AL roundup: Red Sox win in Buchholz's return

TORONTO (AP) - Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer, Clay Buchholz pitched 5 2-3 innings to earn his first major league win in more than a year and Boston beat Toronto 4-1 on Friday night.

David Ortiz added a two-run double in the Red Sox's fourth straight victory.

Toronto (44-47) has lost 13 of 16 to drop a season-high three games below .500.

Called up from Triple-A Pawtucket, where he was 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA, Buchholz (1-0) made his first major league start since Aug. 20. The win was his first since May 2, 2008. He allowed one run and four hits. Jonathan Papelbon went one inning for his 24th save.

Blue Jays rookie Ricky Romero (7-4) lost for the first time in seven starts, allowing four runs and five hits in 4 1-3 innings.

Youkilis hit his 17th homer in the first inning.

Twins 5, Rangers 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Jason Kubel hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and Minnesota put a damper on Josh Hamilton's first home game in more than six weeks.

Kubel's homer in the third, after consecutive one-out hits by Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, put the Twins up 5-2 against Vicente Padilla (7-5).

Hamilton had three hits, including a two-run homer and an RBI single, in his first home game since May 31. That was the day before the All-Star starting center fielder went on the disabled list for the second time this season.

Glen Perkins (5-5) allowed three runs over five innings and beat the Rangers for the third straight time. Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 24th save.

Yankees 5, Tigers 3

NEW YORK (AP) - Mark Teixeira hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh for New York.

The Yankees trailed 3-1 against rookie Luke French, then started the comeback with an unearned run in the fifth.

Joel Zumaya (3-3) relieved to start the seventh, gave up a leadoff single to Derek Jeter and a long double to Johnny Damon. Rather than issue an intentional walk that would load the bases for Alex Rodriguez, Zumaya pitched to Teixeira, who hit 22nd homer, his third hit of the game.

Phil Hughes (4-2) struck out six in two innings of relief. After a 57-minute rain delay two pitches into the bottom of the eighth, Mariano Rivera finished for his 24th save.

New York ended a three-game losing streak, while Detroit had won four of five.

Mariners 6, Indians 2

CLEVELAND (AP) - Felix Hernandez allowed two runs in eight innings and Seattle's Franklin Gutierrez homered against his former team.

Hernandez (10-3) allowed five hits, walking one and striking out eight. He lowered his ERA to 2.51, ranking him second in the AL behind Kansas City's Zack Greinke (2.12).

Since his last loss on May 19, Hernandez is 6-0 with a 1.30 ERA in 10 starts.

The Indians didn't get a runner past second base until the sixth, when Grady Sizemore tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly.

Gutierrez, acquired from Cleveland in a three-team trade last December, hit his 11th homer in the second inning. He entered with a league-best .385 average since June 18 and has hit in 23 of his last 25 games.

David Huff (4-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings.

Rays 8, Royals 7

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Evan Longoria and Pat Burrell hit two-run homers in consecutive innings for Tampa Bay.

Longoria, who missed Tuesday night's All-Star Game with an infected finger, connected against Juan Cruz (3-3) in the eighth to give the Rays the lead. Burrell's fifth homer off Jamey Wright in the seventh cut Kansas City's lead to 7-6.

Longoria and Burrell also had RBI singles for the Rays, who ended a four-game road losing streak in the opener of a 10-day trip. Joe Nelson (3-0) pitched one inning for the win and J.P. Howell worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save.

Mike Jacobs and Mark Teahen both drove in three runs for the Royals, who led 6-2 after three innings.

White Sox 12, Orioles 8.

CHICAGO (AP) - Jim Thome hit a grand slam and a three-run homer for a career-high seven RBIs to carry Chicago.

With 14 RBIs in the last three games, Thome increased his career total to 1,545 and passed Harry Heilmann and Willie Stargell into 41st place on the all-time list. His previous best in a game was six; he did that four times, most recently at Baltimore on July 6, 2006 - when he hit his last grand slam.

The home runs were the 556th and 557th of Thome's 17-year career and moved him within six of Reggie Jackson for 12th place. It was his 43rd multihomer game.

After Adam Jones' two-run homer off White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink made it 6-5, two Baltimore relievers loaded the bases in the sixth. Thome followed with ninth grand slam.

John Danks (8-6) allowed three runs in five innings for Chicago. Jason Berken (1-7) gave up six runs in 4 1-3 innings and is winless since earning a victory in his May 26 major league debut.

Athletics 7, Angels 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Rajai Davis scored the go-ahead run from first base in the sixth inning on an errant pickoff attempt, and Oakland snapped a four-game home losing streak to Los Angeles.

Joe Saunders walked Davis to start the sixth, then made a wild, high throw over first baseman Kendry Morales. Davis just beat the throw home.

Bobby Crosby hit a three-run homer and Orlando Cabrera had a two-run double for the A's.

Saunders (8-6) had a career-high six walks and the Angels saw their four-game winning streak end with their third loss in the last 10.

Morales homered for the second straight game, a drive that was reviewed in the replay booth. His 17th homer extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games.

Craig Breslow (1-2) recorded two outs, one each in the sixth and seventh, for his first win since the A's claimed him off waivers from Minnesota on May 20.