BOSTON (AP) -Jason Varitek and Eric Hinske scampered home when closer Chris Ray dropped the toss at first base on what could have been a game-ending groundout, and the Boston Red Sox rallied for six runs in the ninth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Sunday.
Jeremy Guthrie carried a three-hit shutout into the ninth and came within two outs of his first career complete game. But he was lifted after catcher Ramon Hernandez dropped Coco Crisp’s popup near the third-base line for an error, and the Red Sox took advantage.
Boston got four hits and three walks against Danys Baez and Ray (3-3), who had his third blown save of the season.
J.C. Romero (1-0) struck out two in 1 1-3 scoreless innings for the win.
The rally saved Josh Beckett from his first loss of the year. He left after four innings with a torn flap of skin on his right middle finger, failing to become the first eight-game winner in the major leagues and tie the franchise record – held by Babe Ruth and two others – for wins to start a season.
Mariners 2, Yankees 1
SEATTLE (AP) – Horacio Ramirez pitched effectively into the seventh inning and four relievers stymied New York to preserve Seattle’s victory.
The Mariners pieced together just enough offense to take two of three in the series, never scoring more than three runs in any game. Raul Ibanez had an RBI single in the third and Jose Lopez’s sacrifice fly an inning later provided all the offense Ramirez needed.
Ramirez (3-2) worked 6 1-3 innings, allowing five hits and one run. He got 14 of his 19 outs on groundballs.
Rookie reliever Brandon Morrow struck out Alex Rodriguez with two on to end the eighth. J.J. Putz fanned three in the ninth for his ninth save.
Hideki Matsui doubled with one out, but Putz struck out Jorge Posada and Doug Mientkiewicz to end it. The Yankees fell a season-high eight games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.
Andy Pettitte (2-2) pitched 7 1-3 strong innings but got little backing from New York’s offense. Derek Jeter hit an RBI single in the sixth.
Athletics 10, Indians 7
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Jack Cust’s fifth homer in four games capped a five-run ninth inning that helped Oakland rally past Cleveland.
Joe Borowski retired the first two batters in the ninth and got an 0-2 count on Eric Chavez with the Indians leading 7-5. But Chavez singled and Milton Bradley tied the score with his second homer.
Dan Johnson and Bobby Crosby followed with consecutive singles that chased Borowski (0-2), who blew his second save in 14 opportunities.
Cust greeted Fernando Cabrera with his sixth homer in 26 at-bats since being acquired from San Diego on May 3. Jay Witasick (1-0) struck out Josh Barfield to end the top of the ninth with two on.
Chavez’s solo homer in the seventh off Tom Mastny started Oakland’s comeback. Crosby also hit a solo home run.
Rangers 7, Angels 6
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Nelson Cruz hit his first home run of the season with one out in the ninth inning to give Texas a victory over Los Angeles.
Cruz’s solo shot off Scot Shields (0-2) helped the Rangers beat the Angels for the first time this year after five straight losses.
Eric Gagne (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth for his first win since June 10, 2005, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ian Kinsler, Hank Blalock and Brad Wilkerson also homered for the Rangers.
Gary Matthews Jr. homered twice and drove in four runs for the Angels against his former team. He connected from both sides of the plate.
Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Napoli hit consecutive homers in the fourth for Los Angeles, and Casey Kotchman had three hits.
Angels reliever Hector Carrasco and manager Mike Scioscia were ejected in the seventh by plate umpire Alfonso Marquez after Carrasco hit Kinsler with a breaking ball.
Rangers reliever Joaquin Benoit had plunked Matthews in the top of the seventh.
Royals 11, White Sox 1
CHICAGO (AP) – David DeJesus tied a career high with four hits, Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven sharp innings and Kansas City beat the White Sox for a rare win in Chicago.
Mark Teahen’s three-run homer in the fifth off Javier Vazquez (2-2) broke a 1-all tie, and the Royals matched their season high for runs and hits (15).
The White Sox had their four-game winning streak snapped.
De La Rosa (4-3) retired his first 10 batters. He gave up one run, three hits and three walks in his first road win of the year.
DeJesus scored three times and drove in two runs, helping Kansas City to its first victory in six tries over the White Sox this season and only its seventh in 32 games at U.S. Cellular Field since 2004.
Devil Rays 2, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO (AP) – After Toronto starter Shaun Marcum pitched six hitless innings and came out of the game, Carlos Pena got Tampa Bay’s first hit with a tiebreaking homer off Jason Frasor in the seventh and the Devil Rays stopped a season-high six-game losing streak.
Making his first start this year after 13 relief appearances, Marcum struck out seven and walked three, leaving after 78 pitches. He was starting because Victor Zambrano has a strained forearm.
Frasor (1-2) retired Ty Wigginton on a flyout and struck out B.J. Upton before allowing Pena’s homer.
Jae Seo (2-3) gave up only two hits and struck out a season-high seven in seven innings to win for the first time in four starts.
Al Reyes earned his 11th save in 11 chances, allowing Matt Stairs’ first homer. Reyes hadn’t allowed a run since April 23.
Each team managed only three hits. Pena was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, getting a run-scoring infield single off Brian Tallet with two outs in the ninth.
Twins 16, Tigers 4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Torii Hunter homered twice, drove in a career-high seven runs and Minnesota ended a four-game losing streak.
The Twins ruined emergency starter Virgil Vasquez’s major league debut, racking up season highs in runs, hits (22) and homers (four). Vasquez (0-1) gave up nine hits, two walks and a hit batter in 2 2-3 innings.
Michael Cuddyer went 3-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs, Mike Redmond went deep, too, and Justin Morneau scored after all three of his hits. The defending AL Central champion Twins won for only the fourth time in their last 13 games.
Boof Bonser (1-1) gave up six hits, four runs and three walks in five innings. He struck out six and stopped a string of five straight no-decisions.
Magglio Ordonez hit his seventh home run for Detroit in the first.
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