MLB ROUNDUP \ Friday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Red Sox 8, Devil Rays 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Josh Beckett became the first 20-game winner in the majors and Boston used late home runs by Jason Varitek, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell for the victory. Beckett (20-6) allowed one run and four hits over six innings, winning for the seventh time in his last eight decisions. Relievers Manny Delcarmen, Javier Lopez and Eric Gagne pitched three perfect innings to finish. Ortiz had an RBI single off Scott Kazmir (13-9) in the third and added a three-run homer, his 32nd, off Jeff Ridgway in the ninth. Varitek hit a solo homer off Gary Glover in the eighth and Lowell hit a solo shot off Grant Balfour in the ninth.

Blue Jays 5, Yankees 4, 14 innings

NEW YORK — Gregg Zaun homered in the 14th inning to give Toronto the win after the Blue Jays blew a four-run lead in the ninth. Alex Rios hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays. The Yankees took advantage of a key error by second baseman Aaron Hill to tie it in the ninth, but the Blue Jays, coming off a three-game sweep of Boston, regrouped and the Yankees, who had won four in a row, lost for only the third time in 15 games. Zaun homered off Brian Bruney (3-2), his 10th of this season. Joe Kennedy (4-9) escaped a 13th-inning jam and got two outs in the 14th. Jason Frasor struck out pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit for his third save.

Tigers 5, Royals 4

DETROIT — Brandon Inge hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning for Detroit. The defending AL champions were behind 4-0 after four innings, but rallied on Sean Casey’s three-run homer in the fifth and Inge’s clutch hit in the sixth. Tim Byrdak (2-0) did not give up a hit over four innings. Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 38th save. He gave up the only hit the bullpen allowed in 62⁄3 innings. Jason Smith hit a two-run homer for the Royals.

Rangers 3, Orioles 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Luis Mendoza scattered four hits over five innings for his first major league win and Texas survived a shaky ninth to snap a four-game losing streak. Mendoza (1-0) gave up one run, struck out two and walked one in his second big-league start since being called up from Double-A on Sept. 5. Mike Wood and C.J. Wilson pitched three innings of scoreless relief for Texas before turning it over to a shaky Joaquin Benoit, who earned his sixth save in 12 chances. Miguel Tejada homered for the Orioles, who have lost four of five.

White Sox 6, Twins 4

MINNEAPOLIS — Josh Fields hit two homers and Jim Thome added the 503rd of his career to lead Chicago. Johan Santana (15-13) struck out 11, but gave up six runs and eight hits in seven innings to lose for the fourth time in five starts. The three homers pushed his total for the season to 33, most in the American League. Mark Buehrle (10-9) went six innings for his first victory in eight starts.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Brewers 4, Braves 1

ATLANTA — Corey Hart keyed a three-run, eighth inning rally for Milwaukee. The Brewers, who had lost two straight, rallied against Atlanta’s Tim Hudson (16-9). Hudson had a five-hit shutout going when Ryan Braun singled with two outs and nobody on in the eighth. Prince Fielder followed with a single and Hart lined a run-scoring single to right, tying the game at 1. Ron Mahay replaced Hudson with the bases loaded and walked pinch-hitter Joe Dillon, forcing in Fielder with the go-ahead run. Bill Hall singled to right for another run.

Phillies 6, Nationals 3

WASHINGTON — Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins homered to lead Philadelphia to its major league-leading 48th come-from-behind victory. Howard led off the second with his 42nd homer to tie the game at 1. Chase Utley singled through a drawn-in infield to score Rollins in the third, and Burrell followed with a two-run homer, his 29th. Rollins hit his 29th, a solo homer in the fifth. Howard had an RBI double in the inning to make it 6-1. Rollins (2-for-5), Utley (2-for-4), Burrell (1-for-4) and Howard (4-for-4) supplied nine of Philadelphia’s 10 hits. Adam Eaton (10-9) got his first victory since July 20, ending a streak of eight winless decisions. He allowed five hits over five innings. Geoff Geary, J.C. Romero, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers held the Nationals scoreless the rest of the way. Myers worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save. Shawn Hill (4-5) pitched 42⁄3 innings — the first time he didn’t make it to five — and matched a season-high by allowing six earned runs.

Associated Press