Red Sox continue domination over Yankees

Red Sox 6, Yankees 5

BOSTON - Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis homered as Boston improved to 7-0 against New York this season with a 6-5 victory Wednesday night.

The Red Sox have beaten the Yankees eight straight times dating to the last game of last season - their longest winning streak against their longtime rivals since 1912.

Tim Wakefield (8-3) beat the Yankees for the second straight time after losing to them in nine of his previous 10 decisions. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

Mark Teixeira went 4 for 5 for New York, including his AL-leading 19th homer. Chien-Ming Wang (0-4) lasted just 2 2-3 innings - the second straight Yankees starter to get just eight outs.

Wang, restored to the rotation after two scoreless relief appearances, gave up four runs and six hits. Wakefield allowed eight hits in six innings and improved to 5-0 at Fenway Park in five starts this year.

Tigers 2, White Sox 1

CHICAGO - Detroit's Justin Verlander pitched a six-hitter for his first victory ever at U.S. Cellular Field.

Jim Thome hit his 552nd home run and John Danks pitched 7 1-3 strong innings, but the White Sox still fell 6 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Detroit. Adam Everett homered for the Tigers, who have won five of their last six games.

Verlander (7-2) struck out nine and walked one in his second complete game this year. He has a 7-0 record and league-low 1.10 ERA since April 27. The seven-decision winning streak matched his career best of 2006, when he helped Detroit reach the World Series.

Going into the game, Verlander had been 0-6 with a 5.92 ERA in eight starts at U.S. Cellular Field and 2-9 with a 5.90 ERA all-time against the White Sox.

Twins 6, Athletics 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Pinch-hitter Jason Kubel hit a tying solo homer in the eighth and Delmon Young singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth for Minnesota.

Joe Crede tripled off Andrew Bailey (4-1) to start the ninth. Pinch-runner Alexi Casilla scored easily on Young's single up the middle. Brendan Harris added an RBI single in the inning and two wild pitches by Bailey cost the A's another run.

Kubel's drive was the third pinch-hit homer this season for the Twins, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game losing streak.

Matt Guerrier (3-0) recorded the final out of the eighth for the win and Joe Nathan finished for his 13th save. The Twins have won consecutive road games for the first time since April 24-25 at Cleveland.

Rajai Davis singled twice and drove in a run and Kurt Suzuki had an RBI double in Oakland's second straight loss following a season-best seven-game winning streak.

Rays 9, Angels 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar homered and Tampa Bay stopped a three-game losing streak.

Pena hit a solo homer in the third inning and Aybar added a two-run shot off John Lackey (1-2) for a 9-5 lead in the fifth. Aybar had an RBI single in Tampa Bay's five-run second against Lackey, who had won nine of 10 previous decisions against Tampa Bay.

The Rays rallied from a 3-0 deficit to build a 7-3 lead for Jeff Niemann, but the rookie right-hander lasted just 3 2-3 innings.

Lance Cormier (1-1) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for the win.

Lackey allowed nine runs and 11 hits in five innings.

Royals 9, Indians 0

CLEVELAND (AP) - Gil Meche tied a career high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings and Kansas City hit three home runs.

Alberto Callaspo had a career-high four hits, including his first career grand slam, for Kansas City. The Royals got two-run homers from Jose Guillen and Miguel Olivo to win for only the fourth time in their last 19 games.

Meche (3-5) allowed four hits and three walks in winning for the first time in seven starts.

Guillen and Olivo each hit their seventh homers of the season in the Royals' four-run fourth off Carl Pavano (6-5).

Mariners 4, Orioles 1

BALTIMORE (AP) - Jose Lopez homered twice and Felix Hernandez pitched seven solid innings for Seattle.

Lopez finished with three hits, raising his batting average over the last 11 games to .364 (16 for 44). He hit a solo drive in the second and a two-run shot in the sixth for his third career multihomer game.

Hernandez (6-3) allowed one run and seven hits to improve to 4-0 for his career at Camden Yards. David Aardsma got three outs for his 10th save.

The Mariners have allowed three runs or less in a franchise-record eight straight games.

Ichiro Suzuki doubled, walked and was hit by a pitch to reach base for the 39th straight game, the longest streak in the AL this season.

Jeremy Guthrie (4-6), who gave up four runs and six hits in six innings, has allowed 16 homers this season, tops in the AL.