7, Indians 2

Arlington, Texas — Kenny Rogers extended his shutout streak to 21 innings with seven innings of six-hit ball as Texas beat Cleveland.

Rogers (3-2) struck out four and walked four in winning his third straight start, stretching the longest shutout streak by a Rangers starter since Rogers’ club-record 39 consecutive scoreless innings in 1995.

Michael Young hit a two-run homer in the first off Jake Westbrook (1-6).

Gary Matthews Jr. went 4-for-4. Alfonso Soriano, 9-for-14 with five homers and 10 RBIs in his previous three games, went 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI.

Twins 9, Devil Rays 6

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Justin Morneau had his second career four-hit game and drove in three runs, leading Minnesota past Tampa Bay.

Morneau went 4-for-4 and came within a homer of the cycle. The first baseman is 23-for-51 (.451) with six homers and 19 RBIs in 13 games since being activated from the disabled list.

Matthew LeCroy had a three-run homer, and Joe Mauer added a solo shot for Minnesota, which swept the three-game series and has won nine of 12.

Tigers 10, Angels 1

Anaheim, Calif. — Mike Maroth pitched three-hit ball over eight innings, Ivan Rodriguez triggered a seven-run third with a three-run triple, and Brandon Inge homered.

Maroth (3-2) breezed to the victory after his teammates staked him to an 8-0 lead in the first three innings.

The Tigers beat the defending AL West champs for the second straight time after losing 21 of the previous 25 meetings.

Vladimir Guerrero’s infield single in the first was the Angels’ only hit until Robb Quinlan drove Maroth’s first pitch of the sixth out for his first home run since Aug. 6.

Jarrod Washburn (2-1) lasted only 21/3 innings, surrendering six runs and eight hits.