NEW YORK (AP) - Orioles rookie Miguel Gonzalez struck out a career-high nine over seven shutout innings in a masterful pitching performance and Mark Reynolds homered twice as Baltimore tightened the AL East race Friday night with a 6-1 victory over the skidding New York Yankees.
J.J. Hardy added a solo shot for the surprising Orioles, who moved within two games of first-place New York by winning the opener of their big three-game series.
Reynolds made two spectacular plays at first base and Chris Davis had a sacrifice fly in Baltimore's three-run second inning against Hiroki Kuroda (12-10).
Pitching on 10 days' rest, Gonzalez (6-3) yielded only four harmless singles to win for the fourth time in five decisions.
Nick Swisher whiffed all four times up for the Yankees, who have dropped seven of 10 and nine of 14.
ATHLETICS 20, RED SOX 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Brandon Moss had career highs of four hits, four RBIs and four runs, Josh Reddick hit his first career grand slam, and the Athletics routed the Red Sox to match their best winning streak of the season at seven.
Josh Donaldson homered for the third straight game with a two-run shot and Moss also had a two-run drive to go with a pair of RBI doubles to help back Brandon McCarthy (8-5) with a season high in runs. Oakland handed the Red Sox their most lopsided loss since a 22-1 defeat to the Yankees on Jun 19, 2000. Aaron Cook (3-8) was done after just 2 2-3 innings to match his shortest outing of the season. The right-hander was tagged for six runs and seven hits.
RANGERS 5, INDIANS 3
CLEVELAND (AP) - Adrian Beltre had four hits and scored twice to help the Rangers hand the reeling Indians their sixth straight loss.
Beltre had three of his hits off Ubaldo Jimenez (9-14) as the Rangers rolled to their 10th win in 13 games.
The Indians' 15th loss in 16 games made them 5-24 in August, tying the team record for losses in one month, set in July 1914.
Ryan Dempster (4-1) gave up two hits and one unearned run in six innings.
TIGERS 7, WHITE SOX 4
DETROIT (AP) - Delmon Young hit a tiebreaking, three-run double in the seventh inning and the Tigers beat Chicago, pulling within two games of the AL Central-leading White Sox.
Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta homered as the Tigers took the opener of the three-game series.
Octavio Dotel (5-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief. Joaquin Benoit struck out the side in the eighth inning and Jose Valverde closed for his 27th save in 31 chances.
Jake Peavy (9-10) gave up six runs and nine hits over six innings.
BLUE JAYS 2, RAYS 1
TORONTO (AP) - Moises Sierra homered and threw out pinch-runner Elliot Johnson at home plate for the final out, preserving Brandon Morrow's first win since June 6 and leading the Blue Jays to a victory over the slumping Rays.
Edwin Encarnacion hit his 35th home run as the Blue Jays handed the Rays their sixth loss in seven games.
Morrow (8-5) allowed one run and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings. He walked one and struck out five and threw 102 pitches, 67 strikes.
Jeremy Hellickson (8-10) allowed two runs and four hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out two.
ANGELS 9, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE (AP) - Kendrys Morales drove in four runs and Torii Hunter had four hits, helping the Angels snap the Mariners' eight-game home winning streak.
Morales hit a three-run homer in the first off Seattle starter Kevin Millwood (4-12). His drove in Mike Trout with a single up the middle in the fourth inning.
Dan Haren (9-10) pitched seven innings and allowed just an unearned run on five hits.
Trout set the Angels' rookie record for runs scored with his 104th run in his 109th game on Albert Pujols' infield single in the second inning.