Other games Royals 8, Twins 1: The Royals' Alex Gordon hit solo homers (13, 14) in the 2nd and 3rd innings, two of sixteen hits recorded by the Royals. Twins first baseman Garrett Jones went 3-3 in the game, with three of the six hits recorded by the Twins (all singles). Brian Bannister (12-7) allowed one run and six hits in eight innings of work, receiving the win. Boof Bonser (6-12) pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs for the loss.  IGNORE THIS Devil Rays 8, Yankees 2: Alex Rodriguez went 3-4, with a home run and a double, and   4 RBI before being removed in the eighth inning. Yankees starter Ian Kennedy (1-0 ) got the win in his first major-league game, pitching  7 innings and giving up one earned run. Devil Rays starter Edwin Jackson (4-13) was rocked for seven runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Mariano Rivera pitched his 23rd save, retiring all four batters he faced, and striking out the side in the 9th inning. The Yankees improve to 76-60, and extended their lead to 2 gamesover Seattle in the AL Wild Card race  .  Mets 5, Braves 1: The Mets' Carlos Delgado, Lastings Milledge, and Carlos Beltran all hit solo home runs in the win. Mike Pelfrey (1-7) notched his first win of the year, giving up just one hit and one run in six innings of work. Braves starter Chuck James (9-10) gave up three earned runs en route to the loss. Pedro Feliciano pitched two perfect innings, striking out the last five batters he faced. The Mets (75-60) hold a 3 game lead over the Phillies, and a 6.5 game lead over the Braves (69-67), in the NL East. Blue Jays 2, Mariners 1: In the 7th inning, Gregg Zaun scored the first run of the game on a solo home run. The Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki shot back in the 8th inning, singling in the tying run, but Troy Glaus knocked in the deciding run in the bottom of the 8th, with a single to center field that scored Alex Rios. Dustin McGowan (9-8) pitched 8 innings for the win, while relief pitcher Sean Green got the loss. Closer Jeremy Accardo got the save, his 27th. The Mariners drop to 73-61, dropping them to 2 games behind the Yankees in the AL Wild Card race. Cubs 4, Astros 3: Powered by a 6th inning two-run homer by Aramis Ramirez, his 19th of the season, the Cubs beat the Astros 4-3. Jason Marquis (11-8) pitched 6 2/3 innings for the win, while Astros pitcher Troy Patton gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings for the loss. Ryan Dempster gave up a solo home run in the 9th inning, but held on for his 24th save. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 1.5 games over the Brewers, and 2 games over the Cardinals. Diamondbacks 13, Rockies 7. Both starting pitchers (Elmer Dessens for Colorado, Dana Eveland for Arizona) left the game before the fourth inning. Diamondbacks first baseman Tony Clark knocked a three-run homer to cap a seven-run 2nd inning and a two-run single to cap a four-run 3rd inning. Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki knocked in two of the Rockies' seven runs with a double in the 3rd. Diamondbacks pitcher Edgar Gonzalez (7-2) took the win, pitching 3 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball in relief, while Dessens (2-2) took the loss, lasting just 1 1/3 inning while giving up seven runs. With the win, Arizona (76-61) remains tied with the San Diego Padres (75-50) at the top of the NL West standings. Rangers 7, Angels 6: Marlon Byrd finished 3-5 with a home run, a double, and 3 runs for the Rangers. The Angels brought the game within one run after Garret Anderson hit a three-run homer in the 9th inning, but C.J. Wilson closed the game out, receiving his 9th save of the year. Edinson Volquez (1-0) pitched five innings for the win, while Angels pitcher Kelvim Escobar made it through just 2 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs for the loss. The Angels (80-55) enjoy a 6.5 game lead over Seattle in the AL West standings.
Other games Devil Rays 8, Yankees 2: Carlos Pena hit a triple and a three-run homer, as the Devil Rays took two out of three from the Yankees. Jason Hammel (2-4) pitched five innings, allowing one run and five hits for the win, while Andy Pettitte, forced out of the game after Pena's homer, allowed five runs for the loss. The Yankees (76-61) remain 2 games ahead of the Mariners in the AL Wild Card race. Royals 8, Twins 1: The Royals' Alex Gordon hit solo homers (13, 14) in the 2nd and 3rd innings, two of sixteen hits recorded by the Royals. Twins first baseman Garrett Jones went 3-3 in the game, with three of the six hits recorded by the Twins (all singles). Brian Bannister (12-7) allowed one run and six hits in eight innings of work, receiving the win. Boof Bonser (6-12) pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs for the loss. Blue Jays 6, Mariners 4 : Gregg Zaun (8) and Matt Stairs (18) each hit a two-run homer in the game to put Toronto ahead early. A.J. Burnett (8-7 ) got the win , while Jeff Weaver (6-11) left after three innings, allowing five runs for the loss. Casey Janssen recorded his fifth save of the season for the Blue Jays. Seattle (73-62) remains two games back of the Yankees in the AL Wild Card race. Rangers 8, Angels 7 : Hank Blalock hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, to take the lead. Wes Littleton (3-1) pitched two hitless innings in relief for the win, while Scot Shields (3-5) got the loss, giving up four runs on the Blalock slam. C.J. Wilson picked up his 10th save. The Angels remained 6.5 games ahead of the Mariners in the AL West race. Red Sox 3, Orioles 2: Mike Lowell hit an RBI single in the first inning, and drove in another run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Jon Lester (3-0) got the win, allowing two earned runs in 6+ innings, while Daniel Cabrera (9-14) pitched six innings in the loss, allowing five hits and three earned runs. Jonathan Papelbon threw a perfect 9th for his 31st save. The Red Sox improved their AL East lead to six games . IGNORE THIS Mets 5, Braves 1: The Mets' Carlos Delgado, Lastings Milledge, and Carlos Beltran all hit solo home runs in the win. Mike Pelfrey (1-7) notched his first win of the year, giving up just one hit and one run in six innings of work. Braves starter Chuck James (9-10) gave up three earned runs en route to the loss. Pedro Feliciano pitched two perfect innings, striking out the last five batters he faced. The Mets (75-60) hold a 3 game lead over the Phillies, and a 6.5 game lead over the Braves (69-67), in the NL East. Cubs 4, Astros 3: Powered by a 6th inning two-run homer by Aramis Ramirez, his 19th of the season, the Cubs beat the Astros 4-3. Jason Marquis (11-8) pitched 6 2/3 innings for the win, while Astros pitcher Troy Patton gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings for the loss. Ryan Dempster gave up a solo home run in the 9th inning, but held on for his 24th save. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 1.5 games over the Brewers, and 2 games over the Cardinals. Diamondbacks 13, Rockies 7. Both starting pitchers (Elmer Dessens for Colorado, Dana Eveland for Arizona) left the game before the fourth inning. Diamondbacks first baseman Tony Clark knocked a three-run homer to cap a seven-run 2nd inning and a two-run single to cap a four-run 3rd inning. Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki knocked in two of the Rockies' seven runs with a double in the 3rd. Diamondbacks pitcher Edgar Gonzalez (7-2) took the win, pitching 3 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball in relief, while Dessens (2-2) took the loss, lasting just 1 1/3 inning while giving up seven runs. With the win, Arizona (76-61) remains tied with the San Diego Padres (75-50) at the top of the NL West standings.
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Royals
Devil Rays
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Twins 1: The Royals' Alex Gordon hit solo homers (13, 14) in the 2nd and 3rd innings, two of sixteen hits recorded by the Royals. Twins first baseman Garrett Jones went 3-3 in the game, with three of the six hits recorded by the Twins (all singles). Brian Bannister (12-7) allowed
Yankees 2: Carlos Pena hit a triple and a three-run homer, as the Devil Rays took two out of three from the Yankees. Jason Hammel (2-4) pitched five innings, allowing
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six hits in eight innings of work, receiving the win. Boof Bonser (6-12) pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing
five hits for the win, while Andy Pettitte, forced out of the game after Pena's homer, allowed
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The Yankees (76-61) remain 2 games ahead of the Mariners in the AL Wild Card race.
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IGNORE THIS Devil Rays
Royals
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Yankees 2: Alex Rodriguez went 3-4, with a home run and a double,
Twins 1: The Royals' Alex Gordon hit solo homers (13, 14) in the 2nd
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3rd innings, two of sixteen hits recorded by the Royals. Twins first baseman Garrett Jones went 3-3 in the game, with three of the six hits recorded by the Twins (all singles). Brian Bannister (12-7) allowed one run and six hits in eight innings of work, receiving the win. Boof Bonser (6-12) pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs for the loss.
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Blue Jays 6, Mariners
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RBI before being removed in the eighth inning. Yankees starter Ian Kennedy (1-0
: Gregg Zaun (8) and Matt Stairs (18) each hit a two-run homer in the game to put Toronto ahead early. A.J. Burnett (8-7
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in his first major-league game, pitching
, while Jeff Weaver (6-11) left after three innings, allowing five runs for the loss. Casey Janssen recorded his fifth save of the season for the Blue Jays. Seattle (73-62) remains two games back of the Yankees in the AL Wild Card race.
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Rangers 8, Angels
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innings and giving up one earned run. Devil Rays starter Edwin Jackson (4-13) was rocked for seven runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Mariano Rivera pitched his 23rd save, retiring all four batters he faced, and striking out the side in the 9th inning. The Yankees improve to 76-60, and extended their lead to 2 gamesover Seattle in the AL Wild Card race
: Hank Blalock hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, to take the lead. Wes Littleton (3-1) pitched two hitless innings in relief for the win, while Scot Shields (3-5) got the loss, giving up four runs on the Blalock slam. C.J. Wilson picked up his 10th save. The Angels remained 6.5 games ahead of the Mariners in the AL West race.
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Red Sox 3, Orioles 2: Mike Lowell hit an RBI single in the first inning, and drove in another run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Jon Lester (3-0) got the win, allowing two earned runs in 6+ innings, while Daniel Cabrera (9-14) pitched six innings in the loss, allowing five hits and three earned runs. Jonathan Papelbon threw a perfect 9th for his 31st save. The Red Sox improved their AL East lead to six games
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IGNORE THIS
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Blue Jays 2, Mariners 1: In the 7th inning, Gregg Zaun scored the first run of the game on a solo home run. The Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki shot back in the 8th inning, singling in the tying run, but Troy Glaus knocked in the deciding run in the bottom of the 8th, with a single to center field that scored Alex Rios. Dustin McGowan (9-8) pitched 8 innings for the win, while relief pitcher Sean Green got the loss. Closer Jeremy Accardo got the save, his 27th. The Mariners drop to 73-61, dropping them to 2 games behind the Yankees in the AL Wild Card race.
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West standings.
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Rangers 7, Angels 6: Marlon Byrd finished 3-5 with a home run, a double, and 3 runs for the Rangers. The Angels brought the game within one run after Garret Anderson hit a three-run homer in the 9th inning, but C.J. Wilson closed the game out, receiving his 9th save of the year. Edinson Volquez (1-0) pitched five innings for the win, while Angels pitcher Kelvim Escobar made it through just 2 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs for the loss. The Angels (80-55) enjoy a 6.5 game lead over Seattle in the AL