Tuesday's American League Capsules

Games played July 23, 2013

BOSTON (AP) - Jon Lester matched his season high with eight strikeouts and overcame homers by Wil Myers and Evan Longoria as the Boston Red Sox remained in first place with a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

The Red Sox moved 1½ games ahead of the Rays in the AL East and stayed atop the division for the 58th consecutive day.

The loss ended the Rays' six-game winning streak and was just their third in 21 games, a surge that began when they were in fourth place, trailing the Red Sox by seven games.

Jose Iglesias hit a two-run single for Boston, which is 3-4 since its four-game winning streak.

Lester (9-6) gave up two runs and seven hits with no walks in 6 1-3 innings. Four Red Sox pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.

Roberto Hernandez (5-11) allowed three runs in five innings.

YANKEES 5, RANGERS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Eduardo Nunez hit a tying triple, Brent Lillibridge followed with a go-ahead single and New York rallied against All-Star closer Joe Nathan in the ninth inning to beat Texas.

The Yankees' comeback got started when Vernon Wells drew a one-out walk against Nathan (1-1), who had converted 15 consecutive save chances and 31 of 32 this season. Texas had been 51-0 when leading after eight innings.

Mariano Rivera, who set up Nathan's save in the All-Star game a week earlier, struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 32nd save, extending his career record to 640.

Joba Chamberlain (2-0) got help in his perfect eighth when center fielder Brett Gardner made two incredible catches.

The Rangers erased a 3-0 deficit with four unearned runs in the sixth after Lillibridge's error at third base. Texas led 4-3 after Mitch Moreland greeted reliever Boone Logan with a two-run homer.

TIGERS 6, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO (AP) - Rick Porcello pitched four-hit ball over seven scoreless innings, Jhonny Peralta homered and Detroit took advantage of four errors in a victory over Chicago.

With MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera sidelined by a sore hip, the AL Central leaders again got all the help they needed from Chicago. One night after matching what was a season high with three errors and giving up five unearned runs in a 7-3 loss to the Tigers, the White Sox managed to outdo themselves.

The four errors matched their highest total since a game at Kansas City on April 6, 2011, and gave them 68 in all - two shy of last year's total. They also matched a season high by falling 19 games below .500.

Peralta hit a solo drive off Hector Santiago (3-6) in a three-run sixth.

Porcello (7-6) won his third straight start after dropping three in a row.

ROYALS 3, ORIOLES 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Bruce Chen tossed six strong innings, Greg Holland pitched out of a ninth-inning jam and Kansas City held on to end Baltimore's season-best five-game winning streak.

Holland, who earned his 25th save in 27 chances, gave up a leadoff single in the ninth to Nick Markakis and an RBI triple to Adam Jones. Holland preserved the victory by striking out Chris Davis and retiring J.J. Hardy and Henry Urrutia on grounders.

Chen (4-0), making his second start since replacing Luis Mendoza in the rotation, limited the Orioles to three hits and one run, retiring his final 10 batters.

Manny Machado homered for Baltimore. Jason Hammel (7-7) gave up 10 hits in six innings for the second straight start.

MARINERS 4, INDIANS 3

SEATTLE (AP) - Kyle Seager had three hits, Mike Zunino drove in the go-ahead run for the second straight night and surging Seattle beat Cleveland for its eighth straight victory.

Playing without ailing manager Eric Wedge for a second consecutive game, the Mariners took advantage of defensive miscues by the Indians and received solid pitching to extend the longest current win streak in the majors. The last time Seattle won nine in a row was 2003.

Erasmo Ramirez (1-1) pitched 5 2-3 innings for the win. Tom Wilhelmsen worked out of a jam in the ninth for his 23rd save thanks to a baserunning blunder by Drew Stubbs that led to an unlikely double play.

Zach McAllister (4-6) took the loss.

Wedge remained in the hospital following dizzy spells during batting practice Monday. Bench coach Robby Thompson improved to 2-0 as the Mariners' fill-in manager.

The Indians have dropped four of five following the All-Star break.

ASTROS 5, ATHLETICS 4

HOUSTON (AP) - Jonathan Villar scored the winning run from second base in the ninth inning on a throwing error by catcher Derek Norris to give Houston a comeback win over Oakland.

The Astros improved to 1-10 against the A's this season and ended a six-game skid overall.

Houston trailed 4-2 entering the ninth before Matt Dominguez hit a two-run homer off closer Grant Balfour (0-2). That ended a franchise-record streak of 44 straight saves for Balfour, the sixth-longest run in major league history. It was his first blown save since April 29, 2012.

Villar, playing his second big league game, doubled with one out and Jose Altuve walked. Altuve got hung up between first and second when Norris blocked a ball in the dirt, but the catcher's low throw to first skittered into right field. Villar hustled around and scored with a headfirst slide.

Brandon Moss put Oakland on top 4-2 with a two-run homer in the eighth.

Josh Fields (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

TWINS 10, ANGELS 3, 10 INNINGS

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Chris Herrmann, making an emergency start behind the plate for expectant father Joe Mauer, hit his first career grand slam in a seven-run 10th inning that sent Minnesota past Los Angeles.

Ryan Doumit snapped a 3-all tie in the 10th with an RBI double against closer Ernesto Frieri (0-2). Herrmann followed a one-out intentional walk to Clete Thomas with his second big league homer and Minnesota's first grand slam since Mauer's shot off Kansas City's Luke Hochevar last Sept. 1.

No. 9 hitter Pedro Florimon capped the rally with a two-run shot against Billy Buckner.

Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo homered for the Angels.

Mauer was scratched just before gametime and left the team to be with his wife, Maddie, who went into labor with twins.

All-Star closer Glen Perkins (2-0) allowed the tying run in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk to Erick Aybar before retiring J.B. Shuck on an inning-ending double play.

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INTERLEAGUE

DODGERS 10, BLUE JAYS 9

TORONTO (AP) - Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer, Andre Ethier and Jerry Hairston Jr. added solo shots and the streaking Los Angeles Dodgers beat Toronto for their fifth straight victory and 22nd in 27 games.

Gonzalez, Ethier and Mark Ellis each had three RBIs as the Dodgers won their ninth straight road game, matching their longest streak since July 2004.

Hairston homered in the sixth and Gonzalez erased an 8-6 deficit with a drive to center off Darren Oliver (3-2) in the eighth, his 15th. One out later, Ethier went deep for the seventh time.

Former Blue Jays right-hander Brandon League (4-3) got two outs for the win.

Kenley Jansen allowed J.P. Arencibia's RBI single in the ninth but finished for his 12th save, getting Brett Lawrie to fly out to the warning track in left with two on.

Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista and Mark DeRosa homered for the struggling Blue Jays, who closed their clubhouse for a players-only meeting before the game but couldn't hold onto an 8-3 lead after six innings. Toronto has lost six straight and 13 of 17.