DETROIT (AP) - Justin Verlander allowed one run in 7 2-3 innings to become baseball's first 18-game winner, and the Detroit Tigers breezed to a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
Verlander (18-5) labored through a 29-pitch first inning but settled down after that, allowing seven hits in another impressive outing. He struck out eight to surpass 200 on the year, walked one and lowered his ERA to 2.31.
Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs for the Tigers, and Ramon Santiago hit his third home run, a solo shot in the sixth.
Nick Blackburn (7-10) allowed five runs and 11 hits in 4 2-3 innings.
Yankees 9, Royals 7
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer into the Kauffman Stadium fountains, Russell Martin and Derek Jeter each drove in a pair of runs, and New York beat Kansas City to give Ivan Nova his eighth consecutive victory.
The Yankees moved a half-game ahead of Boston atop the AL East.
Nova (12-4) struggled almost as much as Royals starter Danny Duffy (3-7), allowing five runs and seven hits through three innings. But he settled down to retire the side in order the next two frames, and survived long enough to move past Alfredo Aceves for the longest winning streak by a Yankees rookie since 1980.
The right-hander also tied Orlando Hernandez and Andy Pettitte for the most wins by a Yankees rookie in the past three decades. Nova hasn't lost since a 3-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on June 3.
Rangers 7, Angels 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Michael Young had three of the Rangers' 17 hits and drove in three runs, and Texas opened its biggest AL West lead of the season.
Derek Holland (11-4) yielded nine hits and fell one out shy of his fifth complete game for the Rangers, who have moved six games ahead the struggling Angels.
Josh Hamilton homered in a three-hit performance before leaving with back spasms, and Mitch Moreland had a two-run single among his three hits in Texas' fifth straight victory.
Torii Hunter had two hits and drove in a run for the punchless Angels, who trailed Texas by just 1 1/2 games a week ago. Los Angeles has lost six of seven since.
One night after Angels starter Garrett Richards left in the first inning with a groin injury, fellow rookie Tyler Chatwood (6-9) couldn't get out of the third, yielding eight hits and five runs while dropping to 1-5 over his last eight starts.
Red Sox 3, Rays 1, 1st game
Rays 6, Red Sox 2, 2nd game
BOSTON (AP) - Rookie Desmond Jennings hit his fifth home run of the season and Jeff Niemann struck out 10 as the Tampa Bay Rays salvaged a split of a doubleheader with a second game victory over Boston.
The Red Sox opened the day with a win, but couldn't overcome two unearned runs in the second inning of the nightcap. Boston also couldn't capitalize on its first triple play since 1994.
Niemann (8-4) pitched his first complete game of the season and won his seventh straight decision. Tampa Bay won for the sixth time in eight games.
Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run homer, and Jon Lester struck out eight in the win by the Red Sox in the opener. Lester (12-6) outdueled fellow All-Star James Shields, who pitched nearly as well and deeper into the game but received little offensive support.
Shields (11-10) retired the last 15 batters he faced and struck out six. The only three hits he allowed were a pair of singles by Josh Reddick and Mike Aviles, followed by Ellsbury's homer.
Ellsbury has 21 homers, one more than he hit in his first three years combined.
White Sox 8, Indians 7, 14 innings
CHICAGO (AP) - Juan Pierre's game-ending single in the 14th inning capped a wild, five-hour marathon for Chicago.
Gordon Beckham doubled off of Chad Durbin (2-2) with one out in the final inning, advancing to third on Brent Morel's infield single. David Huff reliever Durbin to face Pierre, who singled to left to win it.
Jason Frasor (3-2) worked the top of the inning to earn the victory.
The White Sox have won nine of 11 and remain 3 1/2 games behind the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers. The loss drops the second-place Indians three games back.
Alejandro De Aza tripled in runs in the second and sixth to become the first White Sox player to triple twice in a game since Alex Cintron on April 13, 2006.
Athletics 8, Orioles 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Josh Willingham hit a home run and had two hits, and Coco Crisp drove in two runs for Oakland.
Cliff Pennington had three hits, Jemile Weeks had two and both drove in runs for the A's, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Scott Sizemore, Kurt Suzuki and Hideki Matsui also had RBIs.
Josh Bell drove in two runs for the Orioles, who have lost 15 of their last 19 road games. Vladimir Guerrero and Robert Andino also drove in runs.
Guillermo Moscoso (6-6) won for the third time in his last four starts. He allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits. Moscoso walked one and struck out four.
Brian Matusz (1-5) went 6 2-3 innings in his first start since June 30, giving up six runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out five in losing his fifth straight decision.
Blue Jays 13, Mariners 7
SEATTLE (AP) - Jose Bautista hit his major league-leading 35th home run, Colby Rasmus and Aaron Hill each drive in four runs and Toronto rallied twice.
The Blue Jays appeared on the way to an easy victory with a six-run first inning, highlighted by Rasmus' three-run double. But by the third inning, the Mariners had tied it.
The Jays broke away again with a four-run fifth.
Luis Perez (2-2), who took over for Brad Mills in the fourth, earned the victory. He matched his career high with four innings, allowing three hits, one run, two walks and three strikeouts.
Jason Vargas (7-11) pitched four-plus innings and took the loss.