Harang, Cordero throttle Brewers

Francisco Cordero said it didn't really bother him to get booed by the fans who used to cheer him on.

In fact, he said, the harsh reception gave him a little extra motivation -- something he showed by mowing down three of the Brewers' biggest bats to earn a save in the Cincinnati Reds' 4-1 victory Thursday in Milwaukee.

"They're probably a little upset that I left," Cordero said. "They probably want me back."

Cordero's new teammates, meanwhile, thought it was hilarious.

"Man, they booed (you) worse than they booed me," Ken Griffey Jr. hooted in the clubhouse afterward. "That was tremendous!"

Cordero's second save of the season came after 8 strong innings from starter Aaron Harang, who gave up a soft RBI single to J.J. Hardy in the second and then held the Brewers' potent offense scoreless until Cordero came in for the ninth.

With the victory, Cincinnati rebounded from Tuesday's loss to take two of three from the Brewers. Cincinnati held Milwaukee to 8 runs in three games.

"It shows that we've definitely turned it around, and I think we're going to be a team to be reckoned with," Harang said.

Marlins 4, Nationals 3: Mark Hendrickson and Jorge Cantu helped Florida complete a three-game sweep that stretched host Washington's losing streak to seven games.

Hendrickson pitched 7 strong innings, and Cantu produced 3 hits and 2 RBI. Hendrickson (2-1) gave up 1 run and 3 hits, striking out two, while matching his longest outing since June 2006.

Mets 4, Phillies 3 (12): Jose Reyes scored the winning run with a deft slide at the plate on Angel Pagan's 12th-inning single, and host New York beat Philadelphia.

With the Phillies missing MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins, New York took the last two of a three-game series after losing nine straight to Philadelphia -- including the final eight meetings in 2007.

American League

Athletics 3, Blue Jays 2 (12): Travis Buck doubled home 2 runs in the 12th inning, and Oakland completed a three-game sweep of host Toronto. Buck went 3-for-6 with 3 RBI, matching an Athletics record with 3 doubles. The Athletics have won four of six overall and seven straight in Toronto in a streak that began last season.

Red Sox 12, Tigers 6: J.D. Drew went 3-for-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI, and Tim Wakefield fluttered his knuckleball for 5 innings to lead host Boston over Detroit, sending the Tigers to their eighth loss in nine games.

Manny Ramirez had a 2-run double, and he also scored a run by ignoring a two-handed stop sign put up by third-base coach DeMarlo Hale. Sean Casey drove in 3 runs on a pair of hits, including a 2-run single in the 4-run seventh when Boston made it 8-3.

Rays 7, Mariners 0: Edwin Jackson allowed 2 hits in 8 innings, and host Tampa Bay ended a four-game losing streak by beating Seattle. A 15-game loser in 2007, Jackson combined with Trever Miller on a 3-hitter and improved to 2-0. Eric Hinske homered off Miguel Batista (0-2), and Mike DiFelice drove in three runs.

Yankees 6, Royals 1: Andy Pettitte picked up his first victory and Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera each homered and drove in two runs, helping the New York Yankees defeat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 Thursday night and avoid a series sweep. Pettitte (1-1) held the Royals to 1 run and 5 hits in 6¿ innings and is 7-0 in his past 9 starts against the Royals.

Rangers 3-5, Orioles 1-4: Ian Kinsler hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, and host Texas beat Baltimore 5-4 to complete a doubleheader sweep. The Rangers won the first game 3-1. Kinsler's hit was a hard shot that shortstop Luis Hernandez couldn't backhand, and the third consecutive one-out single against Chad Bradford (0-1). That scored Ben Broussard, who had moved up to third on Adam Melhuse's hit.