Baker goes 8 innings for Twins

Scott Baker sparkled over 8 crisp innings, and Joe Mauer drove in 3 runs to lead the host Minnesota Twins to a 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

Baker (5-4) faced one batter over the minimum, struck out seven and allowed 2 hits, both in the fourth inning. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 25 opportunities.

Gil Meche (7-8) was nearly as good for the Royals, whose four-game winning streak ended. After struggling in the first inning, Meche settled down and allowed 2 runs through 7 innings, striking out five.

It was the third win a row for Minnesota (54-51). The Twins moved within 6 games of AL wild-card leading Cleveland, which was idle.

Devil Rays 5, Blue Jays 4: Carl Crawford, who scored the tying run as a pinch runner in the ninth inning, led off the bottom of the 11th with a homer to give host Tampa Bay a victory over Toronto.

Crawford, who was out of the starting lineup for three games with a sprained right wrist, hit a 3-2 pitch from Brian Wolfe (2-1) over the fence in center field for Tampa Bay, which had lost eight of nine.

The all-star outfielder tied the game 4-4 on pinch hitter Josh Wilson's two-out RBI single off Jeremy Accardo, who was charged with his fourth blown save of the season.

Scott Dohmannn (1-0) worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the 11th to earn the win.

Both teams threatened in the 10th. The Blue Jays failed to score after getting a man on third with one out. Tampa Bay's Brendan Harris was thrown out at the plate by shortstop John McDonald in the bottom half when he tried to score from second on Delmon Young's infield single.

Toronto's Dustin McGowan, looking to win his third consecutive start, allowed 2 runs and 4 hits in 6 innings.