NEW YORK — Orioles rookie Miguel Gonzalez struck out a career-high nine over seven shutout innings in a masterful pitching performance and Mark Reynolds homered twice as Baltimore tightened the AL Eas
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NEW YORK — Orioles rookie Miguel Gonzalez struck out a career-high nine over seven shutout innings in a masterful pitching performance and Mark Reynolds homered twice as Baltimore tightened the AL East race Friday night with a 6-1 victory over the skidding New York Yankees.
J.J. Hardy added a solo shot for the surprising Orioles, who moved within two games of first-place New York by winning the opener of their big three-game series. That’s the closest Baltimore has been since a 1 1/2 -game deficit on June 22, less than a month before the Yankees opened a season-high 10-game cushion on July 18.
Blue Jays 2, Rays 1
TORONTO — Moises Sierra homered and threw out pinch-runner Elliot Johnson at home plate for the final out, preserving Brandon Morrow’s first win since June 6 and leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a victory over the slumping Tampa Bay Rays.
Edwin Encarnacion hit his 35th home run as the Blue Jays handed the Rays their sixth loss in seven games.
The Blue Jays have won three straight for the first time since July 26-28. Toronto went 9-19 in August.
Rangers 5, Indians 3
CLEVELAND — Adrian Beltre had four hits and scored twice to help the Texas Rangers beat Cleveland, handing the reeling Indians their sixth straight loss.
Beltre had three of his hits off Ubaldo Jimenez (9-14) as the Rangers rolled to their 10th win in 13 games.
The Indians’ 15th loss in 16 games made them 5-24 in August, tying the team record for losses in one month, set in July 1914. Cleveland is 5-28 since July 27.
Ryan Dempster (4-1) gave up two hits and one unearned run in six innings. Joe Nathan got the final two outs for his 28th save in 29 chances and 26th in a row. Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz was ejected for slamming his bat on the plate in the seventh after his third strikeout.
Tigers 7, White Sox 4
DETROIT — Delmon Young hit a tiebreaking, three-run double in the seventh inning and the Detroit Tigers beat Chicago, pulling within two games of the AL Central-leading White Sox.
Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta homered as the Tigers took the opener of the three-game series.
Octavio Dotel (5-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief. Joaquin Benoit struck out the side in the eighth inning and Jose Valverde closed for his 27th save in 31 chances.
Jake Peavy (9-10) gave up six runs and nine hits over six innings.
