Garret Anderson hit a three-run homer off Johan Santana in the seventh inning and threw out the potential tying run at home in the eighth on Wednesday, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
The win was the 13th in 16 games for the Angels, while the Twins lost for the third time in 10 games.
The Twins led 5-3 entering the seventh when Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero singled and Anderson hit his 11th homer. Juan Rivera added a solo homer in the inning.
Joel Peralta (1-0) got the final out in the seventh for his first major league victory.
The Twins drew within one run off Scot Shields in the eighth on three straight hits, but with runners at first and third and one out, Nick Punto lined to left and Anderson gunned down Mike Ryan trying to score.
Santana (7-5) lost his third straight decision, allowing nine hits and six runs in 6 1-3 innings.
Blue Jays 8, Athletics 0
At Toronto, Ted Lilly pitched seven scoreless innings, and Vernon Wells hit a three-run homer in the Blue Jays' five-run eighth.
Lilly (7-8) allowed six hits, struck out five and walked two. He beat Oakland's Joe Blanton (5-7), who gave up three runs in seven innings and lost for the first time in five starts.
Frank Menechino had three hits and scored two runs for Toronto.
Tigers 7, Indians 3
At Cleveland, Jeremy Bonderman allowed two runs and five hits over eight innings for Detroit.
Chris Shelton had three of the Tigers' 15 hits and drove in two runs. Magglio Ordonez had two hits and two RBIs.
Bonderman (11-5) matched his career high for victories and became the first Detroit pitcher to win 11 games before the All-Star break since Bill Gullickson in 1991. Troy Percival got the final out for his seventh save.
C.C. Sabathia (6-5) allowed five runs on 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.
White Sox 7, Devil Rays 2
At Chicago, Frank Thomas hit his second three-run homer in as many games, Jose Contreras won for the first time in a nearly a month and the White Sox handed Tampa Bay its eighth straight loss.
Contreras (4-5), who had not won since June 7, allowed two runs and six hits in six-plus innings as Chicago completed a three-game sweep. Casey Fossum (3-7) allowed seven runs and 11 hits in six innings.
Thomas, who hit the game-winning three-run shot in the eighth inning Tuesday night, got his 11th homer in 72 at-bats this season.
Red Sox 7, Rangers 4
At Arlington, Texas, Matt Clement worked into the ninth inning for his 10th victory, and David Ortiz homered and drove in three runs for Boston.
Clement (10-2) retired 10 straight after giving up consecutive homers to David Dellucci and Michael Young in the third. The only other runs he allowed were on Dellucci's second homer, in the seventh.
Clement, who beat Chan Ho Park (8-3), allowed nine hits and struck out nine. Alan Embree got his first save.
Boston's Johnny Damon extended his career-high hitting streak to 22 games -- giving him the longest run in the majors this season.
Royals 5, Mariners 1
At Kansas City, Missouri, Tony Graffanino homered and tripled, and Angel Berroa had three hits for the Royals.
Kansas City's Runelvys Hernandez (6-9) gave up nine hits in six-plus innings, and one unearned run. Seattle's Aaron Sele (6-8) went six innings, giving up four runs -- three earned -- on 11 hits and a walk.
Kansas City's Mike Sweeney left shortly after being hit in the left forearm by Sele's first-inning pitch. X-rays were negative.
RSS