Saturday's American League Capsules

Games played May 31, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) - Masahiro Tanaka shut down Joe Mauer and the other Minnesota hitters while lowering his AL-leading ERA to 2.06, and Brian McCann lined a go-ahead double in the eighth inning Saturday that sent the New York Yankees over the Twins 3-1.

Tanaka (8-1) permitted only an unearned run in eight innings. The heralded rookie from Japan gave up four singles, just two leaving the infield.

Tanaka walked two and bounced two wild pitches. But he was especially sharp against Mauer, the three-time AL batting champion.

Mauer, who faced Tanaka in spring training, struck out on three pitches in the first inning with a runner on third. Mauer fanned on four pitches with runners on second and third in the third, then tapped into a double play and later grounded out.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira left in the sixth because of soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist, the same problem that forced him to miss three games this week.

ORIOLES 4, ASTROS 1

HOUSTON (AP) - Nelson Cruz hit his major league-leading 20th home run and drove in three runs to back a solid start by Chris Tillman, and the Orioles snapped a four-game skid with a win over the Astros.

The loss ends a season-best seven-game winning streak for the Astros.

Tillman (5-2) allowed one run on four hits over 6 2-3 innings to bounce back after allowing 14 runs combined in his last two starts. Zach Britton pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.

The Orioles took the lead when Dallas Keuchel (6-3) walked home two runs in the fifth and Cruz extended the lead to 4-1 with his solo shot to left-center off Jerome Williams in the eighth.

Cruz's 52 RBIs lead the majors and are the most in team history at the end of May, surpassing the 50 RBIs Chris Davis had entering June last year.

BLUE JAYS 12, ROYALS 2

TORONTO (AP) - Juan Francisco had three hits and four RBIs, Marcus Stroman won his first career start and the Blue Jays used a seven-run first inning to rout the Royals.

Adam Lind went 3 for 5 with three RBIs as the AL East-leading Blue Jays snapped a two-game losing streak and finished May with a record of 21-9. Toronto has won 15 of its past 19.

Stroman (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked none and struck out six.

Todd Redmond worked the final three innings for his first save.

The Blue Jays gave Stroman all the support he would need with a 12-batter first inning against Royals right-hander Aaron Brooks, who was also making his first career start. Toronto set a team record when the first eight batters reached safely against Brooks. The Blue Jays had seven straight reach safely to begin a win over Baltimore on Sept. 15, 2007.

MARINERS 3, TIGERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) - Willie Bloomquist delivered a pair of two-out RBI singles to help lift the Mariners to a victory over the Tigers.

Chris Young allowed two runs and three hits over six innings to improve to 5-2 on the year. After allowing the first two runners to reach base in the ninth inning, Fernando Rondey picked up his 14th save of the season.

The Mariners took advantage of Detroit starter Drew Smyly's command problems.

Stefen Romero and John Buck each singled to put runners on the corners with one out in the second inning. Cole Gillespie hit a dribbler off the end of the bat just past the mound to score Romero and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. Bloomquist added another run with a two-out RBI single that scored Buck from second.

Smyly (2-4) allowed seven hits and threw 105 pitches in just four innings of work before being ousted by the Mariners.

ATHLETICS 11, ANGELS 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Yoenis Cespedes finished a single shy of the cycle and threw out two runners at the plate, powering the Athletics past the Angels.

Cespedes doubled in the fourth, hit a two-run triple in the seventh and a three-run homer in the eighth. He matched a career-high with five RBIs to help Oakland stretch its lead to 3½ games over the Angels in the AL West.

Collin Cowgill's three-run homer off Tommy Milone in the fourth accounted for all of the Angels' runs. The A's tagged Tyler Skaggs (4-3) with four runs and five hits in six-plus innings.

Fernando Rodriguez (1-0) tossed one scoreless inning for the win.

INTERLEAGUE

INDIANS 7, ROCKIES 6

CLEVELAND (AP) - Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer in the second and added the go-ahead single in the eighth inning to help the Indians beat the Rockies.

Pinch-hitter Jason Kipnis started the rally with a leadoff walk off Rex Brothers (2-3). After Lonnie Chisenhall's sacrifice, Aviles lined a hit to right field and Kipnis slid home ahead of Charlie Blackmon's throw. Chisenhall had a two-run homer in the sixth.

The Indians handed their bullpen a 6-2 lead through six innings, but Corey Dickerson's solo homer and Blackmon's three-run shot tied it in the seventh.

Bryan Shaw (2-1) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings. Cody Allen worked the ninth for his third save as the Rockies fell to 2-6 on their nine-game trip.

PADRES 4, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO (AP) - Will Venable had a season-high four hits and drove in two runs to help the Padres beat the White Sox.

Tyson Ross (6-4) limited the White Sox to two runs - one earned - on five hits in six innings, and Huston Street remained perfect in 17 save chances this season.

San Diego improved to 20-4 this season when scoring four or more runs.

In the third series between the two teams - and the first since 2005 - the Padres had the leadoff hitter reach base in seven of the nine innings. The White Sox managed only one base runner in the final four innings.

White Sox starting pitcher Andre Rienzo (4-2) struggled to keep the Padres off base and consistently ran into trouble. Rienzo lasted only 3 1-3 innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits.

RED SOX 7, RAYS 1

BOSTON (AP) - Rubby De La Rosa pitched seven shutout innings in his first big league start in nearly three years, Brock Holt hit his first career homer and the Red Sox won their sixth straight with a victory over the Rays.

The teams kept it clean a day after having their second benches-clearing scrum in less than a week.

Holt and Jackie Bradley Jr. each hit two-run homers, and Jonathan Herrera had three singles as the Red Sox continued to rebound from a recent 10-game losing streak.

De La Rosa (1-0), recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Pawtucket, made his first start for the Red Sox. He allowed four hits, striking out eight without issuing a walk in his first start since July 31, 2011, when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

NATIONALS 10, RANGERS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthony Rendon went 4 for 5 and hit one of four Washington home runs, and Doug Fister allowed four hits in six innings as the Nationals routed the Rangers.

Adam LaRoche, Jose Lobaton, and pinch-hitter Scott Hairston also homered in Washington's offensive surge.

The Nationals have racked up 24 runs and 42 hits in their last three games, winning two straight to climb back to .500.

Rendon had six straight hits over two games before striking out in the ninth.

Fister (3-1) allowed two runs and retired the first 10 Texas batters. He's 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in his last four starts, with 21 strikeouts and two walks.

Rangers starter Nick Tepesch (2-1) allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits. He had won two straight decisions, but didn't make it past the second inning Saturday.