AMERICAN LEAGUE
Rays 6, Blue Jays 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Rookie All-Star Evan Longoria hit his first career grand slam during a five-run sixth and Matt Garza threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings to help the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4. Coupled with Boston's 4-2 loss to the L.A. Angels, the Rays stretched their lead to a game a-half in the AL East.
Longoria had gone 3-for-23 with no RBIs in his previous seven games. He broke out the slide in a big way with the bases-clearing drive off Toronto ace Roy Halladay to put the Rays ahead 5-0. Halladay fell to 11-and-7.
Garza improved to 8-and-5. He allowed two singles and struck out six. The right-hander was coming off a start on July 12th when he gave up seven runs and 11 hits in five innings of an 8-4 loss at Cleveland.
Yankees 4, Athletics 3 (12 innings)
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jose Molina was hit by Lenny DiNardo's pitch with the bases loaded in the 12th inning, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Oakland Athletics for a 4-3 victory.
Robinson Cano had four hits. David Robertson earned his first major league win as New York pulled out a tight game that lasted 4 hours, 45 minutes in 93-degree heat.
The Yankees stranded a whopping 21 runners. They were down to their final out in the ninth when Cano doubled off Huston Street. Wilson Betemit tied it with an opposite-field single to left-center on an 0-2 pitch, handing Street his fifth blown save in 22 chances.
Indians 9, Mariners 6
SEATTLE (AP) -- One-time Seattle prospect Shin-Soo Choo homered and doubled in his first two at-bats, Jeremy Sowers picked up his first win of the season and the Cleveland Indians beat the Mariners 9-6 to snap a 10-game road losing streak.
The Indians last road win came June 21 against the Dodgers when CC Sabathia was still Cleveland's ace and even added a homer that day. The 10-game skid was Cleveland's longest road slump since 1991 when the Indians dropped 12 straight away from home.
Choo led the way on Saturday with his fourth homer, three RBIs and added another double in the eighth. Cleveland had 10 hits in the first five innings.
Angels 4, Red Sox 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The scrappy Los Angeles Angels are showing they've got what it takes to beat the Boston Red Sox.
Pinch hitter Erick Aybar hit a bases-clearing triple to highlight a four-run seventh, and the Angels rallied for a 4-2 victory over the defending World Series champions. Los Angeles pinch hitters were just 6-for-38 with five RBIs this season before Aybar's clutch hit.
The Angels, going for their fourth AL West title in five years, won their fourth straight game including an 11-3 triumph over the Red Sox on Friday night to move a season-high 21 games over .500. They ran their division lead over Oakland to eight games.
Twins 14, Rangers 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau each went deep and drove in eight runs between them, as the Minnesota Twins heaped four home runs on their usual small-ball approach to beat the Texas Rangers 14-2.
Lost in the shuffle of a 16-hit barrage by the home team was another win for Livan Hernandez, who was flawless for seven innings and matched his season low of five hits allowed. Hernandez is 10-and-6. Minnesota is 14-and-7 when he starts, despite an ERA he reduced to 5.29.
Delmon Young hit a solo shot, too, to start a six-run sixth inning that ruined Rangers starter Matt Harrison's already-deteriorating night. Right after Mauer's two-run double against reliever Dustin Nippert, Morneau -- the reigning All-Star Home Run Derby champ -- crushed a 1-1 pitch into the seat stacks above right field for his 15th homer and a 12-2 advantage for the surging Twins. Minnesota is just half-game behind Chicago in the AL Central.
Royals 9, White Sox 1
CHICAGO (AP) -- Gil Meche and three relievers combined on a two-hitter while John Buck and Billy Butler homered to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1.
One night after the White Sox had seven hits in the first inning against Zack Greinke, Meche shut down the AL Central leaders, allowing the two hits and a run in 6 1-3 strong innings. Meche is 7-and-9.
Ron Mahay, Ramon Ramirez and Horacio Ramirez completed the two-hitter as Chicago's lead was chopped to a half-game after the fast-charging Twins beat the Rangers 14-2.
Orioles 11, Tigers 10 (10 innings)
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Luke Scott homered in the bottom of the 10th and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 11-10.
Scott's shot to right field came with one out off Freddy Dolsi, who fell to 1-and-4. It was Scott's third homer in two games, and he marked the occasion by sliding into the plate before his teammates mobbed him.
The drive capped an uplifting night for the Orioles, who fell behind 6-0 in the top of the first and trailed 10-9 in the ninth before Ramon Hernandez homered off Joel Zumaya.
George Sherrill worked the top of the 10th, which ended with Placido Polanco being called out trying to score on a two-out single by Gary Sheffield. The replay indicated Polanco beat the tag. Sherrill is 3-and-4 with the win.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Astros 4, Cubs 1
HOUSTON (AP) -- Wandy Rodriguez struck out seven and the Houston Astros again stifled the Chicago Cubs' offense in 4-1 victory on.
Rodriguez allowed nine hits, including a solo homer by Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, but Chicago stranded seven runners and dropped its third straight game.
Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada had RBIs for the Astros, who've won four in a row and five of their last six.
Cardinals 6, Padres 5
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Albert Pujols had three hits and four RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals rally from five runs down to beat the sagging San Diego Padres 6-5.
Todd Wellemeyer is 8-and-4. He allowed one hit in his last 4 1-3 innings after surrendering five runs on four hits in the first two frames and Ryan Franklin worked the last two innings for his 14th save in 18 chances. The Cardinals have won four in a row, also erasing a 3-run deficit in Friday's 11-7 victory. They are 5-1 against the Padres.
Marlins 9, Phillies 5
MIAMI (AP) -- Rookie catcher John Baker drove in four runs Saturday and hit one of three homers for the Florida Marlins, who tightened the race in the NL East by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 9-5.
Dan Uggla added a two-run homer, his 24th, and Jeremy Hermida hit his 11th. The Marlins lead the majors with 138 home runs.
Cody Ross went 3-for-5 with a single, double and triple. Needing a homer to complete the first cycle by a Florida player, he struck out on three pitches in the seventh and grounded out in the eighth.
Baker singled in a run and hit a three-run homer, tripling his season RBI total to six since being recalled from the minors July 8th. Third baseman Jorge Cantu made two errors on one play but went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs.
Brewers 8, Giants 5
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Rickie Weeks hit a two-run double to cap a four-run sixth inning, Prince Fielder homered and the Milwaukee Brewers remained unbeaten against the San Francisco Giants this season with an 8-5 win.
Ryan Braun missed hitting for the cycle by a home run for Milwaukee, which had had nine extra-base hits while winning its third straight.
Nationals 8, Braves 2
ATLANTA (AP) -- John Lannan won his rookie matchup against Jair Jurrjens, Willie Harris continued his strong series against his former Atlanta teammates and the Washington Nationals rolled past the Braves, 8-2.
Harris, a part-time starter for Atlanta last season, had three hits, two RBIs, a stolen base and scored three runs. He made a diving catch of a line drive by Gregor Blanco in center field to end the game. Harris has five hits in the first two games of the series.
Reds 7, Mets 2
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Right-hander Josh Fogg extended his midseason resurgence by getting New York to hit into three double plays, and Joey Votto drove in three runs in leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-2 victory over the Mets.
After winning 10 in a row and moving into a first-place tie with Philadelphia in the NL East, the Mets have dropped two in a row. In this one, their clutch hitting and their bullpen let them down.
Votto had a run-scoring single off Oliver Perez, then broke the game open with a two-run triple in the seventh. Right fielder Fernando Tatis dived but couldn't come up with the diving liner, allowing Votto to get his first career triple.
Rockies 7, Pirates 1
DENVER (AP) -- Scott Podsednik had three doubles among his four hits and two runs scored, and Jorge De La Rosa pitched six gritty innings to give the Colorado Rockies a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It was the Rockies' third straight win over Pittsburgh in the four-game series. Freddy Sanchez had three hits for the Pirates, who have dropped four straight and five of their last six.
Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2
PHOENIX (AP) -- Dan Haren threw seven scoreless innings and Conor Jackson homered as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.
Chad Tracy and Stephen Drew also drove in runs for the Diamondbacks, who snapped a brief two-game losing skid and moved one game in front of the Dodgers in the NL West.
Jeff Kent homered to lead off the ninth for Los Angeles, which has lost four of its last six overall and 12 of its last 18 against Arizona.
Haren is 9-and-5. He scattered four hits, struck out seven, walked two and allowed only two runners to reach second base just three days after throwing two innings during Tuesday's All-Star Game.
The right-hander has surrendered two or fewer runs in eight of his last nine starts. He has struck out 59, walked 13 and posted a 1.29 ERA in 63 innings over that span.
Courtesy: Associated Press
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