AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Toronto Blue Jays sliced Tampa Bay’s lead atop the American League East division with a 6-2 win over the Rays on Tuesday.
Consecutive losses have cut Tampa Bay’s advantage over Boston in the East to 3.5 games.
Toronto starter Roy Halladay beat Tampa Bay for the first time this season after three previous defeats. He gave up only two runs in six innings.
Vernon Wells had two run-scoring singles and added a solo homer in the ninth. He has four homers and nine RBIs in his past three games.
RED SOX 7, YANKEES 3
In New York, Boston moved a step closer to squashing the playoff hopes of arch-rival New York with a comfortable win.
The Yankees fell six games behind the Red Sox in the wildcard race.
Boston’s 42-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield won in his return from a shoulder injury, allowing three runs in five innings in the opener of a three-game series.
WHITE SOX 8, ORIOLES 3
In Baltimore, Chicago inflicted Baltimore’s fifth straight loss and built their own lead in the AL Central.
White Sox starter Gavin Floyd pitched eight innings of four-hit ball, striking out four, to take his fourth straight decision.
Nick Swisher hit his 22nd homer of the season for the White Sox, who extended their lead over Minnesota atop the AL Central to 2 games and moved a season-high 20 games over .500. Chicago had a season high-tying seven doubles.
ANGELS 5, ATHLETICS 1
In Anaheim, California, Los Angeles starter John Lackey came within two outs of his first shutout of the season, steering his side to victory over Oakland.
Lackey struck out five without a walk, losing his shutout bid to a homer in the ninth.
Lackey won his 10th straight decision against AL West teams, driving his team to a 16-game lead in the division. The complete game was his third this season.
Torii Hunter had three hits for Los Angeles. Hunter had a hit in each of his first three plate appearances, and his RBI keyed a four-run third gave the Angels a 4-0 lead.
INDIANS 10, TIGERS 4
In Detroit, Cleveland notched its ninth straight win, leapfrogging Detroit to third place in the AL Central. The Tigers have dropped three straight.
MARINERS 3, TWINS 2
In Seattle, the home team edged faltering Minnesota, who lost their fourth straight.
The Twins slipped two games behind AL Central leader Chicago — its largest deficit in a month — and 2.5 games off wildcard holder Boston. Minnesota is on a 14-game road trip due to the Republican Party national convention being in the Twin Cities.
RANGERS 2, ROYALS 1
In Kansas City, Missouri, Kevin Millwood pitched his second consecutive complete game as Texas edged Kansas City. The Royals have been outscored 123-54 over the past 19 games to fall a season-worst 20 games below .500.
With the score tied 1-1 in the eighth, an errant throw to first base went down the right-field line and allowed the runner to score from first.
Millwood allowed only one extra-base hit and walked none. It was his third complete game of the season and the 17th of his career.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Brian Giles and Kevin Kouzmanoff both drove in three runs as San Diego denied Brandon Webb his 20th victory with a 9-2 win over Arizona on Tuesday night.
Webb (19-5) lost in his first bid to become the NL’s first 20-game winner since 2005, allowing six runs and nine hits in four-and-two-third innings.
Giles hit a three-run homer and Kouzmanoff added a two-run double in a five-run third inning as Arizona lost its third straight and fourth in five games. Kouzmanoff added an RBI double in the seventh.
Chase Headley drove in two runs for San Diego.
The Diamondbacks retained their three-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Rookie Chad Reineke (2-1) pitched five innings for the win and combined with five relievers on a three-hitter.
The loss was Webb’s first in nine decisions.
CUBS 14, PIRATES 9
At Pittsburgh, Geovany Soto drove in seven runs and Chicago overcame Alfonso Soriano’s second dropped fly ball in Pittsburgh this season to rally for a victory.
The Cubs won their fourth straight to move 32 games above .500 for the first time since they were 90-58 on Sept. 15, 1984.
In other games it was:
• Braves 10, Marlins 9
• Brewers 12, Cardinals 0
• Nationals 2, Dodgers 1
• Reds 2, Astros 1
• Phillies 8, Mets 7, 13 innings
• Rockies 7, Giants 2
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