The Kansas City Royals scored a team-record 26 runs in the first game of their doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, winning 26-5, then went scoreless in a 8-0 loss in the second game.
Joe Randa went 6-for-7 and tied a major league record by scoring six times in Game 1. He became the first AL player to have six hits and six runs in a nine-inning game.
The Royals' output in the first game tied for the fifth-most runs ever in a major league game since 1900, scoring the most since Texas beat Baltimore 26-7 on April 19, 1996, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Royals also matched an AL record by putting 13 consecutive batters on base during an 11-run third inning.
The Royals had 26 hits against five pitchers. Angel Berroa had a three-run homer and a career-high five RBIs, and Alberto Castillo knocked in a career-best four runs.
Jeremy Bonderman (9-11) shut down the Royals in the nightcap, allowing six hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts. Darrell May (9-17) lost his fifth straight.
Zack Greinke (8-9) beat Jason Johnson (8-13) in the opener.
Yankees 9, Devil Rays 1
Yankees 10, Devil Rays 5
In New York, Gary Sheffield and Tony Clark each drove in two runs during a seven-run second inning, and the New York Yankees completed a doubleheader sweep.
John Flaherty and Derek Jeter homered for the Yankees, who outscored the Devil Rays 19-6 and outhit them 26-18 in the doubleheader. Jeter was 5-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs in the two games.
The Yankees won all four games in the rain-shortened series and have won five in a row overall. They extended their AL East lead over Boston by at least a half-game, the first time they've increased the margin at all since Aug. 23.
Mike Mussina (10-9) threw eight sharp innings in the opener, which started with just a few hundred fans in the stands. Yankee Stadium filled up a bit more for the nightcap, with the paid attendance announced as 41,230.
Tanyon Sturtze (6-2) allowed two hits and walked one in 3 2-3 scoreless relief innings to win the second game.
B.J. Upton homered in the second game for the Devil Rays, who have lost a season-high 11 straight. Dewon Brazelton (6-7) and Rob Bell (6-8) took the losses.
White Sox 7, Rangers 3
In Texas, Mark Buehrle pitched a three-hitter for his second complete game of the season, sending Texas to its ninth loss in 11 games.
Paul Konerko and Joe Crede homered for the White Sox, who have won six of seven.
Texas dropped six games behind AL West-leading Oakland.
Buehrle struck out six and walked two in his 13th career complete game. He retired 15 of his final 16 batters.
Kevin Mench hit a solo homer for Texas in the second, his 21st of the season and second in two games. Chris Young (1-2) allowed six runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings.
Mariners 7, Red Sox 1
In Seattle, Bobby Madritsch pitched eight shutout innings, and Seattle dropped Boston 3 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.
Ichiro Suzuki went 2-for-4 to give him 229 hits. He is trying to break the major league record of 257 by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1920. Suzuki has 23 games left.
Madritsch (4-2) gave up five hits, walked three and struck out five, becoming the first Mariners starter to win since Aug. 22.
The Red Sox, who had won four in a row, 14 of 15 and 20 of 22, committed two errors that accounted for five unearned runs. A dropped fly ball by left fielder Manny Ramirez led to four unearned runs in the fifth.
Mariners rookie Jose Lopez hit a two-run homer and a pair of doubles off Wakefield (11-9).
Blue Jays 5, Angels 4
At Anaheim, Carlos Delgado capped a five-run third inning with a two-run homer, dropping Anaheim two games behind first-place Oakland in the AL West.
Vladimir Guerrero and Adam Kennedy homered for the Angels.
Ted Lilly (10-10) allowed four runs and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings, barely preserving a five-run lead, and won for just the third time in 13 starts.
Jarrod Washburn (11-6) allowed five runs and five hits in six innings.
Jeff Bagwell, Brad Ausmus and Lance Berkman drove in two runs each and the Houston Astros beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2 Thursday night for their 13th victory in 14 games and a doubleheader split.
In the first game, Oliver Perez ended Houston's 12-game winning streak by striking out a career-high 14 in a 3-1 victory -- the Astros' only loss since Aug. 26.
Josh Fogg (9-10) didn't offer nearly the challenge Perez did, giving Houston a gift run with a balk while allowing eight runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings.
It was a quick return to form for the Astros, who averaged nine-plus runs per game during their franchise-record tying winning streak. The Astros won their 16th in 18 games and 21st in 25 games and are tied with the Giants for the NL wild-card lead.
Houston reliever Mike Gallo (1-0) got his second career win.
Daryle Ward hit a two-run homer, but the Pirates still lost their 22nd in 29 games.
In the opener, Perez (10-8) allowed just three hits and an unearned run in eight innings, joining Bob Veale as the only pitchers in the Pirates' 118-season history with 200 strikeouts.
Jeff Kent's one-out single in the fourth was Houston's final hit. Carlos Hernandez (1-2) walked four in 5 2-3 innings.
Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Mets 4, Marlins 0
In Miami, Kris Benson pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning, Eric Valent homered and New York ended three streaks by beating Florida.
The Mets snapped an 11-game losing skid while stopping the Marlins' franchise record-tying nine-game winning streak. New York also ended a run of 10 consecutive losses to Florida.
Benson (11-11), who skipped his last turn with a sore shoulder, lasted six-plus innings. He improved to 3-3 with a 6.43 ERA since joining New York.
Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd got the day off, but Valent connected against Ismael Valdez (12-8). The Mets took a lead for the first time in 60 innings when Mike Cameron doubled in the second and scored on a single by Jason Phillips.
With the area recovering from Hurricane Frances and bracing for Hurricane Ivan, announced attendance was 13,102, but the actual crowd on a sunny, 87-degree afternoon numbered perhaps 4,000.
Following their first defeat since Aug. 26, the Marlins headed to Wrigley Field for a crucial four-game series. Florida and the Chicago Cubs, meeting for the first time since last year's NL championship series, are among five teams in a tight race for the NL wild card.
Phillies 9, Braves 4
In Atlanta, the Philadelphia Phillies overcame a blown lead and a bizarre home run, beating Atlanta with Jim Thome's two-run double and another stellar performance by the bullpen.
Philadelphia helped its faltering playoff hopes by taking three of four games at Turner Field. The relievers certainly did their job, pitching 16 scoreless innings during the series.
Atlanta overcame a 4-0 deficit, tying it up in the fourth when Phillies center fielder Jason Michaels accidentally swatted the ball over the fence to give Charles Thomas a home run.
After an intentional walk to Bobby Abreu, Thome broke a 4-all tie with a two-run double off Ramon Colon (1-1) in the seventh. Pat Burrell homered in the eighth and doubled in another run in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Philadelphia starter Cory Lidle had a 22-inning scoreless streak until Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer in the third. Lidle went five innings, giving up eight hits and all four Atlanta runs, but the bullpen picked him up.
Ryan Madson (9-2), Rheal Cormier, Felix Rodriguez and Geoff Geary held the Braves scoreless the rest of the way, each working an inning.
Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco hit consecutive homers on the first two pitches of the game from Atlanta starter Russ Ortiz. He also gave up a two-run homer to Mike Lieberthal.
Brewers 7, Reds 2
In Cincinnati, Wes Helms hit a grand slam and Brady Clark went 4-for-4 against his former team, leading Milwaukee over Cincinnati.
Doug Davis (11-10) tied his career high for wins with his first victory in seven starts.
Wily Mo Pena homered for the Reds, who have lost four straight and nine of 10. Gabe White (1-2) took the loss.
Rockies 9, Padres 7
In Denver, Todd Helton had three RBIs and Aaron Miles hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the seventh inning to send Colorado past San Diego.
Ramon Hernandez had three RBIs and Khalil Greene hit his 12th homer for San Diego, which got 14 hits but dropped 2 1/2 games behind NL wild-card leaders San Francisco and Houston. The Padres are 1-4 against the fourth-place Rockies the past week and have lost seven of 10 overall.
Royce Clayton had three hits, and Jorge Piedra went 3-for-3 and scored four runs as a last-minute replacement for Jeromy Burnitz.
Javier Lopez (1-2) earned the win. Shawn Chacon worked the ninth for his 34th save in 42 chances.
Scott Linebrink (7-2) allowed two runs in two innings.
Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 3
In Los Angeles, Steve Finley homered twice, and Jose Lima earned his first win in a month for Los Angeles.
Finley snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning with a solo homer, then hit a two-run shot in the sixth to help the Dodgers extend their NL West lead to five games over idle San Francisco.
Eric Gagne pitched a perfect ninth for his 38th save in 40 opportunities
The Diamondbacks, losers of seven straight, finished 3-16 against the Dodgers this season, including losses in 12 of their last 13 meetings.
Lima (12-5) gave up three runs and four hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out four and walked one to win for the first time since Aug. 10.
Edgar Gonzalez (0-9) couldn't get out of the fifth, but his ERA fell from 9.64 to 9.32.
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