Red Sox 8, Devil Rays 1

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Josh Beckett’s 20th win couldn’t have come at a better time for Boston. The All-Star right-hander pitched six strong innings to become the first 20-game winner in the majors since 2005, and the Red Sox used late home runs by Jason Varitek, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell to pull away to a victory over Tampa Bay.

The victory snapped Boston’s four-game losing streak and reduced the AL East-leading Red Sox’s magic number to clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth to two.

Boston’s skid, which included a three-game weekend sweep at Toronto, matched its longest of the season and allowed the surging New York Yankees to pull within 11â2 games of the division lead heading into Friday’s games.

Beckett (20-6) allowed one run and four hits, winning for the seventh time in his last eight decisions.

BOSTONTAMPA BAY

abrhbiabrhbi

Ellsbry lf4220Iwmra 3b4000

Pedroia 2b2210Norton dh3100

DOrtiz dh5134CPena 1b3000

Lowell 3b5111Upton cf4010

Kielty rf3000DYong rf4021

Varitek c4111Gomes lf3000

Crisp cf3000Ruggno ph1000

Moss lf1010Nvarro c3000

JLugo ss4000Vlndia 2b3010

Hinske 1b4100JoWlsn ss3000

Totals35896Totals31141

Boston102000014-8

Tampa Bay100000000-1

E-Navarro 2 (12). LOB-Boston 10, Tampa Bay 5. 2B-Ellsbury (5), DYoung (37). 3B-Moss (1). HR-DOrtiz (32), Lowell (20), Varitek (14). SB-Crisp (27). S-Pedroia.

IPHRERBBSO

Boston

Beckett W,20-6641128

Delcarmen1 1-300002

Lopez2-300001

Gagne100002

Tampa Bay

Kazmir L,13-9543249

Switzer2-310000

Dohmann1 1-300003

Glover111102

Ridgway013310

Balfour121113

T-3:23. A-27,369 (43,772).

Blue Jays 5, Yankees 4, 14 innings

New York – Gregg Zaun homered in the 14th inning, and Toronto stalled New York’s playoff charge, bouncing back for a victory after blowing a four-run lead in the ninth. Alex Rios hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who won their fourth straight and dropped the Yankees 21â2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. New York’s wild-card lead was trimmed to 41â2 games over Detroit.

TORONTONEW YORK

abrhbiabrhbi

Jhnson rf6110Damon lf6120

Stairs 1b3000Jeter ss6020

Ovrbay 1b2000BAbreu rf5110

Rios cf5112ARod 3b6121

Thmas dh4000Matsui dh5000

Inglett dh1010Posada c4010

AHill 2b6130Srdinha pr0100

Adams 3b6110JMolna c2000

Zaun c6112Cano 2b6021

Lind lf6020Mntkw 1b2000

Olmedo ss6000Giambi 1b4011

MeCbr cf5000

Duncan ph0000

Btemit ph1000

Totals515104Totals524113

Toronto 000 00022000001-5

New York 000 00000400000-4

E-AHill (13), Adams (1), Damon (3), Posada (5). DP-Toronto 2, New York 1. LOB-Toronto 8, New York 8. 2B-AHill (43), Damon (24), Jeter (35), Cano (39). HR-Rios (24), Zaun (10). SB-Inglett (1). CS-Damon (3).

IPHRERBBSO

Toronto

Halladay8 2-384104

Downs020000

Janssen1 1-300010

Accardo200000

Wolfe2-310000

JKennedy W,4-9100012

Frasor S,3 1-300001

New York

Wang762114

Ramirez1-312200

Veras2-300000

Villone100000

MRivera100001

Chamberlain200014

LVizcaino110011

Bruney L,3-2121103

Downs pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.

HBP-by Ramirez (Johnson).

T-4:45. A-54,151 (56,937).

White Sox 6, Twins 4

Minneapolis – Josh Fields hit two homers, and Jim Thome added the 503rd of his career to lift Chicago. Johan Santana (15-13) struck out 11, but gave up six runs and eight hits in seven innings to lose for the fourth time in five starts.

CHICAGOMINNESOTA

abrhbiabrhbi

Owens cf5120Bartlett ss3100

Flds lf3322Casilla 2b4000

Erstad lf0000Kubel ph1000

Thome dh4223Mauer c5131

Knerko 1b4000THnter cf5110

Dye rf4011Mrneau 1b2001

Uribe ss4010Cddyer rf4011

Richar 2b4000LeCroy dh3010

AGnzlz 3b4010Tyner dh1000

THall c4000LFord lf3110

Punto 3b4021

Totals36696Totals35494

Chicago100130100-6

Minnesota003001000-4

E-Gonzalez (9). DP-Chicago 1. LOB-Chicago 4, Minnesota 9. 2B-Owens (9), Thome (19), Dye (32), Uribe (17), THunter (44), Cuddyer (27). 3B-Punto (4). HR-Fields 2 (22), Thome (31). SB-THunter (18). SF-Morneau.

IPHRERBBSO

Chicago

Buehrle W,10-9694433

MMyers2-300000

MacDougal1 1-300001

Jenks S,39100000

Minnesota

JoSantana L,15-137866111

Blackburn210001

HBP-by MacDougal (LFord). WP-MacDougal. PB-Mauer.

T-2:29. A-27,928 (46,632).

Rangers 3, Orioles 2

Arlington, Texas – Luis Mendoza scattered four hits over five innings for his first major-league win, and Texas snapped a four-game losing streak. Mendoza (1-0) gave up one run, struck out two and walked one.

BALTIMORETEXAS

abrhbiabrhbi

BRbrts 2b4010Kinsler 2b2000

Redmn cf3000Laird c3000

RaHrdz ph1000MYong ss4010

Bynum cf0000Sosa dh2100

Mrkkis rf4000MBrd cf4120

Tejada ss2211Botts lf4000

Millar dh4020DaMpy lf0000

Mora 3b3000Cruz rf3131

Moore 1b3011Sltmca 1b4022

Molina c2010Wlkrsn 1b0000

Huff ph1000Vzquez 3b2000

Bako c1000

Fahey lf2000

LHrndz lf1000

Totals31262Totals28383

Baltimore010000001-2

Texas02010000x-3

E-Saltalamacchi 2 (9). DP-Baltimore 2, Texas 1. LOB-Baltimore 6, Texas 8. 2B-Molina (1), MByrd (17). HR-Tejada (18), Cruz (8). SB-Cruz (2). CS-Mora (3), MYoung (3). S-Vazquez. SF-Moore.

IPHRERBBSO

Baltimore

Santos L,0-2553351

RBell330001

Texas

Mendoza W,1-0541112

MWood200001

CJWilson110000

Benoit S,6111121

HBP-by Santos (Cruz). WP-Santos.

T-2:37. A-30,603 (48,911).

Indians 4, Athletics 3

Cleveland – Fausto Carmona won his 18th game, and Ryan Garko and Jhonny Peralta hit back-to-back homers.

OAKLANDCLEVELAND

abrhbiabrhbi

ShStwrt lf5010Szmore cf3010

Barton 1b4120ACbera 2b3111

Cust rf4112Hafner dh4010

DJnson dh3000VMrtnz c4011

Ellis 2b4000Garko 1b4111

Hnnhn 3b3100JhPlta ss3121

Scutaro ss4020Lofton lf4120

Suzuki c4011Gutirrz rf3010

DVnon cf3010Blake 3b3000

Piazza ph1000

Totals35383Totals314104

Oakland010000200-3

Cleveland00100300x-4

DP-Oakland 1. LOB-Oakland 9, Cleveland 8. 2B-Barton 2 (6), VMartinez (40), JhPeralta (27). HR-Cust (25), Garko (20), JhPeralta (21). S-Blake. SF-ACabrera.

IPHRERBBSO

Oakland

Blanton L,14-105 2-3104434

Blevins1 2-300001

RLugo2-300001

Cleveland

Carmona W,18-8651147

RPerez2-322201

Lewis1-300001

RBetancourt100002

Borowski S,43110002

T-2:48. A-36,016 (43,415).

Mariners 6, Angels 0

Anaheim, Calif. – Jarrod Washburn held his former teammates in check, and Seattle beat Los Angeles to deny the Angels the AL West crown for at least another day. Adrian Beltre had three hits and drove in two runs.

SEATTLELOS ANGELES

abrhbiabrhbi

ISuzuki cf5000Figgins 3b4000

JoLpez 2b5120OCbera ss4000

Ibanez dh4110VGrero dh4010

JGillen rf4231GAndsn lf4010

Beltre 3b4132JRivra rf3010

Vidro 1b4122Hyns cf0000

Brssrd 1b0000Kndrck 2b3000

AJones lf3000Quinlan 1b3000

Burke c4011Napoli c3010

YBtcrt ss4010Willits cf2010

Morles rf1000

Totals376136Totals31050

Seattle000104010-6

Los Angeles000000000-0

E-Beltre (17). DP-Seattle 1, Los Angeles 3. LOB-Seattle 5, Los Angeles 4. 2B-JGuillen (27), Beltre (40). HR-JGuillen (21).

IPHRERBBSO

Seattle

Wshbrn W,10-15750004

Morrow200000

Los Angeles

Saunders L,8-45 2-395513

RThompson1 1-331100

Bulger210001

WP-RThompson.

T-2:26. A-44,018 (45,257).