By The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Hideki Matsui broke a tie with a three-run homer in the sixth inning to give Cuban defector Jose Contreras his first major league victory as the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9 on Monday night.

Jorge Posada and Raul Mondesi also homered for the Yankees in a sloppy game that lasted 4 hours, 8 minutes and saw 12 pitchers issue a total of 21 walks and hit three batters.

Matsui homered off reliever Aquilino Lopez (0-1) into the third row of the upper deck in right to make it 9-6. The Japanese slugger was 2-for-3 raised his average to .306 and increased his team-leading RBI total to 14. He has two homers, the first a grand slam against Minnesota in his first game at Yankee Stadium.

Contreras (1-0) allowed one run in 1 2-3 innings and Chris Hammond got his first save. The Yankees improved to 10-2 with their sixth victory in seven games.

Toronto has dropped five straight.

Royals 12, Indians 4

CLEVELAND - Mike Sweeney hit a three-run double and a solo home run as Kansas City sought to start a new winning streak with a victory over Cleveland.

Ken Harvey, Brent Mayne and Michael Tucker also hit solo homers for the Royals, who had their season-opening nine-game winning streak snapped Sunday by the Indians.

Cleveland first-year manager Eric Wedge got his first ejection in the top of the eighth inning after reliever Carl Sadler was tossed for hitting Tucker with a pitch.

Tucker was the third batter and second Royals player hit in the game, one day after the teams had words and were warned for throwing close to hitters.

Jeremy Affeldt (2-0) won his second straight start.

Sweeney's bases-loaded double put the Royals ahead 5-3 in the fifth against Brian Anderson (2-1).

Rangers 4, Angels 0

ARLINGTON, Texas - Ismael Valdes threw eight sharp innings and Carl Everett homered twice to help Texas snap Anaheim's five-game winning streak.

Valdes (2-1) allowed only five singles, coming just three outs short of his sixth career shutout. He struck out seven, walked two and threw 75 of his 119 pitches for strikes.

Francisco Cordero worked a one-hit ninth, preserving the Rangers' first shutout since last June 21 against Pittsburgh, when starter Kenny Rogers went seven innings.

Hank Blalock also homered off Kevin Appier (1-2), who has lost nine straight decisions in his last 12 starts against Texas.

Mariners 4, Athletics 3

SEATTLE - Jeff Cirillo hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his first homer of the season, lifting Seattle past Mark Mulder and Oakland.

Ramon Hernandez homered for the A's, who have dropped five straight after starting the season 7-1. They did not have a five-game losing streak all of last season.

Joel Pineiro (1-1) threw seven strong innings, holding the A's to six hits as the Mariners won their third in a row. Kazuhiro Sasaki got three outs for his second save in three tries.

Mulder (1-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings.