Hiroki Kuroda of the New York Yankees piches against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on August 14, 2012 in New York City. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Yankees 3, Rangers 0
NEW YORK — Hiroki Kuroda pitched a two-hitter and the New York Yankees got consecutive homers from Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira in a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Kuroda held Texas hitless until Elvis Andrus' infield single leading off the seventh, outpitching All-Star lefty Matt Harrison in a crisp duel at Yankee Stadium. The right-hander walked two and struck out five in his fourth career shutout and second this season.
The surging Yankees won for the sixth time in seven games. They've taken the first two in a four-game set between the AL's top two teams.
Derek Jeter singled off Harrison (13-7) with one out in the seventh to start the New York rally. Alexi Ogando came in to face Swisher, who cracked a go-ahead grand slam off Ryan Dempster in the series opener Monday night.
This time, Swisher fought his way back from an 0-2 count and drove a payoff pitch to the back of the Yankees' bullpen for his 16th home run. The bubbly switch-hitter rounded the bases with a big grin, and New York was on its way to a seventh straight victory over the Rangers at home.
Teixeira then lined a shot into the right-field stands for his 23rd home run.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 1
BALTIMORE — Mark Reynolds homered twice and drove in four runs, Omar Quintanilla also went deep, and the Baltimore Orioles beat Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox 7-1 Tuesday night.
Wei-Yin Chen (11-7) gave up one run, nine hits and a walk in six-plus innings for the Orioles, who moved 10 games over .500 (63-53) for the first time since June 24. Chen allowed at least one hit in each inning but was effective in minimizing the damage.
Beckett (5-10) surrendered six runs and six hits, including two home runs, in 5 1-3 innings. It's been a nightmare season for the right-hander, 1-6 in 12 starts since May 20. In his past two outings against Texas and Baltimore, Beckett has yielded a combined 14 runs and five homers in 10 1-3 innings.
Royals 5, Athletics 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeremy Guthrie allowed only three singles in seven innings, and the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 5-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.
Guthrie, who struck out a season-high eight, ran his scoreless streak to 15 innings. He has yielded eight hits and struck out 14 in his past two starts, victories over the A's and the Chicago White Sox.
Guthrie (5-12) is 2-3 in five starts with the Royals, who acquired him in a July 20 trade with Colorado for left-hander Jonathan Sanchez.
Tim Collins and Greg Holland completed the shutout for Kansas City. Collins struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning, boosting his total to 77 — a Royals' strikeout record for a left-handed reliever.
Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer delivered run-scoring singles in the Royals' five-run fifth inning that also featured sacrifice flies by Chris Getz and Billy Butler.
Tigers 8, Twins 4
MINNEAPOLIS — Miguel Cabrera became the first player to reach 100 RBIs this season with a run-scoring single and Doug Fister pitched eight strong innings for the Detroit Tigers in an 8-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
Fister (7-7) did not allow an earned run and struck out seven to win for the third time in four starts.
The Tigers overcame a bad defensive inning to end a three-game slide. Detroit remains two games back of Chicago in the AL Central.
Josh Willingham hit his career-high 30th home run for Minnesota.
Mariners 3, Rays 2
SEATTLE — Eric Thames' two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Seattle Mariners a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night and snapped the Tampa Bay Rays' seven-game winning streak.
Kyle Seager started the winning rally with a single to right field off Tampa Bay closer Fernando Rodney, and pinch-hitter Chone Figgins pushed a bunt that first baseman Carlos Pena fielded. Pena glanced at second, pivoted, double-clutched, and then threw wide of first base.
Seager sprinted to third, and Figgins advanced to second. Justin Smoak's deep sacrifice fly to centre field scored Seager to tie the game 2-2 and gave Rodney (2-2) his first blown save since May 26 — ending the closer's run of 22 consecutive saves.
Thames' hit into short right field on an 1-2 pitch scored Figgins and made a winner of Stephen Pryor (2-0), who worked 1 2-3 innings.
Angels 9, Indians 6
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Zack Greinke won for the first time in four starts since being acquired by the Angels, Albert Pujols homered and drove in four runs and Los Angeles beat the Cleveland Indians 9-6 on Tuesday night.
Greinke (1-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked one. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner, who came to Los Angeles in a deal with Milwaukee on July 27 for three prospects, gave up 12 runs in 19 innings over three starts for the Angels. He was 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 21 starts this season for the Brewers.
Erick Aybar also went deep for the Angels.
LaTroy Hawkins inherited a 9-4 lead from Greinke and gave up a two-run, two-out homer by former Angel Casey Kotchman in the eighth. Kevin Jepsen got the third out and Ernesto Frieri pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save in 15 attempts.
