AL Roundup: Angels Win 8th Straight

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Chone Figgins and Maicer Izturis, normally the table-setters in the Los Angeles Angels' lineup, both homered during a nine-run fourth inning and the AL West leaders extended their winning streak to a season-high eight games Saturday with an 11-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Matt Palmer (8-1) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. The Angels have averaged 7.33 runs in the 30-year-old rookie's 12 starts.

Nick Blackburn (8-5) retired his first nine batters before Figgins led off the fourth with his third homer -- the first of five consecutive hits and 10 altogether by Los Angeles during its highest-scoring inning of the season.

The Angels (58-38), missing injured outfielders Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera, have won 12 of 13 to move a season-high 20 games over .500.

The Twins have been outscored 39-14 during their four-game losing streak.

Rays 10, Blue Jays 9, 12 innings

TORONTO -- Jason Bartlett hit an RBI double in the 12th inning, capping the biggest comeback in Tampa Bay history, and the Rays erased an eight-run deficit to beat Toronto.

Down 8-0 after four, Tampa Bay cut it to 9-7 heading into the ninth against closer Scott Downs. The AL champions tied it on solo homers by Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar, handing Downs his third blown save.

It's the first time in their 12-year history that the Rays have overcome an eight-run deficit. It matched the largest lead the Blue Jays have squandered, done three times previously.

Dropped to sixth in the order for the first time this season, Pena went 2 for 6 with four RBIs.

J.P. Howell (6-2) pitched two innings for the win and Joe Nelson finished for his third save. Toronto used three walks to load the bases with one out in the 12th but Nelson struck out Aaron Hill looking and got Adam Lind on a grounder.

Hill homered twice but the Blue Jays lost for the seventh time in eight games against the Rays. Shawn Camp (0-5) took the loss.

Athletics 6, Yankees 4

NEW YORK -- Gio Gonzalez worked out of trouble when Andy Pettitte could not, and Oakland snapped New York's eight-game winning streak.

Landon Powell and Orlando Cabrera each drove in a pair during a six-run seventh for the A's, who also ended an eight-game losing streak to the Yankees that dated to last season.

Derek Jeter tried to rally New York with a two-run homer in the eighth, and Mark Teixeira followed with a long shot to right. But All-Star closer Andrew Bailey got four tough outs with some help from his defense to earn his 11th save.

Gonzalez (2-2) rebounded from a rough start to pitch two-hit ball into the seventh.

Pettitte (8-6) lost a 1-0 lead in the seventh, and Oakland built a comfortable cushion against reliever Alfredo Aceves.

Red Sox 7, Orioles 2

BOSTON -- David Ortiz jump-started Boston's sluggish offense with a three-run homer, Adam LaRoche added a two-run shot in his Red Sox debut and Jon Lester pitched into the eighth inning against struggling Baltimore.

Jacoby Ellsbury added two RBI doubles for the Red Sox, who won their second straight after a season-high five-game losing streak and moved within 1 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Yankees.

Baltimore, which lost for the 14th time in 18 games, dropped its 11th straight at Fenway Park dating to last July. The Orioles fell to 1-16 in road games against division foes.

Lester (9-7) gave up two runs in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out nine in raising his record to 9-0 in 11 career starts against Baltimore.

The Red Sox jumped on Jeremy Guthrie (7-9) in the first with Ortiz's 13th homer.

Tigers 4, White Sox 3, 10 innings

DETROIT -- Carlos Guillen's RBI single in the 10th gave Detroit a victory over Chicago.

After the Tigers sent the game into extra innings with a ninth-inning rally, Clete Thomas led off the 10th with a single off D.J. Carrasco (3-1) and went to second on Miguel Cabrera's base hit. Guillen then chopped a ball up the middle that barely eluded shortstop Alexi Ramirez.

Fernando Rodney (1-2) got the win with a scoreless inning of relief for Detroit, which trailed 3-2 going into the ninth. Curtis Granderson tied it with a two-out double off Bobby Jenks.

Chicago starter Gavin Floyd and Detroit All-Star Edwin Jackson both pitched well.

Royals 6, Rangers 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Luke Hochevar struck out a career-high 13 in seven innings and closer Joakim Soria earned a rare six-out save, helping Kansas City beat Texas to end a 10-game losing streak.

Hochevar (6-3) had the second-most strikeouts in team history and was particularly effective against Texas' big three, striking out Josh Hamilton, Andruw Jones and Hank Blalock a combined nine times.

Billy Butler hit a two-run homer and Soria took the pressure off Kansas City's beleaguered bullpen with his third career six-out save, ending the Rangers' five-game winning streak.

The Rangers seemed to finally turn the corner in their weeklong battle with the flu, but they couldn't overcome a second straight shaky outing by Derek Holland (3-6).

Hochevar