Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI single, leading the Rays to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Ben Zobrist began the winning rally by drawing a one-out walk from Shawn Camp (4-3), and was driven home by Longoria.
Tampa Bay starter David Price (16-6) got his club record 16th win, allowing one run over eight innings and striking out seven.
Closer Rafael Soriano worked out of a jam in the ninth for his major league-leading 40th save in 42 opportunities.
Yankees 4, Athletics 3
In New York, A.J. Burnett bounced back from an awful August by pitching six effective innings to guide New York past Oakland.
Burnett (10-12) went 0-4 in five starts since his previous win, and had a 7.80 ERA last month. He got this month off to a stronger start, allowing three runs and striking out eight.
A’s starter Brett Anderson (3-6) allowed only one earned run, but Oakland still fell to 1-8 against New York this season.
Angels 4, Mariners 2
In Seattle, Japan’s Hideki Matsui hit a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning as Los Angeles rallied past Seattle.
Held to just two hits entering the seventh, the Angels got started with Mike Napoli’s leadoff double. Two outs later, Matsui hit his 18th home run, barely avoiding the glover of Mariners outfielder and Japanese compatriot Ichiro Suzuki.
Los Angeles’ Trevor Bell (2-4) picked up his first win of the year as a starter, throwing six innings.
Twins 2, Tigers 1, 10 innings
In Minneapolis, Danny Valencia’s one-out single in the 10th inning drove in Michael Cuddyer from second base and gave Minnesota victory over Detroit.
Cuddyer singled against Ryan Perry (2-5) to start the 10th and stole second base.
The Twins kept their four-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central, improving to 7-1 at home against the Tigers this season.
Minnesota starter Jon Rauch (3-1) pitched a perfect 10th for the win.
In other games it was:
• White Sox 6, Indians 4
• Red Sox 9, Orioles 6
• Rangers 4, Royals 3
AP, LOS ANGELES
Philadelphia’s Roy Oswalt held Los Angeles hitless until two outs in the sixth inning, guiding the Phillies to a 5-1 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Oswalt (10-13) threw 115 pitches and struck out six. He is 4-1 with a 1.90 ERA in seven starts since the Phillies acquired him from Houston.
Philadelphia used leadoff homers by Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino in the first two innings to get a win that kept it within three games of the NL East lead and 1-1/2 games ahead of San Francisco in the wild-card race.
Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw (11-9) took the loss despite allowing two runs over six innings and striking out 11.
Giants 2, Rockies 1
In San Francisco, pinch-runner Darren Ford scored the go-ahead run from second base on a wild pitch and throwing error in the eighth inning, lifting San Francisco over Colorado.
Giants starter Tim Lincecum (12-9) ended a career-worst five-start skid, getting the best of a classic pitchers’ duel.
Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez (17-6) was denied in his fifth attempt at a franchise-record 18th win. He lost his third straight start and fourth consecutive decision.
San Francisco closer Brian Wilson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 38th save in 42 chances.
Braves 4, Mets 1
In Atlanta, Tommy Hanson finally got some run support and won for the first time in nearly two months, pitching seven shutout innings to lead Atlanta past New York.
Hanson (9-10) went 0-5 in his previous 10 starts. But he was in total command against New York. A double in the fourth was the lone hit off the Atlanta starter.
The Braves won their fifth straight and stayed level with Cincinnati for the overall NL lead.
Atlanta started the game with three straight hits off Mets starter Mike Pelfrey (13-8), who went five innings.
Reds 6, Brewers 1
In Cincinnati, Aroldis Chapman hit 165 kph on the radar gun, then got his first big league win when Cincinnati rallied to beat Milwaukee.
Chapman (1-0) threw two pitches at that speed in his second straight unhittable performance.
The Reds stretched their NL Central lead to a season-high eight games over St Louis.
Ryan Hanigan’s pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh off Todd Coffey (2-3) set up the Reds’ three-game sweep. Cincinnati has dominated the Brewers all season, winning seven of eight.
In other games it was:
• Diamondbacks 5, Padres 2
• Astros 5, Cardinals 2
• Marlins 16, Nationals 10
• Cubs 5, Pirates 3
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