By The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, TX - Mike Mussina struck out nine over eight innings and Nick Johnson hit a tiebreaking homer as the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 Friday night.

Playing against former manager Buck Showalter for the first time, improved their record to 19-4, the best in the major leagues.

Mussina (5-0), the first five-game winner in the major leagues, gave up one run and five hits to beat Colby Lewis (3-1).

Juan Acevedo pitched the ninth for his fourth save, allowing an RBI double to Ruben Sierra.

Michael Young hit into a spectacular a game-ending smash that bounced off Johnson's glove at first to second baseman Alfonso Soriano. His long underhand toss just beat Young to first as Acevedo covered.

Blue Jays 6, Royals 5

TORONTO - Fans turned out despite the SARS outbreak, and the Blue Jays won when Vernon Wells homered off D.J. Carrasco (1-1) in the ninth.

A crowd of 16,417, the largest since opening day, turned out at SkyDome two days after the World Health Organization warned against travel to Toronto because of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Michael Tucker, Angel Berroa and Brent Mayne homered for the Royals, who had won five straight. The Royals dropped to 6-4 on the road but are 10-0 at home.

Toronto led 5-4 in the ninth but third baseman Eric Hinske allowed Mayne to reach on a throwing error and pinch-hitter Ken Harvey hit an RBI single off Kelvim Escobar (1-1).

Twins 6, White Sox 1

CHICAGO - Joe Mays (3-2) allowed one run and four hits over seven innings to improve to 7-2 against Chicago, and Bobby Kielty homered as Minnesota stopped a six-game losing streak.

Minnesota, struggling at the plate with nine runs in its previous five games, took a 3-0 lead in the first against Mark Buehrle (2-3), who gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings.

Frank Thomas homered for Chicago.

Devil Rays 2, Orioles 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Rookie Seth McClung (2-0) allowed one run and three hits over six-plus inning in his first career start. Lance Carter pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Rocco Baldelli had an RBI single during the Devil Rays' two-run first inning against Omar Daal (1-3).

Red Sox 5, Angels 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Casey Fossum (2-1) pitched seven scoreless innings and Shea Hillenbrand homered and drove in three runs as Boston beat Anaheim.

The Angels lost for the eighth time in 11 games and also lost two-time All-Star third baseman Troy Glaus in the fourth inning with an infected left foot.

Jarrod Washburn (1-3) allowed five runs and six hits in seven innings.

Mariners 6, Tigers 0

SEATTLE - Randy Winn tripled, doubled and singled, and Bret Boone hit a three-run double as Seattle won its season-high fifth straight.

Mike Maroth (0-6) became the second pitcher in major league history to lose six times before the end of April. He joined Dave Stewart, who lost six games before May 1 for Texas in 1984. Detroit (2-19) has been shut out a major league-high six times, just four short of its 2002 total.

Joel Pineiro (2-1) pitched 5 1-3 scoreless innings for the win.

Athletics 5, Indians 2

OAKLAND, Calif. - Mark Ellis went 3-for-4 with a home run and Ted Lilly pitched 7 2-3 strong innings as Oakland defeated Cleveland.

Ellis homered off Jason Davis (2-3) in the first, singled in the fifth and doubled in the seventh. Ramon Hernandez also homered for Oakland.

Lilly (2-0) seven of his first nine batters before a two-out solo homer by Casey Blake in the third. Lilly also allowed a solo homer to Shane Spencer in the seventh.