Boston ? Tim Wakefield’s back hurt him more than the Detroit Tigers did.

Wakefield pitched six scoreless innings before leaving with a lower-back injury, and the Boston Red Sox snapped out of a brief slump by beating Detroit, 3-1, Monday night.

“He had them off balance all night,” Boston’s Todd Walker said. “You’re supposed to play this game whether you’re hurt or not.”

Kevin Millar drove in two runs with his 12th homer and a single. Alan Embree pitched two scoreless innings, and Mike Timlin got three outs for his second save, allowing an RBI single to Alex Sanchez in the ninth.

“Wake pitched great,” Embree said. “It’s too bad he couldn’t (stay) in that seventh inning because he was really tough.”

Manager Grady Little hoped Wakefield (6-3) wouldn’t miss a start. He stayed in the game after getting hurt, but there was some confusion about when that happened.

Little said it occurred in the third inning when Wakefield fielded a bunt by Sanchez and made a twisting throw to first base.

Trainer Jim Rowe said it happened in the fifth when he ran toward first base on a grounder.

Several teammates didn’t know Wakefield was hurt until he left after throwing one pitch in the seventh.

“I didn’t hear him talk to the trainer, so I assumed he was OK,” catcher Doug Mirabelli said. “He just called me out there (in the seventh). He felt his hip lock on him.”

Boston opened a seven-game homestand after a 2-4 road trip in which it managed only three hits in two of its last three games.

Devil Ryas 4, Yankees 2

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Victor Zambrano allowed five hits in seven innings, and Damian Rolls homered twice off Roger Clemens as Tampa Bay beat New York to stop a five-game losing streak.

Athletics 3, Rangers 1

Arlington, Texas — Scott Hatteberg hit a three-run double in the ninth inning, and Oakland sent Texas to its eighth straight loss. The Rangers have dropped 20 of 22, their worst stretch since going 2-21 in September 1972.

Blue Jays 13, Orioles 4

Toronto — Carlos Delgado increased his major league-leading RBI total to 80, and Shannon Stewart had three hits and a homer in his return from the disabled list as Toronto beat Baltimore.