OAKLAND, CALIF. ? Thanks to late-inning heroics from Manny Ramirez and Bill Mueller, the Boston Red Sox regained the lead in the American League wild card race.

Ramirez hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning and Mueller drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th as the Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 4-2 Thursday.

“The bats weren’t working today, so that home run was exactly what we needed,” said Boston outfielder Johnny Damon, who was with the A’s the last time they lost a game after holding a lead entering the ninth — Aug. 14, 2001 in Toronto.

“Manny put together a great at-bat, and that was a huge lift.”

Mueller homered in the sixth, then put Boston ahead with a sacrifice fly as the Red Sox salvaged a split of the four-game series with two straight victories.

The A’s failed to win after carrying a lead into the ninth for the first time in 59 games this season — and the first time in 185 games overall.

“All good things have to come to an end some time,” Damon said. “I’m just glad we were the recipients.”

The Red Sox didn’t get much time to enjoy two revitalizing victories. They headed north after the game for another West Coast showdown in a three-game series with the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners.

Ramirez tied it with his 28th homer of the season on a 3-2 pitch from A’s closer Keith Foulke, who blew his fifth save in 34 chances. It was Ramirez’s first career hit against Foulke in nine at-bats.

Sleveland's Travis Hafner bashes an eighth-inning triple off Minnesota's James Baldwin. Hafner hit a home run, single, double and triple Thursday in Minneapolis, becoming the first player to hit for the cycle in the Metrodome since the Twins' Paul Molitor in 1991.

Ramirez fouled off four two-strike pitches before driving the ball 10 rows deep in the left-field stands.

“I couldn’t get my fastball out far enough away from him,” Foulke said. “Then I made a mistake, and he got it.”

In the 10th, Gabe Kapler reached base on an infield single and scored on Mueller’s fly to center off Jim Mecir (2-2). Damon scored an insurance run after a throwing error by Eric Chavez.

Indians 8, Twins 3

Minneapolis — Travis Hafner hit for the cycle and Brian Anderson came within two outs of a shutout.

Hafner completed the seventh cycle in Indians’ history and first since Andre Thornton did it April 22, 1978, against Boston.

Hafner homered in the first inning, doubled in the fourth and reached on an infield single in the seventh against Twins starter Brad Radke.

Hafner then tripled to right-center field in the eighth off James Baldwin, sliding into third without a play and driving in Cleveland’s seventh run. It was Hafner’s first triple of the season, and came in his 184th at-bat of the year.

Anderson (9-9) allowed six hits, two walks and a run in 81/3 innings while striking out eight. The Twins ended their scoreless streak at 22 1/3 innings when Matthew LeCroy homered in the ninth and cost the Indians their chance at back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1991.

The Twins, who begin a three-game series in Kansas City tonight, fell four games back of the idle Royals in the AL Central.

Hafner, a rookie who was acquired over the offseason in a trade with Texas, is batting .254 with eight homers and 28 RBIs. He lined out to second in his fifth at-bat.

Casey Blake homered and drove in three runs and Jhonny Peralta hit a pair of doubles for Cleveland, which won its third straight and improved to 8-3 against Minnesota this year — 6-2 at the Metrodome.

Yankees 8, Orioles 5

Baltimore — Hideki Matsui drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning, then preserved the lead with a sensational catch.

In the bottom of the seventh, with two on and two out, he robbed Larry Bigbie with a running, backhanded stab of an opposite-field liner near the left-field wall. Matsui lost his hat as he rolled on the warning track after hitting the padding, but the ball remained secure in his glove.

Matsui’s heroics made a winner of Andy Pettitte (14-7).

Rangers 6, Tigers 3

Arlington, Texas — John Thomson pitched seven innings on two days rest and Shane Spencer homered.

Thomson (10-10) started Monday against Detroit, but he threw only 20 pitches before a rain delay of almost two hours. He was pulled when his arm stiffened during the delay, and manager Buck Showalter decided to bring him back three days later. The short layoff didn’t seem to hurt. He allowed three runs and nine hits.

Angels 5, White Sox 1

Anaheim, Calif. — Tim Salmon homered and Scot Shields earned his first win since rejoining the starting rotation.

Shields (3-3) worked a career-high 7 2/3 innings, allowing a run and four hits. It was the right-hander’s second win in six career starts, and his first in three outings since he was put back into the rotation after Kevin Appier was released July 30.

Blue Jays 5, Mariners 2

Seattle — Carlos Delgado hit his 33rd home run and Kelvim Escobar earned his career-high fourth straight victory.

Escobar (9-6) threw into the eighth, holding the Mariners to eight hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He improved to 4-0 since the All-Star break and 6-1 on the road with a 2.03 ERA. He has a 1.21 ERA in three August victories.