MLB ROUNDUP Tuesday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Yankees 12, Orioles 0

NEW YORK — Mike Mussina allowed three singles over seven innings and Doug Mientkiewicz hit a three-run homer as New York pulled to within 21⁄2 games of Boston in the AL East. New York, which has won 11 of 13, is as close to the first-place Red Sox as it has been since before play on April 21. They also opened a 41⁄2-game lead over Detroit in the wild-card race. Mientkiewicz also had an RBI single, and Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui both drove in three runs for the Yankees, who are closing in on their 13th straight playoff appearance. Derek Jeter added three hits.

Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3

TORONTO — A.J. Burnett came within one out of a complete game and Russ Adams drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run double in the eighth inning to lead Toronto. Boston has lost three straight. Boston led 2-1 in the eighth when Frank Thomas drew a two-out walk off reliever Eric Gagne (3-2). Aaron Hill singled and Matt Stairs walked before Gregg Zaun drew a five-pitch walk to tie the game. Adams’ double then barely cleared the outstretched arm of J.D. Drew in right field. Hill and Stairs scored but Zaun was thrown out at the plate.

Twins 4, Rangers 2

MINNEAPOLIS — Torii Hunter drove in two runs to set his career high for a season and Minnesota took advantage of shaky defense by Texas. Rangers shortstop Michael Young made two of his three errors in the third inning when the Twins took a 2-1 lead. Nick Punto led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on Young’s throwing error. He was thrown out at third during a rundown, but Jason Bartlett, whose chopper started the play, made it to second. Jason Kubel followed with a grounder to Young, who threw it away for his second error, allowing Bartlett to score. Hunter then drove in Kubel and set a career-high with his 103rd RBI.

Royals 3, White Sox 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gil Meche scattered four hits over seven innings, and Billy Butler drove in two runs for Kansas City. Meche (9-12) has a 2.90 ERA over his past eight starts and has not allowed more than three runs in any of them. But he has had some of the worst run-support in baseball, and is just 2-3 over that stretch. He gave up two runs, one earned, while striking out five and walking two.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Rockies 3, Dodgers 1

DENVER — Jeff Francis struck out a career-high 10 in the first game of a doubleheader. Francis (16-8) allowed one run and six hits and stranded eight runners in 62⁄3 innings. His 10 strikeouts were the most by a Rockie since Jason Jennings had 10 against San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2003. Chad Billingsley (11-5) allowed two earned runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings. In his last five starts, Billingsley is 4-1 with a 1.87 ERA. Manny Corpas pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save in as many chances since becoming Colorado’s closer.

Reds 5, Cubs 2

CHICAGO — Carlos Zambrano wasn’t sharp on short rest. Adam Harang (16-4) allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings to outpitch Zambrano again. He is 3-0 against Chicago’s ace in 2007, and the Reds have won all four meetings in which the two have started against one another.

David Weathers worked the ninth for his 31st save in 37 chances. Edwin Encarnacion homered and had three hits for the Reds. Zambrano (16-13) is 2-4 in six starts since agreeing to a five-year, $91.5 million contract on Aug. 17. Working on three days rest for the first time, he lasted just 51⁄3 innings, giving up seven hits and four runs with three walks and a hit batsman.

Brewers 9, Astros 1

HOUSTON — Johnny Estrada hit his second grand slam of the season against Houston and Milwaukee overcame an injury to Ben Sheets to beat the Astros and move into first place in the NL Central. Claudio Vargas (11-4) pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Sheets, who left with tightness in his left hamstring after giving up a run in the first. Ryan Braun added a two-run homer and Prince Fielder stretched his hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI single for the Brewers, who moved ahead of Chicago by less than a percentage point after the Cubs’ 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Estrada’s second career grand slam capped a five-run fourth inning off rookie Felipe Paulino (0-1), who was making his first major-league start. The 23-year-old right-hander was recalled from the minors on Sept. 4.

Nationals 9, Mets 8

WASHINGTON — John Maine squandered a big lead and the New York Mets’ losing streak reached five games when their ninth-inning rally fell short. After making 10 errors in a two-game span, the Mets held a team meeting Tuesday afternoon as they try to regroup in time to hold off second-place Philadelphia in the NL East. New York started strong, building leads of 4-0 and 7-3 for Maine, but he couldn’t hang on. Ronnie Belliard’s three-run homer capped a five-run fifth that gave Washington an 8-7 lead, and pinch-hitter D’Angelo Jimenez added a solo shot in the sixth off Scott Schoeneweis.

The Mets scored once in the ninth against closer Chad Cordero, but pinch-hitter Ruben Gotay struck out with runners at the corners to end it.

Braves 4, Marlins 3

ATLANTA — Atlanta scored all its runs on two-out singles and the Braves used seven pitchers to beat Florida. It was the Braves’ third straight win and fourth in five games.

Associated Press