Jason Kubel hit a stunning grand slam off Mariano Rivera with two outs in the eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins ended a nine-game losing streak against the New York Yankees with a 6-3 victory on Sunday.
Rivera replaced Joba Chamberlain (1-2) with the bases loaded and a 3-1 lead and walked Jim Thome. Kubel pulled a drive into the seats in right, startling the crowd of 46,628.
Kubel’s third homer of the season and sixth career slam ended a string of 51 straight converted save opportunities for Rivera at home, equaling the major league record set by Eric Gagne with the Dodgers. It was the first grand slam off Rivera since Bill Selby’s game-ending shot for Cleveland on July 14, 2002.
Rivera hadn’t allowed a run in 11 innings this year.
The ace closer issued his fourth career bases-loaded walk and first since May 6, 2005, before allowing his fourth grand slam, according to STATS LLC.
Jon Rauch gave up two singles to start the ninth, then struck out Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira to hold on for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Nick Blackburn (4-1) helped the Twins beat New York for the first time since Aug. 13, 2008. They had lost 12 straight overall against the Yankees, counting the sweep in last year’s AL division series.
Rays 2, Mariners 1
At St Petersburg, Florida, Sean Rodriguez delivered a seventh-inning double and Gabe Kapler added an eight-inning sacrifice fly as the Tampa Bay Rays overcame a frustrating afternoon against Cliff Lee to rally past the Seattle Mariners.
Lee (1-2) took a 1-0 lead into the seventh, limiting the team with baseball’s best record to doubles by B.J. Upton and Willy Aybar up to that point. Upton doubled again with one out in the seventh, then scored when Rodriguez followed with his hit off the right-center field wall.
Carl Crawford tripled into the left-field corner, just beyond the reach of Michael Saunders, and scored on Kapler’s sacrifice fly.
Dan Wheeler (2-0) retired the only two batters he faced to get the win. Rafael Soriano got three outs for his 10th save in 10 opportunities.
Tigers 5, Red Sox 1
At Detroit, Michigan, Ramon Santiago hit a two-run homer and Armando Galarraga was sharp in his first start of the season as the Tigers became the first team to win four straight series at home against reigning playoff teams since 1995.
The Tigers took two of three against Boston after winning three of four over the defending champion Yankees, sweeping the Angels and beating the Twins in two of three games.
Galarraga (1-0) gave up one run on three hits over five-and-two-thirds innings, while John Lackey (4-2) allowed five runs on nine hits and four walks over seven innings for Boston.
Angels 4, Athletics 0
At Anaheim, California, Joel Pineiro pitched a three-hitter for his sixth career shutout, Bobby Abreu hit a two-run homer as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.
Pineiro (3-4) struck out five, walked one and threw just 98 pitches.
Trevor Cahill (1-2) allowed three runs, five hits and no walks over seven innings.
Indians 5, Orioles 1
At Baltimore, Maryland, Jake Westbrook worked around nine hits for his 13th career complete game, while Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan homered for the Indians.
Westbrook (2-2) didn’t pitch at all last season, while recovering from reconstructive right elbow surgery. He was 0-2 in his first six starts this year.
Westbrook missed his fourth career shutout when Luke Scott hit a two-out homer in the ninth. The right-hander struck out eight and walked none.
In other AL play, it was:
• Royals 5, White Sox 3
• Blue Jays 5, Rangers 2
AP, SAN DIEGO, California
Russell Martin’s RBI single was one of only two hits for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the first-place San Diego Padres 1-0 on Sunday for a three-game sweep and their season-high seventh straight victory.
The Dodgers, playing again without Andre Ethier, won for the 12th time in 15 games.
Chad Billingsley (4-2) shut down the Padres over seven-and-one-third innings, allowing just four singles, striking out six and walking one.
Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.
Padres starter Wade LeBlanc (2-1) allowed only two baserunners the first five innings, both on walks, and one of them was erased in a double play.
Phillies 4, Brewers 2
At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cole Hamels pitched into the seventh inning despite giving up back-to-back home runs as Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep of the Brewers.
Hamels helped out on offense, too, delivering a sharp RBI double in the second.
Casey McGehee and Corey Hart homered for the Brewers, who also were swept at home by the Atlanta Braves this week.
Hamels (4-2) held the Brewers scoreless until McGehee homered the sixth. Hart followed with a drive of his own, cutting the Phillies lead to 3-2. However, that was all the Brewers could muster off Hamels, who gave up six hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six-and-two-thirds innings.
It was a serviceable start on short notice for Milwaukee’s Dave Bush (1-4), whose turn in the rotation was moved up when scheduled starter Doug Davis was scratched earlier in the day.
Davis has been diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart.
Giants 4, Astros 3
At San Francisco, Barry Zito earned his sixth win of the season and Aaron Rowand hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning as the Giants finished a three-game sweep.
Andres Torres homered, doubled and scored twice for the Giants, who have won eight straight games against the Astros dating to 2009.
Zito (6-1) rebounded nicely from his only loss of the season, scattering six hits over seven innings, while striking out four with one walk.
In other NL play, it was:
• Rockies 2, Nationals 1
• Reds 7, Cardinals 2
• Cubs 4, Pirates 3
• Marlins 10, Mets 8
• Braves 13, Diamondbacks 1
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