Rays down Red Sox again, widen AL East lead

Matt Garza pitched 7 strong innings in his first outing since throwing a 1-hitter, and the host Tampa Bay Rays beat defending World Series shampion Boston and nemesis Tim Wakefield 3-1 on Tuesday night.

The win extended the Rays' lead in the AL East to 2 games over the second-place Red Sox.

Garza (7-4) allowed an unearned run and 5 hits, and Dioner Navarro snapped a fourth-inning tie with an RBI single off Wakefield (5-6), whose 19 career victories against Tampa Bay - nine at Tropicana Field - are the most by an opposing pitcher.

The Rays have won seven of eight, improving the best record in the major leagues to 51-32. They are 5-0 at home against the Red Sox, who have won all six games the teams have played at Fenway Park this season.

Grant Balfour got the last four outs, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and striking out three in the ninth, including Jason Varitek to end the game with the tying run on second base.

Garza was coming off the first complete game of his career, the 1-hitter over the Florida Marlins in which he gave up a homer to Hanley Ramirez leading off the seventh inning.

Although the 24-year-old right-hander wasn't as sharp this time, he did retire the first nine batters before Jacoby Ellsbury beat out a dribbler and continued to third when Navarro, the Tampa Bay catcher, picked up the ball and threw wildly past first.

J.D. Drew drove in Ellsbury with a sacrifice fly, but he and Manny Ramirez could not deliver with a runner in scoring position when the Red Sox - trailing 2-1 - threatened again in the sixth.

Garza worked out of the jam by getting Drew to pop to first base and Ramirez, who's just 10-for-54 in his last 16 games, to foul out to first to end the inning.

The Red Sox squandered an opportunity in the eighth when they loaded the bases on an error and 2 walks.

Balfour replaced J.P. Howell with two outs and walked Ramirez to fill the bases, then escaped when Mike Lowell - who had been 5-for-10 with two homers, two doubles and 18 RBI with the bases loaded this season - grounded to shortstop.

Blafour earned his second save in as many opportunities. After striking out Kevin Youkilis and Brandon Moss to begin the ninth, he gave up a double to Alex Cora and fanned Varitek to end the game.

The loss was the fourth in 23 decisions against Tampa Bay for Wakefield, who is 9-2 lifetime at Tropicana Field. While he only allowed 2 runs and 5 hits, he hurt himself with 2 costly wild pitches.

The Rays scored an unearned run in the first when Carl Crawford raced home on the knuckleballer's wild pitch after shortstop Cora's two-out fielding error kept the inning alive. Another wild pitch led to their second run, with Evan Longoria moving up to second before Navarro's RBI single snapped a 1-1 tie in the fourth.

Navarro delivered another run-scoring single to make it 3-1 in the eighth.

Rangers 3, Yankees 2: Michael Young had an RBI single off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning to help give Texas its second straight win over New York.

Rivera (2-3) came on in the ninth after the New York bullpen held Texas to 1 hit in 4 innings in relief of Joba Chamberlain and proceeded to give up hits to the first two batters he faced.

Ian Kinsler doubled to left, stole third - his third steal of the game - and scored to give Texas a 3-2 lead on Young's hit through a drawn-in infield to give the Yankees their third straight loss.

Frank Francisco (2-2) pitched the eighth for the win. C.J. Wilson walked the leadoff batter in the ninth, but got three outs for his 19th save in 21 chances.

Orioles 7, Royals 5: Brian Roberts homered, Ramon Hernandez and Adam Jones had 2 RBI apiece, and Baltimore rebounded from two straight frustrating losses by beating Kansas City.

Aubrey Huff had 2 hits and drove in a run for the Orioles.

Gordon and Mark Teahan homered for the Royals, whose six-game road winning streak ended.

Baltimore starter Radhames Liz (3-0) allowed 3 runs and 7 hits in 6 innings. George Sherill got two outs for his 27th save.

Royals rookie Luke Hochevar (5-6) allowed a career high-tying 6 runs in 6 innings.

Twins 6, Tigers 4: Craig Monroe hit a 3-run homer and Justin Morneau added 3 hits to help host Minnesota beat Detroit.

Mike Redmond had 2 RBIs for the Twins, who have won eight of 10 and 12 of their last 14.

Marcus Thames hit his second homer in as many games for the Tigers, who lost for the first time in seven games.

National League

Phillies 8, Braves 3: Shane Victorino hit a home run and drove in 4 runs, leading visiting Philadelphia over Atlanta.

The Phillies remain unbeaten at Turner Field this season at 4-0.

Pat Burrell also hit a homer for the Phillies, who improved to 6-1 against the Braves this season.

Chipper Jones was 1-for-3 with a double and 2 walks in his return after missing eight straight starts with a strained right quadriceps. Mark Kotsay came off the disabled list after missing 33 games since May 26 with a lower back strain. He went 0-for-4.

Philadelphia scored 5 runs on 8 hits in the first three innings against Braves rookie Charlie Morton (1-2).

Winner Kyle Kendrick (8-3) gave up 7 hits and 3 runs in 6 innings.

Nationals 9, Marlins 6: Collin Balester won his major-league debut, and Ronnie Belliard hit a grand slam to give visiting Washington a win over Florida.

Balester gave up 1 hit and struck out three in 5 innings to become the first Nationals starting pitcher to win his big-league debut. He also became the first franchise starter to win his debut since Dan Smith on June 8, 1999, when the club was still in Montreal.

Belliard's second career grand slam in the sixth put the Nationals ahead 6-1, improving Washington's record to 2-9 this season against Florida.