TORONTO (AP) -Daisuke Matsuzaka won his third straight decision, Manny Ramirez hit his 476th career home run and the Boston Red Sox beat Toronto 9-3 Wednesday night to hand the Blue Jays their eighth straight loss.
David Ortiz homered and tied a career high with four hits for Boston, which has won six of its last seven. Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo also cleared the fence as the Red Sox hit four homers for the second consecutive game.
Matsuzaka (4-2), who allowed a season-high seven runs in his last start, was much more effective against Toronto. He struck out eight in seven innings, allowing just one run and five hits.
The matchup between Matsuzaka and Toronto’s Tomo Ohka was just the fourth time in major league history that two Japanese starters have faced off. The last time it happened was June 19, 2002, when Ohka, then with Montreal, beat Kansas City’s Mac Suzuki.
Ohka (2-4) got the loss in this one, allowing three runs and six hits over 4 2-3 innings. He walked five, one intentional, and struck out two.
Orioles 1, Devil Rays 0, 10 innings
BALTIMORE (AP) – Aubrey Huff homered with one out in the 10th inning against his former team, giving the Orioles a victory over the Devil Rays.
After James Shields pitched nine brilliant innings for Tampa Bay, Brian Stokes (1-4) faced only two batters before giving up the game’s lone run. Ramon Hernandez hit a fly to center before Huff drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in center, his fourth homer of the season and second against the Devil Rays.
John Parrish (1-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, retiring B.J. Upton on a slow roller with two outs after yielding three straight singles.
Yankees 6, Rangers 2
NEW YORK (AP) – Derek Jeter drove in three runs, Mike Mussina pitched three-hit ball for six innings and the Yankees extended their domination of the Rangers.
Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui each hit an RBI double in a four-run first off Robinson Tejeda (3-3), helping the Yankees improve to 18-2 against Texas since July 20, 2005 – including 5-0 this year.
New York (16-16) reached .500 for the first time since dropping to 8-8 with a loss at Boston on April 21. The Yankees are 8-3 overall following a seven-game losing streak.
Mussina (2-1) beat Tejeda for the second time in six days. The right-hander tied Yankees Hall of Famer Herb Pennock for 50th place on the career list with 241 wins – two behind Juan Marichal.
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