Manny Ramirez hit a two-run homer after slumping slugging partner David Ortiz’s tying RBI single in the eighth inning, lifting the Boston Red Sox over the Texas Rangers 5-3 in the American League on Saturday.
Dustin Pedroia doubled off the Green Monster against Joaquin Benoit (1-1) with one out to start the rally, and Ortiz followed with a hard single that bounced off the glove of diving second baseman Ian Kinsler and into short right field. Ramirez then hit an 0-1 pitch over the Monster seats for his sixth of the season and 496th of his career.
Javier Lopez (1-0) escaped a two-on, two-out jam by getting Josh Hamilton to line to center. Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his sixth save and the Red Sox won for the seventh time in eight games.
Hamilton homered for Texas, his fourth of the year.
Blue Jays 3, Tigers 2
At Toronto, Alex Rios homered, Dustin McGowan won for the first time this season and Toronto snapped a six-game home losing streak.
McGowan (1-1) pitched a season-high seven innings, allowing two runs and seven hits.
Detroit’s Jeremy Bonderman (1-2) walked six, one of them intentionally, in five innings.
Twins 3, Indians 0
At Minneapolis, Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer for power-poor Minnesota, and Nick Blackburn made it stand up with 7 2-3 scoreless innings in a victory over Cleveland.
Blackburn (1-1) earned his first major league win, giving up eight hits without a walk. He ended four innings by inducing double-play grounders, including two by David Dellucci.
Morneau took Jake Westbrook (1-2) deep in the first inning for his fifth homer and a 2-0 lead. Jason Kubel, who has three home runs, is the only other Twins player who has homered in 18 games this season.
Athletics 6, Royals 5
At Oakland, California, Kurt Suzuki singled home Chris Denorfia with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Oakland knocked around Kansas City’s bullpen for a second straight game.
Daric Barton hit a single, double and triple to make up for a critical fielding error in the second inning while five other players had two hits apiece for the Athletics, who set a season high with 16 hits.
Jose Guillen and Miguel Olivo both homered for struggling Kansas City, which managed only three hits over the final seven innings.
Joel Peralta (0-1) took the loss for the Royals.
Angels 4, Mariners 1
At Anaheim, California, Ervin Santana allowed three hits over eight innings and retired 20 of his first 21 batters, leading Los Angeles past Seattle.
Santana (3-0) struck out eight and walked none, improving his all-time home record to 26-9. He allowed only three hits, including Adrian Beltre’s homer with two out in the seventh, snapping a string of 16 consecutive Seattle outs.
Jarrod Washburn (1-3) allowed four runs, 10 hits and no walks over six innings.
Orioles 6, Yankees 0
At Baltimore, Brian Burres and Jim Johnson combined on a six-hitter and Baltimore handed New York their third straight loss.
Burres gave up five hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings for the Orioles, and Johnson allowed the Yankees just one hit the rest of the way to pick up the first save of his career.
Ramon Hernandez and Aubrey Huff each drove in two runs and Kevin Millar homered for the Orioles.
Ian Kennedy (0-2) had another rough outing for the Yankees, giving up four runs and five hits with five walks, which raised his ERA to 9.64.
Rays 5, White Sox 0
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Andy Sonnanstine threw a three-hitter for his first career complete game and Tampa Bay beat Chicago.
The White Sox had just three singles, including a bunt hit, and didn’t get a runner past second base.
Sonnanstine (2-1) struck out four and walked one. Tampa Bay stopped a six-game losing skid against Chicago.
Mark Buehrle (1-2) gave up five runs and 12 hits in seven innings for the White Sox.
AP, PHOENIX, Arizona
Chris Young singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks scored six runs in the eighth inning to rout the San Diego Padres 10-3 in the National League on Saturday.
Arizona won its fourth straight and improved to a major league-best 13-4, the best start in its 11-year history.
Arizona trailed 3-2 in the seventh when Justin Upton greeted reliever Joe Thatcher (0-2) with an infield single. Upton scored when Paul McAnulty misplayed Stephen Drew’s drive to left field, which was ruled a double.
Drew scored on Young’s sharp single to left to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead.
Arizona’s rally cost San Diego Chris Young a victory. Young gave up two runs and three hits.
Mets 4, Phillies 2
At Philadelphia, Oliver Perez pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings, Jose Reyes hit a two-run homer and New York beat Philadelphia for the fourth straight time.
David Wright had a two-run double for the Mets. Each of New York’s wins has come with 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins missing from the Phillies’ lineup.
Perez (2-0) allowed four hits, struck out seven and overcame five walks.
Chase Utley hit a solo homer for the Phillies. Jamie Moyer (1-1) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings.
Braves 4, Dodgers 1
At Atlanta, Chuck James allowed one run in five innings and the Atlanta bullpen shut down Los Angeles for a third straight victory.
Mark Teixeira’s two-run single highlighted a four-run fifth that accounted for all the Atlanta scoring and handed James (1-1) the win hours after his recall from Triple-A Richmond.
Andruw Jones, the longtime Braves center fielder now playing for the Dodgers, his his first homer for Los Angeles, and Chad Billingsley (0-3) took the loss.
Brewers 5, Reds 3, 10 innings
At Cincinnati, Bill Hall’s two-run double in the 10th inning kept Milwaukee perfect in extra innings this season.
Hall sent a full-count pitch from David Weathers (0-2) into the gap in right-center to break a 3-all tie and send Cincinnati to its seventh loss in eight games.
In other games, it was:
• Cubs 13, Pirates 1
• Giants 3, Cardinals 0
• Rockies 3, Astros 2
• Marlins 6, Nationals 5
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