MLB ROUNDUP | Thursday's games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Yankees 6, Tigers 4
NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez snapped out of a 1-for-24 slump with three hits, including his 27th home run, backing Randy Johnson and leading the New York Yankees Thursday. Rodriguez connected leading off the seventh inning and was called out of the dugout for a curtain call by Yankee fans, who have booed him for much of the season. Johnson (15-10) allowed four hits in 8 1-3 innings. Mariano Rivera finished for his 33rd save in 36 chances.
Twins 3, Royals 1
MINNEAPOLIS -- Johan Santana dominated at the Metrodome as usual, striking out 11 in seven innings to help the Twins end a three-game losing streak. Rondell White homered for the Twins, who moved one-half game behind Chicago in the AL wild-card race. Esteban German's home run was the only score against Santana (16-5), who leads the league with a 2.95 ERA and is 7-0 in the second half.
Devil Rays 5, White Sox 3
CHICAGO -- Jorge Cantu hit a two-run single in the 10th inning, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the White Sox to keep Chicago from pulling within 31/2 games of first-place Detroit in the AL Central. Delmon Young led off the 10th against Brandon McCarthy (3-5) with his fourth hit of the game and scored on Cantu's hit.
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 5
BOSTON -- Alex Rios gave the Red Sox an unusual lift that stopped Boston's six-game losing streak. Trying to catch Alex Cora's seventh-inning fly about 10 feet from the right-field fence, Rios juggled the ball and accidentally knocked it over the wall for a two-run homer that boosted the reeling Red Sox over Toronto.
Rangers 7, Orioles 5
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Gary Matthews Jr. led off with a disputed home run to quickly end Daniel Cabrera's scoreless streak and the Rangers beat the Orioles. Mark Teixeira homered in his third straight game for Texas. Carlos Lee had a home run and an RBI double. Nick Markakis had a double and his 10th home run in August, the most by an Orioles rookie in a month. Markakis is 30-for-74 (.405) his last 19 games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Nationals 6, Phillies 5
WASHINGTON -- Two blown late-inning leads culminating in a game-ending wild pitch overshadowed Ryan Howard's franchise record 49th homer and kept the Philadelphia Phillies from tying San Diego for the NL wild-card lead. Marlon Anderson scored from third base on Aaron Fultz's wild pitch in the 10th inning with the winning run for the Nationals. Philadelphia led 4-2 in the ninth before Felipe Lopez's two-run, two-out single off Arthur Rhodes.
Giants 8, Braves 6
ATLANTA -- Matt Morris won on the road for the first time in six tries, ending a six-game home winning streak for John Smoltz and leading the Giants over the Braves. Mark Sweeney hit a two-run single in a three-run sixth that knocked out Smoltz (12-7), who gave up a season-high seven runs and six hits in five-plus innings.
Cardinals 5, Marlins 2
ST. LOUIS -- Chris Duncan hit a tying pinch homer and Scott Rolen singled in the go-ahead run in a four-run eighth inning, leading the Cardinals. St. Louis, which reopened a five-game lead over second-place Cincinnati in the NL Central, sent the Marlins to their second straight loss.
Associated Press
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