& Aring;MERICAN LEAGUE First-time full-timer Barajas homers, capping Texas' comeback against Yanks

Ex-Scrapper Ryan Drese pitched eight innings, but didn't get the win.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rod Barajas homered with one out in the ninth inning, capping a late comeback that gave the Texas Rangers a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Barajas, who became the full-time starter Friday when rookie Gerald Laird tore a ligament in his left thumb, smacked an 0-1 breaking ball from Tom Gordon (1-2) high into the left-field seats for his fourth homer of the season. The Rangers came streaming out of their dugout and surrounded the plate, giving him an October-like greeting once he scored.
Emotions have been high in Arlington all weekend, partly because of the Yankees but mostly because of the return of Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and made an error that helped start Texas' tying rally in the eighth.
Carlos Almanzar (4-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win. Starter Ryan Drese retired his first 14 batters, then fell behind by allowing homers to Bernie Williams and Tony Clark on consecutive pitches. Drese tied a career high by going eight innings.
Yankees starter Jose Contreras looked good in his return from the minors, overcoming a shaky first inning to give up only one run -- a solo homer by Alfonso Soriano -- and three hits in six innings. Contreras struck out a season-best seven and left with a 3-1 lead.
The Rangers' rally began with a single by Hank Blalock, then Soriano hit a chopper that Rodriguez charged but failed to field cleanly at third. He recovered with a strong throw that might have beaten Soriano, but he was called safe.
Brad Fullmer followed with a grounder to Gordon that could've been a double play, but his throw to second base bounced through the legs of shortstop Derek Jeter and rolled into center field for another error. Blalock scored on the play.
NEW YORKTEXAS
abrhbiabrhbi
Lofton cf4010MYong ss4010
Jeter ss4000Blalock 3b4110
ARdrgz 3b4110ASrano 2b4211
Shffield rf4000Fllmer dh3000
Matsui lf4011Txeira 1b3011
BWllms dh3121Dllucci lf3000
TClark 1b3111Mench rf4010
Flherty c3000Nix cf3000
EWilsn 2b3010Brajas c4111
Totals32373Totals32463
New York000020100--3
Texas100000021--4
One out when winning run scored.
E--ARodriguez (4), Gordon (1). DP--New York 1, Texas 2. LOB--New York 2, Texas 7. HR--BWilliams (4), TClark (3), ASoriano (6), Barajas (4). SB--Dellucci (4).
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Contreras631127
Quantrill100001
Heredia011100
Gordon L,1-21 1-322101
Texas
Drese873303
Almanzar W,4-0100000
Heredia pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP--by Contreras (Dellucci), by Contreras (Teixeira). WP--Contreras. Umpires--Home, Tim McClelland; First, Tony Randazzo; Second, Fieldin Culbreth; Third, Jim Wolf. T--2:24. A--49,458.
Athletics 5, Royals 4, 11 innings
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jermaine Dye made a clutch catch in the top of the 11th inning then scored on Bobby Crosby's infield single with two outs in the bottom half.
Eric Chavez tied it with a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth off new closer Jeremy Affeldt, making his first relief appearance of the year after eight starts.
KANSAS CITYOAKLAND
abrhbiabrhbi
Berroa ss5011Byrnes rf5110
Beltran cf5010McMln lf3120
MiSwy 1b5111Dye rf2110
Harvey dh5120EChavz 3b6112
Randa 3b4120Httberg 1b6020
BStiago c4000Durazo dh5122
Berger lf5122Crosby ss5011
Rlaford 2b4010Kotsay cf3000
MLopez rf2000Scutaro 2b0000
Stairs rf1000McLmr 2b3000
Kielty rf2000
Mlhuse c5020
Totals404104Totals455125
Kansas City00011200000--4
Oakland00020000201--5
Two outs when winning run scored.
E--Berroa (4), Relaford (1), MLopez (3). DP--Kansas City 1, Oakland 1. LOB--Kansas City 7, Oakland 14. 2B--Harvey (4), Randa (10), Berger (1), Relaford (3), McMillon (3), Hatteberg (9), Melhuse (2). HR--MiSweeney (6), EChavez (11), Durazo (8). SB--Berger (1). S--BSantiago, MLopez.
IPHRERBBSO
Kansas City
Greinke552211
Field110001
Grimsley120000
Affeldt212011
Leskanic100021
Sullivan L,3-1 2-331110
Oakland
Zito774427
Bradford210003
Rhodes110001
Dchchr W,2-1110000
HBP--by Greinke (Byrnes). Umpires--Home, Mark Wegner; First, Larry Young; Second, Angel Hernandez; Third, Mike Everitt. T--3:28. A--26,081.
Twins 9, White Sox 1
MINNEAPOLIS -- Brad Radke allowed one run in seven innings and Matthew LeCroy hit a two-run homer.
Justin Morneau went 3-for-3 with his first homer and first two RBIs of the season for Minnesota, which had lost the previous three games against Chicago by a combined 29-5 margin. Michael Cuddyer went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
Jose Valentin had two hits for the White Sox, who had their winning streak snapped at four and fell one game behind the first-place Twins in the AL Central.
CHICAGOMINNESOTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Uribe 2b4000LFord lf4121
TPerez cf4000CGzmn ss5121
MOrdz rf4020JJones rf5001
Thmas dh4010LeCroy c4112
CaLee lf4010THnter cf4110
Vlentin ss3120Mntkw 1b3110
Rwand ph1000Cddyer 3b4231
Knerko 1b4000Mrneau dh3132
Crede 3b3011Prieto 2b4111
Olivo c3000
Totals34171Totals369149
Chicago010000000--1
Minnesota31000203x--9
DP--Chicago 2. LOB--Chicago 6, Minnesota 6. 2B--Crede (4), CGuzman (7), THunter (8), Cuddyer 2 (7). HR--LeCroy (2), Morneau (1). SB--Valentin (2).
IPHRERBBSO
Chicago
Cotts L,0-22 1-354411
MJackson2 2-320002
Adkins2-322200
Wunsch1-310000
Marte100011
Politte143310
Minnesota
Radke W,4-2761105
JRincon110001
Romero100001
WP--Cotts. Umpires--Home, Kerwin Danley; First, Marvin Hudson; Second, Dana DeMuth; Third, Jim Joyce. T--2:39. A--27,413.
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 2
BOSTON -- Manny Ramirez hit a mammoth homer for the second consecutive night.
Making his major league debut, Anastacio Martinez got three outs to win in relief of Pedro Martinez and give Boston its sixth victory in eight games. Keith Foulke worked the ninth for his ninth save of the season and 23rd in a row.
Toronto starter Ted Lilly was cruising with a three-hit shutout until he was hit in the left ankle by Mark Bellhorn's liner to start the sixth inning. After a visit from the trainer, Lilly stayed in the game, but Kevin Millar hit a deep fly that was caught at the base of the Green Monster, and Ramirez hit one over everything to tie it 2-2.
TORONTOBOSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Jhnson rf4010Damon cf3020
Hinske 3b4011Bllhorn 2b4121
VWells cf4010Millar 1b4010
CDlgdo 1b3000Crespo rf0000
JPhlps dh3000MRmrz lf4222
Zaun c4010Varitek c4020
Pond lf4000Mrbelli dh1000
OHudsn 2b3110DOrtiz dh2111
Mnchno ss3111Yukilis 3b4110
Kapler rf2000
Dubach ph0000
McCty 1b1000
Reese ss4000
Totals32262Totals335114
Toronto002000000--2
Boston00000212x--5
DP--Toronto 2. LOB--Toronto 5, Boston 7. 2B--OHudson (11), Varitek (7). 3B--Menechino (1). HR--MRamirez (11). CS--Johnson (2).
IPHRERBBSO
Toronto
Lilly5 2-3522210
Ligtenberg L,1-2 1-311101
Kershner1-320011
Adams1 2-332100
Boston
PMartinez652217
Martinez W,1-0110001
Embree100001
Foulke S,9100010
Ligtenberg pitched to 1 batter in the 7th, Martinez pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. PB--Zaun. Balk--Lilly. Umpires--Home, Phil Cuzzi; First, Jack Samuels; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Darren Spagnardi. T--2:54. A--35,196.