Rays blank A's, stop skid
Rookie Evan Longoria homered for the third consecutive game and drove in two runs, helping the AL East leaders win for the third time in four days following a season-worst seven-game losing streak.
The A's have lost six straight, scoring nine runs during the slide.
Kazmir pitched a scoreless 15th inning on one day's rest to get the win in last Tuesday's All-Star game. The Rays gave him an extra day to get ready for his first start since July 13.
The A's were limited to Ryan Sweeney's one-out single in the first and Jack Cust's two-out single in the fourth. Kazmir walked four and struck out nine in seven innings.
Longoria had two hits off Dana Eveland (7-7), an RBI single in the third and his 19th homer in the fifth. Willy Aybar also hit a solo homer off Eveland, who allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings.
YANKEES 12, TWINS 4: At New York, Alex Rodriguez had a two-run homer and RBI single to help New York to its eighth straight home win. Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter homeered for the Yankees, who have won four straight overall.
Minnesota dropped to 3-17 at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2002 season. The Twins have lost six straight series in the Bronx.
Nick Blackburn (7-6) lasted just 1 2-3 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs, three earned.
Johnny Damon was activated from the disabled list and went 1-for-4 serving as the designated hitter for New York (54-45), which improved to a season-best nine games over .500. Jose Molina snapped an 0-for-14 skid with a second-inning single and had a season-high three hits.
Sidney Ponson (6-1) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings.
ORIOLES 8, BLUE JAYS 3: At Baltimore, Adam Jones homered in the third, then got a key infield single in a three-run fifth for Baltimore. Jones hit a two-run homer and scored twice. He has reached base safely in 20 straight games, going 29-for-78 (.372) with 15 RBIs. Ramon Hernandez homered for the Orioles, who climbed out of last place in the AL East ahead of Toronto.
Melvin Mora had a two-run single in the fifth and Luke Scott added an RBI single.
Jesse Litsch (8-7) allowed six runs in 4 2-3 innings and fell to 1-6 since May 29.
Rookie Radhames Liz (4-2) gave up three runs, five hits and six walks in 5 2-3 innings.
TIGERS 19, ROYALS 4: At Kansas City, Mo., Miguel Cabrera matched his career high with five hits and six RBIs and Matt Joyce added four hits and five RBIs as Detroit beat Kansas City. Joyce hit a three-run homer in the third and had two singles in the Tigers' 10-run eighth inning, which also included a Gary Sheffield three-run homer. Cabrera singled and doubled and drove in two runs in the eighth when the Tigers sent 15 men to the plate off Kansas City relievers Jimmy Gobble and Leo Nunez.
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