MLB ROUNDUP \ Friday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Yankees 8, Red Sox 7

BOSTON — In a game that mirrored the season, the New York Yankees bounced back. Alex Rodriguez capped a six-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single off Jonathan Papelbon, and the Yankees overcame a five-run deficit to beat Boston. Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano started the comeback with home runs off Hideki Okajima, Derek Jeter hit an RBI single against Papelbon and Bobby Abreu tied it with a two-run double. “Every win now is a big win,” Jeter said. By winning a 4-hour, 43-minute marathon — two minutes shy of the record for a nine-inning game set by the Yankees and Red Sox on Aug. 18 last year — New York closed within 41⁄2 games of AL East-leading Boston. The Yankees remained 31⁄2 games ahead of Detroit in the wild-card race. Boston has led the division for the last 150 days. By winning the opener of a three-game series, the Yankees cut the gap to its smallest size since after games of Aug. 19 and kept alive their slim chances for overtaking their longtime rival.

White Sox 5, Angels 3

CHICAGO — Jim Thome had to wait at least one more day to enter the 500 home-run club. Thome went 0-for-4 Friday night as the White Sox beat Bartolo Colon and the Angels. Thome hit No. 499 on Wednesday against his former team, Cleveland. He struck out in the first against Colon (6-7), got robbed of a hit in the third when first baseman Casey Kotchman made a diving stop of his grounder and struck out again the fourth. Against reliever Ervin Santana in the sixth, he popped out on a 3-0 pitch. Sidelined about seven weeks with an irritated right elbow, Colon was shaky and had little help from his teammates. He lasted 42⁄3 innings in his first start since July 23, allowing five runs — three earned — and eight hits while striking out four and walking two. He is 0-5 in his last seven starts, and has not won since beating Cincinnati on June 14.

Tigers 4, Twins 2

MINNEAPOLIS — Timo Perez drove in three runs, Nate Robertson won for the first time in six starts as Detroit started a crucial road trip with a victory. The Tigers won for the eighth time in 11 games. Robertson (8-11) surrendered five hits, three walks and two runs while striking out five in seven innings. Todd Jones pitched a perfect ninth for his 35th save.

Orioles 6, Blue Jays 2

TORONTO — Baltimore’s Brian Burres pitched seven shutout innings to win for the first time since July 28. Brian Roberts homered for the Orioles, who won back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 14-15, and came within three outs of recording consecutive shutouts for the first time this season. The loss, Toronto’s sixth in seven games, eliminated the Blue Jays from contention in the AL East.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cubs 5, Cardinals 3

ST. LOUIS — Carlos Zambrano allowed four hits over eight innings to lead the Cubs over St. Louis, the Cardinals’ eighth straight loss. Chicago, which survived a wild ninth inning that ended with the bases loaded, won for the fifth time in seven games. Zambrano (16-12) won his second straight start after losing five in a row and tied his career best for wins. Mark DeRosa’s RBI single in the fourth put the Cubs ahead against Adam Wainwright (13-11), but Albert Pujols ended a 20-game, 75-at-bat homerless drought in the sixth. Cliff Floyd homered leading off the seventh for the Cubs. While he has just eight home runs this season, he’s connected in three straight games. Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward hit a three-run double off Jason Isringhausen in the ninth for a 5-1 lead.

Reds 6, Brewers 5

MILWAUKEE — Brandon Phillips drove in three runs and Adam Dunn hit his 39th homer to lead Cincinnati to its fourth straight victory. Prince Fielder hit his NL-leading 45th home run in the fourth to tie the Brewers’ franchise record, but Milwaukee came up a run short with a ninth-inning rally. Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets (12-5) allowed four runs in the first inning, a two-run single by Phillips and a two-run homer by Dunn. Cincinnati added another run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Phillips. Bill Bray of the Reds worked the ninth for his first save of the season but he allowed the Brewers to get within 6-5. With two outs, Corey Hart reached on a bunt single and pinch-hitter Mike Rivera homered, but Bray got Kevin Mench on a foul pop to end it. Tom Shearn (3-0) allowed four hits, including Fielder’s 425-foot shot in the fourth.

Phillies 3, Mets 2, 10 innings

NEW YORK — Pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs’ sacrifice fly in the 10th inning gave Philadelphia the win in the opener of three-game series. Jayson Werth led off the 10th with a single off Aaron Heilman (7-7) and advanced on a sacrifice error and a sacrifice before Dobbs’ run-scoring fly ball.Tom Gordon (3-2) struck out three in 11⁄3 scoreless innings to get the win and Brett Myers got three outs for his 16th save. Chase Utley homered to tie it at 2 in the sixth, giving Philadelphia five players with 20 or more homers for the first time in franchise history. Moises Alou had an RBI single in the fourth, extending his hitting streak to a team-best 18 games.

Braves 8, Nationals 5, 13 innings

WASHINGTON — By the looks of this game, RFK Stadium isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to baseball just yet. Jeff Francoeur’s bases-loaded single in the 13th inning drove in two runs and led the Atlanta Braves to a rain-soaked victory over Washington in the opening game of the Nationals’ final homestand at the aging park with the bouncing stands.

Marlins 7, Rockies 6

DENVER — Jeremy Hermida drove in three runs and Dontrelle Willis won for the second time in his last 20 starts as the last-place Florida Marlins dealt a blow to the Rockies’ wild-card hopes. Willis (9-15) labored through six innings, giving up seven hits and walking four. The Rockies remain the only NL team to have never beaten the left-hander. He improved to 3-0 lifetime against Colorado. It was Willis’ first win since Aug. 14 against Arizona. Willis had two hits, including an RBI triple in the fourth.

Associated Press