MLB ROUNDUP Monday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Rays 5, Red Sox 4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — James Shields scattered five hits over 61‚Ñ3 innings and B.J. Upton and Gabe Gross homered to help Tampa Bay open a 11‚Ñ2-game lead in the AL East. The Rays (50-32), surprising owners of the best record in baseball, have won six of seven and ended a six-game losing streak to the Red Sox. It was the first meeting between the teams since their June 5 benches-clearing brawl at Fenway Park that led to the suspensions of eight players, including Shields (6-5). Shields limited Boston to two runs before Tampa Bay’s bullpen barely held on, giving the Red Sox their first three-game losing streak in more than a month.

Rangers 2, Yankees 1

NEW YORK — Scott Feldman and a reshuffled Texas bullpen shut down New York on four hits. The win moved Texas to 43-41, the first time since Sept. 22, 2006, the Rangers have been two games over .500. Alex Rodriguez hit his 534th home run for the Yankees, tying Jimmie Foxx for 14th place on the career list.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cardinals 7, Mets 1

ST. LOUIS — Kyle Lohse allowed an unearned run in seven innings for his seventh straight win and Albert Pujols had two hits and two RBIs for St. Louis. Chris Duncan added a two-run homer, his first since May 16, for the Cardinals and Aaron Miles had three hits while extending his hitting streak to 12 games. John Maine (8-6) lasted four innings to match his season low for the Mets, who have lost three of four. Mark Mulder got the last three outs, making the first relief appearance of his career in his 2008 debut. He missed most of the previous two seasons with a shoulder injury. He allowed two hits with a strikeout. Lohse (10-2) allowed five hits, struck out four and walked two.

Astros 4, Dodgers 1

HOUSTON — Houston’s Roy Oswalt struck out nine in six strong innings, then left with an apparent injury. Oswalt (7-8) allowed a run and six hits, but walked off the field with a trainer after throwing his warmup pitches for the seventh. There was no immediate word on why he left the game.

Marlins 6, Nationals 5, 10 innings

MIAMI — Josh Willingham hit a home run in the bottom of the 10th for Florida after Hanley Ramirez had forced extra innings with a homer in the ninth. It was the third career walkoff homer for Willingham, whose shot off Jon Rauch (4-2) was his second of the game. Willingham’s two-run homer in the third put Florida ahead 3-1.

Associated Press