Clutch Cabrera Wins Crazy Marathon

Melky Cabreras RBI single in the 10th lifted the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays, 12-11, in the second of a four- game set at Yankee Stadium. Jorge Posada led off the bottom of the 10th with a ground-rule double to left off Josh Towers (5-10). Towers then intentionally walked Jason Giambi before Robinson Cano advanced both runners with a deep fly to left. Wilson Betemit struck out but Cabrera ended a back-and-forth game that lasted five hours with a single to right. Toronto threatened in the top half of the inning. With Matt Stairs at first and two outs, Aaron Hill doubled to right-center, but on the play Stairs was gunned down at the plate. Cabrera finished with three hits and five RBI, while Alex Rodriguez had four hits and three RBI and Hideki Matsui had three hits and three RBI for the Yankees, who have won five of six. Starter Phillip Hughes went five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, while walking one and striking out three for the Yankees, who used a team- record 10 pitchers. The Yanks stay two and a half games behind Boston in the AL East. The Red Sox got home runs from Jason Varitek and Julio Lugo to score three runs in the ninth and winning from behind, 8-6 in Tampa. Detroit did lose on Saturday, so New Yorks magic number to clinch the AL Wild Card drops to three. Aaron Hill had three hits and an RBI, while Russ Adams, Adam Lind and Curtis Thigpen drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Starter Shaun Marcum was tagged for one run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts for the Blue Jays, who used eight pitchers in total. New York scored a run in the second, as Rodriguez walked and scored after Matsui and Posada singles. Toronto plated three runs in the fourth. Alex Rios led off with a double, Hill singled, and Lind drove him home on a ground-rule double before Thigpens two-run single. New York scored a run in the fifth when Bobby Abreu walked and came home on Matsuis triple to right field. The Yanks grabbed a 6-3 lead with a four-spot in the sixth. Reliever Joe Kennedy walked Doug Mientkiewicz, and Derek Jeter later singled him to third. Abreu walked before Rodriguez doubled home two runs. Scott Downs came on in relief, but Matsui singled home two more runs before reliever Brandon League induced a Posada forceout. Toronto put up five runs in the seventh. Ray Olmedo doubled and Reed Johnson walked before a wild pitch put both in scoring position. Reliever Jose Veras struck out both Stairs and Rios swinging, but a passed ball allowed Olmedo to score. John-Ford Griffin walked, and Hill followed with an RBI single, prompting Edwar Ramirez to try to stop the bleeding from the mound, but Adams doubled home two runs and Lind singled in another before Thigpen flied out to end the frame. Trailing 8-6, New York plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Cano walked and moved to third on Mientkiewiczs ground-rule double before Cabreras two-run single. Reliever Brian Wolfe walked Abreu, who reached third on Rodriguezs go-ahead RBI single. Trailing 9-8, Toronto scored three runs in the eighth off reliever Kyle Farnsworth, who gave up a single to Olmedo and walked Johnson before two straight RBI singles by Rios and pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun. Pinch-hitter Hector Luna later singled home another run as Zaun got thrown out at home for the frames final out. But, the Yanks tied the score at 11 with a pair of runs in the home half of the eighth. Posada singled, Cano walked, and Betemits groundout moved the runners into scoring position. Cabrera followed with a two-run single. Game Notes Thigpen broke an 0-for-23 streak...Matsui notched his 100th RBI...Rodriguezs three RBI gave him 146 this season, breaking Don Mattinglys franchise single- season RBI record...Marcum and Frank Thomas both left early with a sore right knee...Downs left in the seventh with an injured back...Hughes was told last minute that he would be getting the ball Saturday after both Ian Kennedy and Roger Clemens were scratched. Kennedy was the original scheduled starter, but experienced some tightness in is his back following a bullpen session. Then it was announced that Clemens would take the hill, but he is apparently dealing with a hamstring issue.