Red Sox stop streaking Rays, stay top of AL East

BOSTON: Jon Lester matched his season high with eight strikeouts and overcame homers by Wil Myers and Evan Longoria as the Boston Red Sox remained in first place with a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
The Red Sox moved 1½ games ahead of the Rays in the AL East and stayed atop the division for the 58th consecutive day.
The loss ended the Rays’ six-game winning streak and was just their third in 21 games, a surge that began when they were in fourth place, trailing the Red Sox by seven games.
Jose Iglesias hit a two-run single for Boston, which is 3-4 since its four-game winning streak.
Lester (9-6) gave up two runs and seven hits with no walks in 6 1-3 innings. Four Red Sox pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.
Roberto Hernandez (5-11) allowed three runs in five innings.
Yankees 5 Rangers 4: In Arlington, Texas, Eduardo Nunez hit a tying triple, Brent Lillibridge followed with a go-ahead single and New York rallied against All-Star closer Joe Nathan in the ninth inning to beat Texas.
The Yankees’ comeback got started when Vernon Wells drew a one-out walk against Nathan (1-1), who had converted 15 consecutive save chances and 31 of 32 this season. Texas had been 51-0 when leading after eight innings.
Mariano Rivera, who set up Nathan’s save in the All-Star game a week earlier, struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 32nd save, extending his career record to 640.
Tigers 6 White Sox 2: In Chicago, Rick Porcello pitched four-hit ball over seven scoreless innings, Jhonny Peralta homered and Detroit took advantage of four errors in a victory over Chicago.
With MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera sidelined by a sore hip, the AL Central leaders again got all the help they needed from Chicago. One night after matching what was a season high with three errors and giving up five unearned runs in a 7-3 loss to the Tigers, the White Sox managed to outdo themselves.
The four errors matched their highest total since a game at Kansas City on April 6, 2011, and gave them 68 in all — two shy of last year’s total. They also matched a season high by falling 19 games below .500.
Royals 3 Orioles 2: In Kansas City, Missouri, Bruce Chen tossed six strong innings, Greg Holland pitched out of a ninth-inning jam and Kansas City held on to end Baltimore’s season-best five-game winning streak.
Holland, who earned his 25th save in 27 chances, gave up a leadoff single in the ninth to Nick Markakis and an RBI triple to Adam Jones. Holland preserved the victory by striking out Chris Davis and retiring J.J. Hardy and Henry Urrutia on grounders.
Mariners 4 Indians 3: In Seattle, Kyle Seager had three hits, Mike Zunino drove in the go-ahead run for the second straight night and surging Seattle beat Cleveland for its eighth straight victory.
Playing without ailing manager Eric Wedge for a second consecutive game, the Mariners took advantage of defensive miscues by the Indians and received solid pitching to extend the longest current win streak in the majors. The last time Seattle won nine in a row was 2003.
Astros 5 Athletics 4: In Houston, Jonathan Villar scored the winning run from second base in the ninth inning on a throwing error by catcher Derek Norris to give Houston a comeback win over Oakland.
The Astros improved to 1-10 against the A’s this season and ended a six-game skid overall.
Houston trailed 4-2 entering the ninth before Matt Dominguez hit a two-run homer off closer Grant Balfour (0-2). That ended a franchise-record streak of 44 straight saves for Balfour, the sixth-longest run in major league history. It was his first blown save since April 29, 2012.
Villar, playing his second big league game, doubled with one out and Jose Altuve walked. Altuve got hung up between first and second when Norris blocked a ball in the dirt, but the catcher’s low throw to first skittered into right field. Villar hustled around and scored with a headfirst slide.
Twins 10 Angels 3, 10 innings: In Anaheim, California, Chris Herrmann, making an emergency start behind the plate for expectant father Joe Mauer, hit his first career grand slam in a seven-run 10th inning that sent Minnesota past Los Angeles.
Ryan Doumit snapped a 3-all tie in the 10th with an RBI double against closer Ernesto Frieri (0-2). Herrmann followed a one-out intentional walk to Clete Thomas with his second big league homer and Minnesota’s first grand slam since Mauer’s shot off Kansas City’s Luke Hochevar last Sept. 1.
No. 9 hitter Pedro Florimon capped the rally with a two-run shot against Billy Buckner.
Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo homered for the Angels.