American LeagueMark Bellhorn homered and drove in five runs, and Boston backed Curt Schilling with its top offensive performance of the year in a 12-2 rout of Oakland and Tim Hudson on Tuesday night.
Manny Ramirez hit his 12th homer and drove in three runs, and David Ortiz had four hits and doubled twice to increase his AL-leading total to 20. Bellhorn, Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek had three hits each.
"We beat one of the game's best pitchers," Damon said. "When he has two strikes on you, he's as good as anybody. We tried to swing the bats early in the count."
Boston sent Hudson (5-2) to his shortest outing this season, setting season highs for runs and hits (19). The AL East leaders won their fourth straight and stopped Oakland's winning streak at five.
"When somebody goes down you don't use that as an excuse to lose," said Boston manager Terry Francona.
Schilling (6-3) struck out five to increase his season total to 66, passing teammate Pedro Martinez (63) for the AL lead. Schilling allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings, walking none and lowering his ERA to 2.82, third in the league behind Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia (2.26) and Seattle's Freddy Garcia (2.71).
Mariners 5, Indians 4, 12 innings
In Cleveland, Raul Ibanez hit a run-scoring single with two outs in the 12th inning to lead Seattle over Cleveland, which has lost a season-high six straight.
Ibanez pulled a 1-2 pitch from Scott Stewart through the hole into right, scoring Randy Winn.
Mike Myers (2-1) pitched a perfect 11th and Eddie Guardado worked the 12th for his seventh save in nine tries.
John Olerud had three hits, including a game-tying two-run double in the eighth for Seattle, which won for just the fourth time in 14 games.
Victor Martinez had two RBIs and Casey Blake homered for the Indians, whose bullpen gave another one away.
Winn opened the 12th with a single, and Ichiro Suzuki beat out a chopper to the right of the mound that Jose Jimenez (0-3) fielded before losing a sprint to first against the speedy outfielder.
Yankees 11, Orioles 3
In Baltimore, Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer and Jon Lieber pitched seven innings of four-hit ball as New York thrashed Baltimore.
Facing the Yankees for the first time as a rookie manager, Mazzilli watched helplessly as his former team dealt Baltimore its season-high fifth straight defeat.
Lieber (4-1) allowed no earned runs, struck out two and walked one to win his third straight start. Rebounding from reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, Lieber lowered his ERA from 4.40 to 3.53.
Rodriguez hit his 11th homer with two on to cap a six-run sixth inning that put the Yankees up 8-0.
Bedard (1-2) needed 79 pitches to get through four innings. He was replaced by Denny Bautista, who made his major league debut after being called up earlier Tuesday from Double-A Bowie.
Royals 4, Tigers 3
In Kansas City, Missouri, second base umpire C.B. Bucknor called interference on a sliding Carlos Guillen in the ninth inning, nullifying the tying run and helping Kansas City beat Detroit and snap a four-game losing streak.
With the Tigers trailing 4-3 and one out in the ninth, Ivan Rodriguez appeared to beat out a double play, allowing the tying run to score from third.
But right after first base umpire Chuck Meriwether called Rodriguez safe on a close play, Bucknor called interference and an automatic double play.
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