MLB ROUNDUP Monday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

A’s 7, Tigers 2

DETROIT — Mark Ellis homered, Marco Scutaro drove in three runs and Chad Gaudin struck out a career-high nine, leading the Athletics. The Tigers won the two previous games and had a chance to win a series for the first time since sweeping Minnesota from July 17-19. Since then, they are 8-17. The latest loss dropped Detroit into a first-place tie in the AL Central with idle Cleveland the day before traveling to play the Indians in a two-game series. Detroit’s Placido Polanco set a major league record for second baseman by playing his 144th straight game without an error, breaking the mark set by Luis Castillo earlier this year while playing for Minnesota. Ellis hit his 16th homer, tying an A’s single-season record for second basemen, joining Davey Lopes (1983) and Jimmy Dykes (1921). Gaudin (9-8) gave up two runs, four hits and two walks over 6 2-3 innings, winning for the first time since July 5. He was 0-5 with a 8.54 ERA in first six starts after the All-Star break. Chad Durbin (7-5) gave up six runs — five earned — six hits and four walks in 41⁄3 innings. Shannon Stewart went 4-for-5 with three runs scored for Oakland, and Jack Cust added three hits. After Stewart singled to lead off the first, Ellis followed with a two-run homer. A night after hitting two homers in the second inning, Magglio Ordonez tied the game with a two-run single in the first, matching the 104 RBIs he had last season. Mike Piazza hit the tiebreaking single in the third.

Red Sox 2, Devil Rays 0

BOSTON — Tim Wakefield held Tampa Bay hitless into the seventh inning, and Julio Lugo had three hits for slumping Boston. Wakefield (14-10) allowed two hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking two to improve to 18-2 lifetime against the Devil Rays. The only batter to reach second or third base against him was Carl Crawford, who spoiled the no-hit bid when he led off the seventh with a hard grounder between the first and second basemen. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 28th save. James Shields (9-8) allowed one run and five hits in six innings, striking out five for the Devil Rays. Lugo singled in the first and scored on a double by David Ortiz. Lugo drove in a run with a single in the seventh, and Mike Lowell brought in the final run in the eighth with a single.

Yankees 7, Orioles 6

NEW YORK — Melky Cabrera raced home on Derek Jeter’s grounder in the ninth inning to lift the Yankees. Baltimore tied it in the top of the ninth against Mariano Rivera but couldn’t stop streaking New York, which has won four straight and nine of 10. Chad Bradford (1-5) hit Cabrera with a pitch with one out and pinch-hitter Jason Giambi then singled to right, advancing the speedy center fielder to third. Jeter followed with an infield tapper that Bradford couldn’t bring in. Second baseman Brian Roberts rushed in to pick up the ball but Cabrera was already crossing home. Bobby Abreu and Wilson Betemit homered for New York, which stayed within four of AL East-leading Boston.

Royals 6, Blue Jays 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mark Teahen homered for the first time in more than two months and the Kansas City Royals took advantage of three Toronto errors. Teahen, who led the Royals with 18 home runs in 2006, hit his sixth home run in the first inning, ending a drought of 250 at-bats without a homer. Teahen’s previous home run was May 29 against Baltimore. The Royals took advantage of fielding errors by Aaron Hill and Lyle Overbay in the third to score two unearned runs and grab a 3-2 lead.

Associated Press