Baseball roundup Saturday’s games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Red Sox 14, Yankees 1

BOSTON — Kevin Youkilis homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs, rookie Junichi Tazawa stopped New York’s big bats and the Red Sox broke a five-game skid against the Yankees. The Red Sox roughed up A.J. Burnett and set a team record with their eighth consecutive multihomer game. David Ortiz and Alex Gonzalez also connected for Boston, which has 39 homers in August with eight games left. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 20-11 in the series opener with their most runs and hits (23) since July 20, 2007. But on Saturday, they left six runners in scoring position while Boston continued the slugging that has produced 49 runs in five games, four of them wins. Tazawa worked out of trouble all day, allowing eight hits and two walks in six innings. In four of them, the Yankees had runners in scoring position with fewer than two outs but couldn’t score. And after going 15 for 25 with runners in scoring position Friday, the were 0 for 9 on Saturday. Tazawa (2-2) spent the past four seasons with Nippon Oil ENEOS in the amateur Japan Industrial League. He appeared in just 53 games in that stretch, but the Red Sox signed him to a three-year major league contract in December. The 23-year-old right-hander made his major league debut against New York on Aug. 7, and allowed Alex Rodriguez’s game-ending, two-run homer in the Yankees’ 2-0 win in 15 innings.

Angels 7, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera homered, Ervin Santana won his fourth straight start and the Angels beat slumping Toronto. Guerrero broke a 3-all tie with a solo shot in the sixth inning and Rivera provided some insurance with a two-run drive in the eighth. The AL West leaders avoided their first three-game losing streak since June 20-22. Los Angeles is the only team in the majors that hasn’t lost four straight all season.

Rays 5, Rangers 4, 10 innings

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Carlos Pena homered twice and drove in the winning run with an RBI single in the 10th inning, lifting the Rays. Evan Longoria was hit by a pitch from Jason Grilli (1-2) to start the bottom of the 10th and went to second when Ben Zobrist walked. Pena then hit a liner to center to score Longoria. Pena finished with four RBIs for the Rays, who remain three games behind AL wild-card leading Boston. Grant Balfour (5-2) struck out two during a scoreless 10th.

White Sox 4, Orioles 1

CHICAGO — Carlos Quentin homered, John Danks pitched into the seventh inning and the White Sox beat the Orioles. Danks (11-8) walked six but allowed just one run and three hits in 61‚Ñ3 innings. Matt Thornton worked a scoreless inning, Octavio Dotel got two outs and Bobby Jenks finished for his 27th save in 31 opportunities. David Hernandez (4-6) allowed three runs and three hits over four innings for Baltimore.

Twins 8, Royals 7

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jason Kubel drove in three runs and Brian Duensing, with the help of four relievers, earned his first major league win. The Royals went 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position while their home record in the season they unveiled $275 million in stadium renovations dropped to a major league-worst 25-38. Duensing (1-1), making his second career start, went five innings and allowed two runs, on a double by Miguel Olivo, the next-to-last batter he faced. The left-hander gave up six hits and one walk while striking out three. Royals starter Kyle Davies (4-9) was charged with six runs, four hits and three walks in 52‚Ñ3 innings. He struck out six.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Dodgers 2, Cubs 0

LOS ANGELES — Charlie Haeger baffled the Cubs with his knuckleball, Matt Kemp and Casey Blake homered, and the Dodgers won their third straight. The NL West leaders haven’t been on this kind of roll since taking five straight from July 18-22. All three wins have come against the struggling Cubs, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games. Chicago managed four hits a day after getting one-hit on the road for the first time in more than 23 years. Jonathan Broxton struck out Kosuke Fukudome with the potential tying runs in scoring position in the eighth. George Sherrill pitched the ninth and put two on before pinch-hitter Ryan Theriot grounded out to end it.

Braves 4, Marlins 3

ATLANTA — Rookie Tommy Hanson won his fourth straight start in August, combining with two relievers on a four-hitter for Atlanta. The Braves, powered by home runs by Yunel Escobar and Omar Infante, took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Hanson (9-2) gave up four hits and three runs in seven innings. He walked three and struck out seven to improve to 4-0 in August. The right-hander has not allowed more than seven hits or three runs in any of the four starts this month.

Phillies 4, Mets 1

NEW YORK — Chase Utley hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run sixth inning and the Phillies took advantage of New York’s bullpen. After Tim Redding held the Phillies to one hit through five shutout innings in a spot start, Philadelphia broke out against relievers Pat Misch and Sean Green. Misch (0-1), recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Buffalo, walked Shane Victorino leading off the sixth and then gave up a long homer to right to Utley — the All-Star second baseman’s 26th of the season. Utley has six homers against the Mets this season, including four at spacious Citi Field.

Astros 4, Diamondbacks 2

HOUSTON — Brian Moehler won for the first time in more than a month and the Astros matched a season high with their fourth consecutive victory. The Diamondbacks have lost seven straight, their longest skid since dropping seven in a row in June 2006. Carlos Lee had two hits and a go-ahead sacrifice fly to help Moehler (8-9) end his four-game losing streak. The right-hander went 5 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits for his first win since July 20 against St. Louis. He walked two and struck out three. Tim Byrdak, Sammy Gervacio and Jeff Fulchino combined for 21‚Ñ3 innings of shutout relief. LaTroy Hawkins earned his 11th save by pitching a scoreless ninth.

Associated Press