A-Rod ties grand slam mark of 23

ATLANTA – New York’s Alex Rodriguez hit his 23rd career grand slam, matching Lou Gehrig’s record tally, as the Yankees scored six runs in the eighth inning to rally for a 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in interleague baseball on Tuesday.

Nick Swisher hit a tiebreaking two-run homer two batters after Rodriguez connected off Jonny Venters (3-3).

New York starter C.C. Sabathia (8-3) left trailing 4-0 after seven innings but was the beneficiary of the rally. He gave up a season-worst 10 hits, while striking out six.

The Yankees matched their season high with their fifth straight win and moved into sole possession of first place in the American League East, one game ahead of Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

The Braves have lost three straight.

In Toronto, Bryce Harper homered off the restaurant in center field to help Washington edge Toronto, 4-2.

Harper posted his second straight three-hit game, finishing 3 for 4.

Danny Espinosa added a two-run blast for the Nationals, who have won five in a row.

The Blue Jays lost for the fifth time in six games and dropped to 31-31. Toronto hasn’t been below .500 this season.

Washington’s Chien-Ming Wang (2-2) earned his first victory as a starter this season in his third attempt, allowing four hits in five innings while striking out five.

Toronto starter Henderson Alvarez (3-6) allowed four runs in seven innings. His winless streak extended to six starts.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, Chris Young settled down after a shaky first inning to get his first win in more than a year, steering New York past Tampa Bay, 11-2.

Young was making his second major league outing since returning from shoulder surgery that sidelined him most of last season.

Rookie Jordany Valdespin drove in a career-high four runs, three with a pair of two-out hits. The Mets have scored a major league-leading 134 runs this season with two outs in an inning.

Valdespin’s two-run single off Alex Cobb (2-3) put New York ahead 3-2 in the fifth. His double was the first big blow in the Mets’ six-run seventh.

Cobb lost his third straight start after winning the first two following his promotion from the minors. He allowed six runs in 6 2-3 innings.

In Baltimore, Brian Roberts returned from a 13-month layoff to get three hits and an RBI, and Baltimore homered three times in a 8-6 victory against Pittsburgh.

Roberts went 3 for 4 with a sacrifice fly.  (AP)