Rangers' Young ends Boston's 10-game winning streak
BOSTON The Boston Red Sox lost for the first time in 11 games, falling to the Texas Rangers 8-6 Saturday and missing a chance to pull within 1 1/2 games of the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Michael Young hit a three-run homer off Tim Wakefield (11-8), and Rod Barajas went 3-for-4 with a two-run shot to help Texas snap a five-game losing streak.
The Red Sox, who had won 10 straight and 16 of 17 to climb from 10 1/2 games back in the AL East, remained 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Yankees. New York lost to Baltimore 7-0, and had the Red Sox won, they could have pulled within 1 1/2 games for the first time since June 2, when they began the day one game back.
Texas pulled within six games of the Red Sox in the AL wild-card race with the victory.
Orioles 7, Yankees 0
NEW YORK Sidney Ponson pitched a two-hitter for his fourth career shutout, and Rafael Palmeiro hit one of Baltimore's three homers.
Ponson (10-13) struck out four and walked one in his 27th career complete game and fifth this season. He faced just 29 hitters, two more than the minimum, and did not allow a runner past first base.
Jay Gibbons and Brian Roberts also connected for the Orioles, who scored four against Mariano Rivera in the ninth. Baltimore has won six in a row following a 12-game losing streak.
Athletics 9, Blue Jays 5
TORONTO Oakland scored twice on wild pitches to tie it, Eric Byrnes provided insurance with a three-run double in the ninth, and the A's won for the 16th time in 18 games.
Oakland pulled within 5-4 in the eighth on a wild pitch from Vinnie Chulk, then tied it in the ninth on another miscue by Jason Frasor. Mark McLemore put the A's ahead with a sacrifice fly before Byrnes' big hit.
White Sox 8, Mariners 7
CHICAGO Ichiro Suzuki went 5-for-5, but Paul Konerko's two home runs were too much for the Mariners to overcome.
Suzuki leads the majors with 223 hits, 34 short of the all-time single-season record. He has 27 games remaining to reach the record of 257 hits, set by George Sisler in 1920 with the St. Louis Browns.
Angels 6, Indians 1
CLEVELAND Amid a barrage of bugs, Jarrod Washburn returned from the disabled list and won for the first time since July 15.
Washburn (11-5), sidelined since July 20 with an injured rib cage, allowed two hits in five innings to help the Angels remain four games behind Oakland in the AL West.
Scot Shields pitched three shutout innings, and Troy Percival worked the ninth for the Angels, who moved within 3 1/2 games of Boston in the wild-card race.
Twins 4, Royals 3
MINNEAPOLIS Terry Tiffee led off the bottom of the ninth with his first major league home run to give the Twins their fifth straight victory.
Tiffee went 3-for-4 and is hitting .462 since arriving in Minnesota on Sept. 1.
Justin Morneau put the Twins up early with a three-run shot in the first, his 17th homer of the season and 15th since he was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on July 16.