ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Bartolo Colon threw 38 consecutive strikes at one point and pitched four-hit ball for eight innings to help the Oakland Athletics beat the cellar-dwelling Los Angeles Angels 6-0 on Wednesday night.
Colon (3-1) struck out five and walked none, helping drop his former team six games behind two-time defending AL champion Texas in the AL West - just 12 games into the season. The 38-year-old's consecutive strikes streak ended on an 0-1 pitch to Bobby Abreu with one out in the eighth.
STATS LLC said its pitch-by-pitch data goes back to 1988 - since then, the most consecutive strikes a pitcher has thrown is 30, by Tim Wakefield for Boston in 1998 against Cleveland.
Colon, whose three previous starts this season all were against Seattle, has walked only two batters in his first 27 1-3 innings and has made 18 consecutive starts with fewer than three - one off his longest such streak. The last time he issued more than two walks was July 7, 2011.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer for Oakland, giving the Cuban-born rookie a team-leading 12 RBIs in his first 12 games.
Jonny Gomes added a solo shot for the A's against Ervin Santana (0-3), who gave up four runs and seven hits over seven innings with five strikeouts.
RANGERS 6, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) - Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, Derek Holland pitched seven solid innings as Texas beat Boston for its sixth straight win.
Josh Hamilton had three singles and drove in a run for the Rangers, who improved to 10-2.
Kevin Youkilis had a two-run homer for the Red Sox, who dropped their third consecutive game, and Josh Beckett (1-2) took the loss despite holding the Rangers down one night after they hit six homers in an 18-3 win.
Holland (2-0) held Boston to two runs on four hits, walking three and fanning seven.
Boston has lost eight of its last 10 games at Fenway Park against the Rangers.
TWINS 6, YANKEES 5
NEW YORK (AP) - Justin Morneau hit two mammoth homers and Jason Marquis won his Minnesota debut in the victory over New York.
Joe Mauer and Jamey Carroll each had an RBI double in a four-run first against Hiroki Kuroda (1-2). Marquis threw 87 pitches in five innings and left with a 6-4 lead, earning his first major league win since July 18 with the Nationals at Houston.
Robinson Cano hit his first home run of the season for the Yankees and Derek Jeter his fourth. Kuroda was roughed up for 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings after taking a shutout into the ninth Friday against the Angels.
RAYS 12, BLUE JAYS 2
TORONTO (AP) - Luke Scott hit a grand slam and Ben Zobrist added a two-run homer to lead Tampa Bay over Toronto.
Matt Joyce and Sean Rodriguez added solo shots for Tampa Bay. Scott hit his third career grand slam and first since 2010 as the Rays broke the game open with a six-run ninth.
David Price (2-1) improved to 10-2 in 14 career starts against Toronto. The left-hander allowed two runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings. He is 4-0 in five starts at Rogers Centre.
Brandon Morrow (0-1) allowed six runs and eight hits in six innings, walked three and matched a career high by giving up three homers.
WHITE SOX 8, ORIOLES 1
CHICAGO (AP) - Slumping slugger Adam Dunn lined a three-run double, A.J. Pierzynski homered and Chicago beat Baltimore to snap a three-game slide.
Dunn was 0 for 15 against left-handers this season before the opposite-field hit.
Jake Peavy (2-0) pitched seven sparkling innings, allowing four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Alejandro De Aza also homered for the White Sox.
Endy Chavez had a run-scoring double for the Orioles, who had won four of five. Tommy Hunter (1-1) matched a career high with eight strikeouts, but was charged with eight runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings.
TIGERS 4, ROYALS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Prince Fielder drove in two runs and Max Scherzer got his first win of the season to lead Detroit over Kansas City.
The Royals have lost seven straight, including their first six games at Kauffman Stadium, the most consecutive home losses in franchise history to start a season. The Royals lost their first five at home in 1993.
Scherzer (1-1) held the Royals to three runs on seven hits and one walk in six-plus innings. Scherzer lowered his earned run average from 10.38 to 7.98.
The Tigers scored two in the seventh off relievers Kelvin Herrera and Jose Mijares (0-1).
MARINERS 4, INDIANS 1
SEATTLE (AP) - Jason Vargas threw seven innings and the top of the order provided the pop as Seattle beat Cleveland in front of the smallest crowd in the history of Safeco Field.
Brandon League pitched the bottom of the ninth for his fifth straight save. Just 11,343 watched the game, setting a new record-low at Safeco Field, which was built in 1999. The previous low was 11,701 against Baltimore on May 31, 2011.
Derek Lowe (2-1) pitched 4 1-3 innings, allowed two home runs, four earned runs and walked six - one short of his career high.
Chone Figgins and Ichiro Suzuki homered for the Mariners.