MLB ROUNDUP \ Thursday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Red Sox 7, Yankees 5

NEW YORK — Manny Ramirez hit two more homers off an ineffective Mike Mussina, leading Josh Beckett and the Red Sox past the perturbed Yankees in a game that nearly got testy. With Ramirez enjoying his latest outburst against his favorite team, Yankees reliever Kyle Farnsworth threw a 97 mph fastball behind the slugger’s neck on the first pitch of the seventh inning, drawing cheers from the sellout crowd of 55,088. Plate umpire Larry Vanover immediately warned both dugouts, and Ramirez eventually grounded out to second. Ramirez hit his 494th home run in the first, passing Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for sole possession of 24th place on the career list, then added No. 495 an inning later. That gave Ramirez five homers this season — three in six days off Mussina (1-3). Handed a 7-0 lead, Beckett (2-1) pitched a season-high eight innings and stopped New York’s three-game winning streak. He allowed Derek Jeter’s two-run single and Bobby Abreu’s RBI double in the fifth.

Orioles 6, White Sox 5, 10 innings

BALTIMORE — Adam Jones singled in the game-winning run in the 10th inning, helping Baltimore rally from a 5-2 deficit in the eighth to split the two-game series. Kevin Millar led off the 10th with a walk from Boone Logan (1-1) and advanced on a walk to Luke Scott. After Aubrey Huff hit a fly to left, Jones hit a liner inside the left-field line that scored Millar without a throw. Nick Markakis homered for the Orioles, whose only lead in the series came when Millar crossed the plate. George Sherrill (1-0) pitched the 10th to earn his first AL win. Carlos Quentin hit two homers and Joe Crede also connected for Chicago, now 9-1 when leading after eight innings. Half the runs yielded by the White Sox were unearned.

Rangers 4, Blue Jays 1

TORONTO — Vicente Padilla pitched seven strong innings, Ian Kinsler had three hits and Texas handed Toronto its fifth straight home defeat. Rangers outfielder David Murphy went 3-for-4 with three doubles. He scored twice and drove in a run and Texas won its second straight following a five-game losing streak. Padilla (2-1) allowed one run and seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Halladay (2-2) lost for the first time in three starts, allowing four runs and 11 hits. He walked one and struck out six.

Rays 7, Twins 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Jason Hammel had his second straight strong outing, Nathan Haynes’ single keyed a four-run rally and Tampa Bay beat Minnesota to split the two-game series. In six innings, Hammel (1-1) allowed six hits and three runs while striking out five to help the Rays end a three-game losing streak. Up 3-2, Tampa Bay batted around and scored four times in the fifth inning to chase Minnesota starter Boof Bonser, who hasn’t won in 12 home starts since June 10, 2007. Bonser (1-3), who allowed six earned runs and seven hits in four innings, struggled all night before coming undone in the fifth.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Reds 9, Cubs 2

CHICAGO — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 596th homer, and Joey Votto doubled with the bases loaded, homered and drove in five runs as Cincinnati snapped a five-game losing streak. With the wind blowing in at Wrigley for the first time in the three-game series, Votto delivered the key hits and the Reds’ Dusty Baker beat the team he managed from 2003-06. Edinson Volquez (2-0) gave up one run and four hits in five innings. Ted Lilly (0-3) allowed five runs and six hits in six innings.

Phillies 10, Astros 2

PHILADELPHIA — Brett Myers (2-1) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, and Chris Coste tied a career high with four hits. Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell had consecutive homers for the Phillies, who tied a season-high with 16 hits. Chase Utley added a two-run drive. Carlos Lee and 33-year-old Miguel Tejada hit solo homers for the Astros. Tejada told reporters before the game that he’s actually two years older than he’s listed in the club’s media guide and other baseball records. Brandon Backe (1-2) allowed six runs and 10 hits in three-plus innings.

Brewers 5, Cardinals 3

ST. LOUIS — Prince Fielder hit his first home run of the season, a two-run drive off Brad Thompson (1-1) in the 10th inning. Fielder, who led the NL with 50 homers last year, needed 54 at-bats to connect for the first time this year. He also tied the score with a bloop RBI double that capped a three-run, eighth-inning rally against Kyle Lohse and two relievers. Pinch-hitter Chris Duncan grounded out with two on against Brian Shouse (1-0) for the last out in the ninth. Eric Gagne got into trouble in the 10th when Ryan Ludwick doubled leading off for his fourth hit, and Yadier Molina walked. Gagne then got three outs for his fourth save.

Braves 8, Marlins 0

MIAMI — John Smoltz pitched five shutout innings and struck out 10, and Chipper Jones went 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs to help Atlanta beat Florida. Atlanta hit five homers, including three in a row off Ricky Nolasco (1-1). Four relievers combined to pitch four hitless innings and complete a three-hitter with 16 strikeouts. Smoltz (3-0) lowered his ERA to 0.56. He walked none, allowed only three hits and reached double figures in strikeouts for the 44th time. Jones had an RBI double in the first and a homer in the third, and with two out in the fifth, Jones, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann hit consecutive home runs in a span of 12 pitches.

Associated Press