BOSTON (AP) - Josh Beckett pitched seven strong innings, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh and the Boston Red Sox beat Seattle 3-1 on Saturday night, sending the Mariners to their club record-tying 14th consecutive loss.
Terry Francona earned his 1,000th win as a major league manager, the 57th to reach that milestone, and the eighth still active. Boston moved a season-high three games ahead of the New York Yankees for the lead in the AL East.
Meanwhile, the Mariners tied the 1992 team's mark after loading the bases against Daniel Bard, but the reliever got out of the jam.
Beckett (9-3) gave up seven hits, and the only run he allowed came on a homer by Mike Carp. Blake Beavan (1-2) took the loss.
Royals 5, Rays 4, 10 innings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Joakim Soria worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 10th and Eric Hosmer doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the inning and the Royals rallied for a victory over the Rays.
Brandon Gomes (0-1) threw two pitches in the 10th and took the loss. Billy Butler singled to right to lead off the inning. Mike Aviles ran for Butler and scored on Hosmer's double to left-center.
The Rays loaded the bases in the 10th with none out, but failed to score. Rookie Aaron Crow, the Royals' representative at the All-Star game, began the inning by walking Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton. He was replaced by Soria, who gave up a single to Matt Joyce to load the bases.
Soria (5-3) got Casey Kotchman on a comebacker, forcing out Longoria at home. He struck out pinch hitter Sam Fuld and Elliot Johnson looking to end the 10th.
Athletics 4, Yankees 3
NEW YORK (AP) - Hideki Matsui homered against his former team, Rich Harden earned his second win of the season and the Athletics snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Yankees.
Andrew Bailey barely held on in the ninth inning, allowing a run before retiring Robinson Cano on an easy grounder with a runner on third to end it.
Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer off A.J. Burnett and Jemile Weeks had an RBI single for the A's, who beat the Yankees for the first time since April 22, 2010, in Oakland.
The skid had been tied for the longest current slide by one big league team against another. Minnesota had dropped 11 in a row against Detroit going into Saturday's matchup in Minneapolis.
Orioles 3, Angels 2
BALTIMORE (AP) - Adam Jones homered and drove in two runs to back an effective pitching performance by Brad Bergesen and lead the Orioles over the Angels.
Jones hit a solo shot in the fourth inning and put Baltimore ahead 3-2 in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. He has four homers and nine RBIs in his last eight games.
J.J. Hardy had three singles as part of a 13-hit attack that enabled the Orioles to win for only the fifth time in 22 games. Baltimore got at least one hit in every inning except the eighth but was victimized by four double plays.
Bergesen (2-6) allowed two runs, six hits and two walks in six innings to earn his first win since May 14. He's 2-0 lifetime against the Angels and 15-23 against everyone else.
Twins 4, Tigers 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Scott Baker pitched five scoreless innings and the Twins bullpen came through with four solid innings of relief in a victory over the Tigers, snapping Detroit's 11-game winning streak over Minnesota.
Baker (8-5) allowed three hits and struck out five in his first start since July 5. Anthony Swarzak, Phil Dumatrait and Glen Perkins bridged the gap to Joe Nathan, who picked up his seventh save.
Danny Valencia homered and Delmon Young added a two-run double for the Twins, who had not beaten Detroit since Sept. 1 of last year.
Brad Penny (7-7) gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Tigers, who got two hits and an RBI from Miguel Cabrera but not much else on offense.
Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Michael Young drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Rangers rallied for a victory over the Blue Jays.
The Rangers trailed 4-3 when Mark Rzepczynski (2-3) walked pinch-hitter Mike Napoli leading off the ninth. Rzepczynski threw wide of first for an error on Mitch Moreland's sacrifice bunt.
Closer Jon Rauch came in, and the runners moved to second and third on Ian Kinsler's bunt.
Napoli scored on Elvis Andrus' suicide-squeeze bunt to tie it at 4, and after Josh Hamilton was intentionally walked, pinch-runner Craig Gentry crossed the plate on Young's drive over the head of right fielder Corey Patterson.