NEW YORK – Vernon Wells hit a three-run homer off Mike Mussina in a nine-run fifth inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays routed the New York Yankees 9-5 on Wednesday night to snap a five-game losing streak.

Russ Adams added a two-run double in the inning, when the Blue Jays scored eight times off Mussina in their biggest inning since a 10-run seventh against Detroit on May 24, 1999. They had seven hits off Mussina and Felix Rodriguez, and 10 consecutive batters reached with one out.

Mussina (12-8) hurt himself by allowing two walks and hitting a batter. He allowed eight runs in an inning for the first time since Sept. 24, 2003, against the Chicago White Sox, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Dave Bush (3-7) allowed five hits in six scoreless innings to win for the first time since Aug. 3. He beat the Yankees for the first time since pitching a career-best two-hitter against them in a 7-0 victory in Toronto on Oct. 1.

Hideki Matsui had three hits and drove in both runs for the Yankees, who had their six-game home winning streak snapped. New York fell into a tie with Oakland for the AL wild-card lead.

Angels 3, Orioles 1

BALTIMORE – Bartolo Colon came within one out of a complete game, earning his American League-leading 17th win in the Los Angeles Angels’ 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.

Colon (17-6) allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one in improving to 6-0 in his last seven starts since July 16. The victory put him within three of becoming the Angels’ first 20-game winning since Nolan Ryan in 1974.

After Rafael Palmeiro hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, Francisco Rodriguez retired Javy Lopez for his 30th save.

Athletics 9, Tigers 2

DETROIT – Kirk Saarloos pitched seven scoreless innings and was backed by four home runs as the Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers 9-2 Wednesday night.

Eric Chavez, who missed the previous night’s game to be with his wife and newborn son, singled in his first two appearances, then hit a solo homer off reliever Roman Colon into the left-field stands during Oakland’s four-run fourth inning.

Mark Kotsay had a three-run homer off Colon in that inning and Bobby Crosby added a solo homer in the sixth. Mark Ellis led off the game with a solo shot.

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Devil Rays 13, Indians 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tampa Bay’s Seth McClung won his third straight start and Travis Lee drove in four runs as the Devil Rays stopped the Cleveland Indians’ six-game winning streak with a 13-3 victory Wednesday night.

Victor Martinez homered and had two RBIs for the Indians, who started the day less than a percentage point behind the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card race. Cleveland had won nine straight on the road.

McClung (5-7) allowed three runs and seven hits over seven innings for Tampa Bay, which has won nine of 12. Over his past three outings – two against Cleveland – he has given up five runs in 19 1-3 innings.

Braves 3, Cubs 1

CHICAGO – Rafael Furcal hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to capitalize on Mark Prior’s error, and the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Wednesday.

Prior (9-5) gave up just one hit in the first six innings, Andruw Jones’ single to center in the fourth, before his throwing error gave the Braves an extra chance.

After the Cubs took a 1-0 lead against Braves starter Jorge Sosa, rookie standout Jeff Francoeur led off the seventh with a bunt single. When Ryan Langerhans followed with another bunt, Prior attempted to get the force at second. Instead, he threw it into center field.

Cardinals 8, Pirates 3

PITTSBURGH – Chris Carpenter became the major leagues’ first 18-game winner and Albert Pujols hit his 34th home run Wednesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3.

Carpenter (18-4) is 10-0 in his last 13 starts, all St. Louis victories. He allowed three runs and four hits in eight innings, improving to 10-0 on the road.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa tied Sparky Anderson for third place on baseball’s managerial wins list with his 2,194th career victory. Only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) have won more games.

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Brewers 6, Marlins 4

MILWAUKEE – Rookie Rickie Weeks drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the sixth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers took advantage of four Florida errors in a 6-4 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday night.

Weeks broke a 4-4 tie with a single off Marlins starter A.J. Burnett that scored Damian Miller from second. J.J. Hardy also came around to score when the ball scooted past right fielder Jeff Conine.

Burnett (12-7) was burned by three errors in the first inning, none costlier than his own.

Nationals 5, Reds 3

WASHINGTON – With Washington’s pitching staff in disarray, John Patterson gave the Nationals exactly what they desperately needed: a long, strong outing.

Patterson scattered 10 hits over 8 1-3 innings, working out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh, to lead Washington to a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

Patterson wasn’t dominant, giving up three runs, and allowing leadoff singles in every inning from the fourth through the seventh.

He gave up Rich Aurilia’s RBI double in the fourth, and Javier Valentin’s two-run homer in the ninth, but the right-hander truly excelled when he needed to in improving to 8-4.

Rangers 8, Mariners 1

ARLINGTON, Texas – Rookie Juan Dominguez pitched two-hit ball over six innings for his second career victory, and Kevin Mench homered to lead the Texas Rangers past the Seattle Mariners 8-1 Wednesday night. Dominguez (1-3) gave up one run and five walks while striking out three in his 10th major league start.

Mench, Rod Barajas and Hank Blalock had two hits apiece for the Rangers. Mench, 9-for-13 in his last four games, hit a two-run homer – his 22nd – in the fifth off Ryan Franklin (6-14) to improve to 11-for-17 with four homers against him.

John Wasdin pitched the final three innings for his second save.

White Sox 6, Twins 4

MINNEAPOLIS – Carl Everett homered and drove in four runs, Mark Buehrle scattered six hits over eight innings and the Chicago White Sox beat Minnesota 6-4 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak to the Twins.

Buehrle (14-6), benefiting from four double plays, gave up one run and struck out six without allowing a walk to end a personal five-game losing streak against Minnesota.

Everett and former Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski each had three hits for Chicago, which had lost eight of its last nine. Nick Punto hit a two-run homer off Cliff Politte in the ninth to bring Minnesota within 6-3.


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