MLB roundup Tuesday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Twins 4, White Sox 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Pinch-hitter Jose Morales singled home Nick Punto with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift Minnesota. Michael Cuddyer hit two homers and Jeff Manship was sharp in his first big league start for the Twins, who have won nine of 11 and remained 31‚Ñ2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central. Jason Kubel led off the ninth with a single off Matt Thornton (6-3) and Punto was inserted as a pinch runner. He advanced to third on a single by Brendan Harris, but Tony Pena got Carlos Gomez swinging to take away the sacrifice option. Morales, the team’s third catcher and just recently recalled from Triple-A Rochester, followed with a rope to right-center and was immediately mobbed by teammates. Cuddyer tied his career high for homers in a season with 24 and continued his domination of White Sox starter John Danks. Cuddyer is hitting .481 (13 for 27) with four homers and 10 RBIs in his career against Danks. He hit solo homers in the fifth inning to tie the game and in the seventh to give the Twins a 3-1 lead.

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 2, Game 1

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 2, Game 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Hamilton snapped out of his extended power drought with two home runs and Brandon McCarthy pitched into the seventh inning of his first start in nearly three months, leading Texas Rangers past Toronto for a doubleheader sweep. Hamilton had gone 23 games and 99 at-bats since his previous homer Aug. 7 until a 435-foot drive over the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center on the first pitch of the fourth. An inning later, Hamilton pulled a two-run shot down the right-field line. In the first game. Ian Kinsler got Texas started with a leadoff homer and Chris Davis singled home two runs.

Yankees 9, Orioles 6.

BALTIMORE — Jorge Posada homered twice, and Nick Swisher and Eric Hinske hit successive drives in a three-run seventh inning that carried New York. Robinson Cano also connected for Yankees. Posada hit a solo shot in the third inning and a two-run homer in the fifth, but the Yankees trailed 6-5 in the sixth before rallying for their 22nd win in 28 games.

Red Sox 8, Rays 4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jonathan Papelbon bailed Boston out of an eighth-inning jam and Jason Bay, J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis homered. Papelbon entered with two runs in and the bases loaded with no outs and shut down the AL champions in the eighth with help from a diving catch by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who snared Jason Bartlett’s sinking liner before scrambling to his feet to keep a runner from tagging up at third. Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 33rd save, fifth of more than one inning.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cardinals 7, Brewers 6

ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday’s three-run homer snapped a seventh inning tie, lifting Joel Pineiro to his eighth straight win. Albert Pujols added his major league-leading 42nd homer for the Cardinals, who are a major-league best 26-9 since the July 24 trade with the Athletics for Holliday. They’re 30-4 since July 1 in starts by their big three — Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Pineiro.

Cubs 4, Astros 1

CHICAGO — Randy Wells became the first Cubs rookie in 11 years to reach 10 wins with another strong outing against the Houston Astros. In his previous two starts against Houston, Wells (10-7) pitched 14 scoreless innings. On Tuesday, he allowed just one unearned run and seven hits in 62‚Ñ3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Kerry Wood was the last Cubs rookie to win 10 games, in 1998. Wells is Chicago’s first 10-game winner this season. Cubs reliever John Grabow and Kevin Gregg each got two outs and closer Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save in 11 chances. Milton Bradley homered.

Phillies 1, Giants 0

PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels pitched a two-hitter, Ryan Howard drove in the only run with a fourth-inning double. Hamels (8-8) allowed a leadoff double to Ryan Garko in the second inning and a single to pinch-hitter Rich Aurilia to start the ninth. He struck out nine and walked one in his fourth career shutout and second this season. The left-hander extended his scoreless innings streak to 19, tying a career best, and won for the first time since July 28 against Arizona. Jonathan Sanchez (6-11) was the hard-luck loser for the Giants. He allowed one run and three hits, striking out eight in six innings. The NL East-leading Phillies have won 15 of 20. They entered with a 71‚Ñ2-game lead over Atlanta. The Giants came in tied with Colorado in the wild-card race.

Associated Press