AMERICAN LEAGUE Red Sox lose 3-2 to Oakland

Boston fell 61/2 games behind New York in the AL East race.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boston and Oakland both got banged up as they battled for the AL wild-card lead.
At Boston's Fenway Park, Derek Lowe of the Red Sox and Mark Mulder of the Athletics both left with injuries Tuesday night, and Oakland rallied for a 3-2 victory on Ramon Hernandez's three-run homer.
"It's tough to see one of your horses go down," said A's pitcher Tim Hudson, also recovering from an injury. "But I'm excited to see our bullpen do the job for us. They did an unbelievable job."
In the AL East, the Red Sox dropped a season-high 61/2 games behind the New York Yankees, who beat Kansas City 6-3. Boston also dropped one game behind Oakland in the wild-card chase.
Mulder injured
Mulder pitched just three innings -- his shortest outing of the year -- allowing two runs and six hits before leaving with a strained right hip.
Lowe pitched six innings of two-hit ball before he was pulled because of a blister on his right thumb.
"I was disappointed that we had to make a move there that we were not anticipating," Red Sox manager Grady Little said. "I was looking at the guy going nine innings tonight with the stuff he had."
Oakland went ahead when Hernandez hit a three-run homer in the seventh off Scott Williamson (0-1).
Boston lost for the eighth time in 12 games. Ricardo Rincon (7-4) pitched 12/3 innings, and Keith Foulke got three outs for his 32nd save.
Yankees 6, Royals 3
At New York's Yankee Stadium, Karim Garcia homered for the third straight game, and Alfonso Soriano and Bernie Williams also homered as the Yankees won their sixth in a row to move a season-high 30 games over .500 at 77-47.
Andy Pettitte (15-7) took a shutout into the seventh, but was hurt by three errors -- two by second baseman Alfonso Soriano. Pettitte allowed three runs -- one earned -- and eight hits in 62/3 innings to win for the 10th time in his last 11 decisions.
Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 26th save. Kevin Appier (8-9) allowed six runs and six hits in six innings.