Toronto – Daisuke Matsuzaka won his third straight decision, Manny Ramirez hit his 476th career home run and the Boston Red Sox beat Toronto 9-3 on Wednesday night to hand the Blue Jays their eighth consecutive loss.
David Ortiz homered and tied a career high with four hits for Boston, which has won six of its past seven. Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo also cleared the fence as the Red Sox hit four homers for the second consecutive game.
Matsuzaka (4-2), who allowed a season-high seven runs in his previous start, was much more effective against Toronto. He struck out eight in seven innings, allowing just one run and five hits.
YANKEES 6, RANGERS 2 at New York: Derek Jeter drove in three runs, Mike Mussina pitched three-hit ball for six innings and New York (16-16) reached .500 for the first time since dropping to 8-8 with a loss at Boston on April 21.
Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui each hit an RBI double in a four-run first off Robinson Tejeda (3-3), helping the Yankees improve to 18-2 against Texas since July 20, 2005 – including 5-0 this year.
Mussina tied Yankees Hall of Famer Herb Pennock for 50th place on the career list with 241 wins – two behind Juan Marichal.
WHITE SOX 6, TWINS 3 at Minneapolis: John Danks (1-4) got his first major-league victory and Darin Erstad, Paul Konerko and Rob Mackowiak each had two hits for Chicago, which took a 4-0 lead against Ramon Ortiz (3-3) in the first.
Minnesota’s Torii Hunter extended his hitting streak to 23 games with an infield single in the eighth.
MARINERS 9, TIGERS 2 at Detroit: Jose Guillen hit a three-run homer, Cha Seung Baek (1-0) pitched a six-hitter and Seattle snapped Detroit’s eight-game winning streak.
Raul Ibañez had three hits, two RBIs and scored two runs Seattle, which had three runs each in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. The Mariners finished with 16 hits, including a season high-tying six doubles.
ORIOLES 1, DEVIL RAYS 0 (10) at Baltimore: Aubrey Huff homered with one out in bottom of the 10th inning.
After James Shields pitched nine brilliant innings for Tampa Bay, Brian Stokes (1-4) faced only two batters before giving up the game’s run. Ramon Hernandez flied out before Huff hit a 1-1 pitch for his fourth homer.
ROYALS 3, ATHLETICS 2 at Kansas City, Mo.: Mike Sweeney hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth as Kansas City ended a four-game slide.
Sweeney hit a 1-0 pitch from Justin Duchscherer (3-2) out to left for his 194th career homer, moving him into second place on the Royals’ list. Only Hall of Famer George Brett has more, with 317.
“George Brett is Mr. Royal and he’ll always be Mr. Royal,” Sweeney said. “… but it is an honor to be at the top of that list with George.”
ANGELS 3, INDIANS 2 at Anaheim, Calif.: Kendry Morales hit a two-run homer, Gary Matthews Jr. added a decisive solo shot in the eighth as Los Angeles snapped a three-game skid.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
