AROUND THE HORN Thursday's other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Athletics 2, Blue Jays 1, 11 innings
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jermaine Dye's sacrifice fly with one out in the 11th scored Eric Byrnes with the winning run as Oakland won its third extra-inning game in as many days. Chad Bradford (3-1) pitched the 11th for the win, and the A's won their eighth straight at home. Dye hit a high fly to center off Terry Adams (4-4) to score Byrnes, who doubled and reached third on Scott Hatteberg's groundout. The A's played their third straight extra-inning game, the club's first time doing so since May 13, 15-16, 2001. Oakland won 6-4 in 12 innings Tuesday on Bobby Kielty's walkoff homer, then Mark Kotsay hit a game-ending homer in Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning victory.
Yankees 5, Orioles 2
NEW YORK -- Gary Sheffield snapped a seventh-inning tie with a two-out double, and Javier Vazquez pitched New York to another sweep of Baltimore. Alex Rodriguez drove in a run and scored for the surging Yankees, who have won nine of 10. Javy Lopez homered for the Orioles, but rookie manager Lee Mazzilli remained winless in six games against the Yankees this season.
Devil Rays 5, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS -- Aubrey Huff put Tampa Bay ahead with a three-run homer in the sixth inning. Held hitless for five innings by Twins starter Johan Santana (2-4), the Devil Rays rallied to win a road series for the first time since last Aug. 26-28 at Seattle. Lew Ford hit a leadoff home run for Minnesota, which has lost 10 of its last 14 -- and five of seven to last-place Tampa Bay.
Royals 9, Tigers 6
DETROIT -- Carlos Beltran had three hits and four RBIs to lead Kansas City. Dennys Reyes (2-0) remained unbeaten in six starts this season despite giving up five runs and nine hits in 61/3 innings. Reliever Nate Field got four outs and Jeremy Affeldt finished for his fifth save in six tries. Jeremy Bonderman (4-5) lost for the fourth time in five starts. Detroit has lost eight of 11.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Braves 8, Phillies 4
ATLANTA -- Julio Franco became the oldest player in major league history to hit a grand slam, connecting in the first inning. Johnny Estrada finished a triple short of the cycle and drove in three runs for the Braves, who won for the third time in four games. The 45-year-old Franco hit the first pitch he saw from Josh Hancock into the seats in right for his first slam since Sept. 1, 1996, when he was with Cleveland. That was part of a five-run first for Atlanta. Carlton Fisk held the previous record, homering with the bases loaded in 1991 at 43 years old. John Thomson (5-2) cruised through seven innings and allowed only six hits. One of those was a solo homer by Jim Thome in the fourth. Chase Utley also homered for the Phillies, who lost their fourth straight.
Mets 4, Marlins 1
NEW YORK -- Ty Wigginton and Mike Cameron drove in two runs apiece and New York spoiled pitcher A.J. Burnett's return to the majors. Jae Seo (3-4) worked six innings, allowing just three hits to earn the victory, the Mets' fourth in a row. Mike Stanton threw two scoreless innings, and Braden Looper pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save. Burnett, coming back from elbow ligament surgery, pitched four innings and allowed two runs in the second inning, when the Mets had three straight hits. The game was the first for Burnett (0-1) since April 25, 2003, against St. Louis. He had the ligament in his right elbow replaced four days later.
Diamondbacks 11, Giants 5
PHOENIX -- Luis Gonzalez doubled and scored the tying run, then drove in two more with a triple as Arizona beat San Francisco for the third straight game. Arizona's Doug DeVore had his first two major league RBIs, one on his first home run. Brandon Webb (3-5) gave up four runs in the first inning, two earned, then blanked the Giants for the next five. Six Arizona players had at least two hits apiece. Alex Cintron was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs.
-- Associated Press