Pinch-hitter Jason Varitek singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, and the Boston Red Sox got home runs from David Ortiz and Coco Crisp in a 7-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
Crisp had three hits and scored three runs, including the tiebreaker in the ninth, to help the Red Sox extend their American League East lead to 6.5 games over the idle New York Yankees. Boston has been in first place for 142 games, its longest streak since 1986.
Wearing throwback uniforms that paid tribute to the 1932 Baltimore Black Sox of the Negro Leagues, the Orioles got a home run from Kevin Millar and three hits from Tike Redman. But the new clothes couldn't prevent Baltimore from meeting a familiar fate -- it was the Orioles' 14th loss in 16 games.
Crisp led off the ninth with an infield hit off Danys Baez (0-6). He stole second and came home when Varitek lined a single to left.
Boston rookie Clay Buchholz (3-0), who pitched a no-hitter last Saturday against Baltimore in his previous appearance, threw three scoreless innings of relief for the win. He escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the sixth with the score tied.
Jonathan Papelbon struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 34th save.
Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield allowed six runs and nine hits in three-and-two-thirds innings, matching his shortest outing of the season. It was the first time in 27 starts this season the knuckleballer did not receive a decision; his streak of 26 games was longest in the majors since Jack McDowell had 27 in 1993.
Baltimore ended Wakefield's run of 22 straight scoreless innings with a run in the first.
Angels 10, Indians 3
At Anaheim, California, Garret Anderson extended his streak to a club-record 11 games with at least one RBI, driving in three runs and leading Los Angeles past Cleveland in the opener of a four-game series between AL division leaders.
Anderson had a run-scoring single in the fifth inning off Paul Byrd (14-6) and a two-run homer in the eighth, breaking the previous franchise mark of 10 consecutive games with an RBI that was shared by Fred Lynn (1984) and Wally Joyner (1986).
Anderson has 21 RBIs during his streak. The three-time All-Star, who leads the majors with 56 RBIs since the All-Star break, was moved from the cleanup spot to the No. 3 hole on Thursday after right fielder Vladimir Guerrero was scratched because of inflammation in his right triceps.
Kelvim Escobar (16-7) allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings, striking out eight.
Casey Kotchman broke out of a 4-for-33 skid with two hits and three RBIs for the Angels, who increased their AL West lead over idle Seattle to eight games and matched their largest margin of the season.
Cleveland lost for the second time in 13 games, reducing its AL Central lead to six games over the Detroit Tigers.
Tigers 3, White Sox 2
At Detroit, Sean Casey and Placido Polanco hit run-scoring singles off All-Star closer Bobby Jenks in the ninth inning, leading Detroit over Chicago in Gary Sheffield's return from the disabled list.
The Tigers, who closed within three games of the AL wild card-leading New York Yankees, trailed 2-1 entering the ninth. Sheffield, who hadn't played since Aug. 21 because of an injured shoulder, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk.
Bobby Seay (3-0) pitched a perfect ninth as Detroit got its second straight win in its last at-bat over the White Sox following five straight losses to Chicago. Jenks (3-5) blew a save for the sixth time in 43 chances.
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