ahead, three-run homer two innings after Kevin Youkilis' shot defied gravity to spark the Boston Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the New York Yankees on Friday. Youkilis' drive squirted out of Johnny Damon's glove, bounced off the top of the left-field wall three times, and sat on the fence for several tantalizing seconds before rolling back to the field for a tying, two-run triple. Damon bruised and sprained his left shoulder on Youkilis' triple and left the game, and the Yankees lost for the fifth time in six games. Josh Beckett (8-5) recovered from a three-run first inning that included a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez, and a sacrifice fly by Jason Giambi. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances, completing a six-hitter. Athletics 7, White Sox 1: At Chicago, Jack Cust hit a two-run homer and Joe Blanton pitched seven solid innings to lead Oakland to a win over Chicago. Emil Brown and Wes Bankston both had three hits for Oakland, which finished with 17 hits. The White Sox dropped their second consecutive game after winning seven straight, and their lead in the AL Central fell to one game with the Twins' victory over Cleveland. Blanton (5-11) allowed one run and six hits. In other games it was: Twins 12, Indians 3; Mariners 4, Tigers 1; Orioles 10, Rangers 4; Rays 11, Royals 2. Rockies beat Marlins 18-17 In Denver, Chris Iannetta singled home the winning run off Kevin Gregg in the ninth inning and Colorado homered six times to beat the Florida Marlins 18-17 after trailing by nine runs in the biggest comeback in Rockies history. Garrett Atkins, who had a career-best five hits, drove in the tying run off Gregg (6-4), who blew his second save in 24 hours. After Hanley Ramirez's error on a potential double-play groundball loaded the bases, Iannetta singled to left through a drawn-in infield. The last time a team came back to win from nine down was Aug. 23, 2006, when Cleveland rallied for a 15-13 victory at Kansas City, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Colorado scored in every inning but the eighth, yet trailed until Atkins' tying single in the ninth. Taylor Buchholz (3-2) threw one inning for the win, Colorado's fourth straight. Cubs 2, Cardinals 1: At St. Louis, the return of Chicago ace Carlos Zambrano trumped the soap opera setting of Jim Edmonds' homecoming and Albert Pujols' 300th home run. Zambrano came off the 15-day disabled list from a shoulder strain with six spotless innings in the opener of a three-game series matching the NL's top two teams. Slumping Kosuke Fukudome homered in the first inning and Geovany Soto connected in the fourth to give the Cubs only their third victory in nine games. Both balls came on full-count pitches from Braden Looper (9-6) and were the only damage against the right-hander in seven innings. Elsewhere it was: Padres 5, Diamondbacks 1; Brewers 9, Pirates 1; Reds 3, Nationals 0; Dodgers 10, Giants 7; Phillies 3, Mets 2; Braves 6, Astros 2.
