DETROIT – The St. Louis Cardinals were no match for Detroit in a World Series rematch.

Justin Verlander stayed unbeaten in May and Brandon Inge homered to help the Tigers win 6-3 on Sunday, completing a sweep of the defending world champions.

Verlander (5-1) pitched eight strong innings to pick up his fourth victory in four May starts and hand the Cardinals their fifth straight defeat. He retired 10 straight batters after surrendering Chris Duncan’s solo homer in the fifth.

The right-hander gave up two runs and five hits with three strikeouts in his longest start of the season.

Bobby Seay got one out for his first career save.

The Tigers, who split the first two games of the World Series here, outscored the Cardinals 28-14 in the weekend series.

Brad Thompson (2-1) gave up five runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. Sean Casey highlighted Detroit’s three-run sixth with a two-run double off reliever Tyler Johnson.

Indians 5, Reds 3

CLEVELAND – Paul Byrd stayed unbeaten this season at Jacobs Field and the Indians matched the best home start in their 107-year history.

Byrd (4-1) improved to 4-0 in Cleveland and the Indians pushed baseball’s best home record to 16-4. The only other time they started as well in home games was 1995, when the Indians also opened 16-4 – on the way to their first World Series appearance in 41 years.

Actually, Cleveland is 14-3 at the Jake. The Indians also went 2-1 at Milwaukee’s Miller Park when an April series was moved there because of cold weather.

Jhonny Peralta hit his 10th homer to start Cleveland’s four-run fourth against Aaron Harang (5-2).

Brandon Phillips extended his career-high hitting streak to 22 games with a second-inning homer for Cincinnati.

Marlins 4, Devil Rays 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Sergio Mitre allowed three runs over seven innings and Florida rallied from a three-run deficit to complete a three-game sweep.

Mitre (2-2) gave up five hits and had three strikeouts, retiring 11 in a row at one point. Kevin Gregg pitched the ninth for his third save in three opportunities.

The Marlins scored three runs in the eighth against the Devil Rays’ struggling bullpen. Miguel Cabrera cut the deficit to 3-2 with an RBI single off Shawn Camp (0-1). Jeremy Hermida tied it with a run-scoring double before Miguel Olivo drove in the go-ahead run on his grounder.

Shields allowed a run and five hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings. The right-hander has no-decisions in his last three games despite giving up just four runs and 14 hits in 24 innings.

Phillies 5, Blue Jays 3

PHILADELPHIA – Adam Eaton pitched four-hit ball over six-plus shutout innings, and Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand both homered to lead Philadelphia.

Eaton (4-3) wasn’t particularly sharp – walking five, striking out two – but was backed by a pair of double plays and a caught stealing to erase some early baserunners.

The win put the Phillies (22-22) back at .500 for the third time in five days.

Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and Matt Stairs all hit solo home runs off Geoff Geary to make it a 5-3 game. But Opening Day starter-turned-closer Brett Myers got the final four outs to earn his sixth save.

Jesse Litsch (1-1) walked four and allowed seven hits and four runs in only four innings.

Nationals 4, Orioles 3

WASHINGTON – Nook Logan’s two-run single off reliever Danys Baez with two outs in the eighth inning capped a comeback and helped Washington beat Baltimore, which blew a chance for its first three-game road sweep since 2005.

Orioles starter Erik Bedard tied a career high with 12 strikeouts, contributed his first two major league hits and first RBI, and left with a 3-1 lead after pitching seven innings.

Chad Bradford came on for the eighth and allowed Ryan Zimmerman’s one-out double, then was replaced by Baez (0-3), who gave up Ryan Langerhans’ RBI single, hit Austin Kearns with a pitch, and allowed Ronnie Belliard’s bloop single that loaded the bases. An out later, Logan slapped a 3-2 pitch through the hole on the right side of the infield.

Jesus Colome (3-0) threw a scoreless eighth. Chad Cordero pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth for his fifth save.

Brewers 6, Twins 5

MILWAUKEE – Geoff Jenkins hit his 200th career homer and had five RBIs, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, helping Milwaukee rally from a four-run deficit.

The Brewers have not been swept in a series this season, but appeared headed toward one when they fell behind 4-0 early. Milwaukee then broke out of its offensive funk, tying it at 5 in the fifth, and Jenkins hit the go-ahead single in the seventh off reliever Dennys Reyes (0-1).

Brewers reliever Matt Wise (1-1) pitched one inning for the victory, and Francisco Cordero struck out the side in the ninth to convert his 17th consecutive save.

Despite the win, the Brewers are just 3-7 in their last 10. They managed to snap Minnesota’s streak of 12 straight interleague victories, which included five in a row against them.

Rangers 14, Astros 1

HOUSTON – Mark Teixeira and Victor Diaz each hit two of Texas’ season-high six home runs, and Ramon Vazquez also homered and drove in five runs for Texas.

Teixeira and Diaz each had three RBIs to help the Rangers win their second series in the last nine and rebound from Saturday’s one-run performance. The 14 runs tied a season high for Texas.

Brandon McCarthy (4-4) allowed four hits and one run in six innings. He struck out two and walked two.

It was a forgettable outing for Houston starter Woody Williams (1-6), who gave up eight hits and five runs, including three homers, in four innings.

Teixeira broke an 0-for-8 streak in the series with a solo homer in the first inning. Teixeira, who tied a career high with four hits, added an RBI single in the eighth and hit a solo homer in the five-run ninth.

Angels 4, Dodgers 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Kelvim Escobar rebounded from his worst outing of the season with eight shutout innings, and the Los Angeles Angels completed a sweep of the three-game interleague series between the division leaders.

The win extended the Angels’ winning streak to a season-high five games, and they’ve won 10 of their last 12 to move a season-high nine games over .500.

The Angels have beaten the Dodgers in 14 of their last 17 meetings at Angel Stadium. They outscored their local rivals 19-4 in the series.

Escobar (5-2) gave up hits to two of the first three batters he faced, but only one after that. He walked two and struck out five.

Derek Lowe (4-5) gave up nine hits and four runs, three earned, while walking none and striking six in his second complete game of the season.

White Sox 10, Cubs 6

CHICAGO – A.J. Pierzynski hit a grand slam in a seven-run seventh inning and Nick Masset won his first major league start Sunday as the White Sox averted a sweep.

Pierzynski greeted ex-teammate Neal Cotts with his homer to right-center field, pumping his fist as he started rounding the bases. The White Sox scored all seven runs with two outs.

Carlos Zambrano (4-4) allowed six hits and seven runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Masset (2-1) gave up three hits and two runs in 5 2-3 innings. He was given the start when a rainout last week meant John Danks would be forced to go on three days’ rest. Masset, acquired in an offseason trade with Texas, made 11 relief appearances this season.

Jermaine Dye hit his ninth homer in the third for the White Sox.

Giants 4, Athletics 1

OAKLAND, Calif. – Matt Morris pitched a 2-hitter and struck out a season-high nine and San Francisco avoided getting swept in the first interleague installment of the Bay Bridge Series.

Randy Winn and Rich Aurilia each homered to back up Morris and Dan Ortmeier had a career-high three hits.

Morris (5-1) matched his career-low for hits in his 21st career complete game and first since Aug. 25 last year against the Cincinnati Reds.

Barry Bonds was designated hitter for the third straight game and went 0-for-4 with a walk, three groundouts and a popup. The 42-year-old slugger finished his team’s 10-game road trip 5-for-27 (.186) with no homers and no RBIs.

A’s starter Joe Kennedy (1-3) allowed three runs and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings.

Padres 2, Mariners 1

SEATTLE – Justin Germano held Seattle to an unearned run and six hits in six innings and the Padres beat the Mariners 2-1 on Sunday.

Germano (2-0), promoted from Triple-A Portland on May 8 to replace injured Clay Hensley (strained groin), has allowed one run and 12 hits in 19 innings for a 0.47 earned run average.

He outpitched Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (2-2), who was making his second start after spending nearly a month on the disabled list with a strained right elbow. Hernandez worked five innings, allowing eight hits and two runs. He walked three and struck out nine.

After allowing back-to-back singles to lead off the ninth inning, closer Trevor Hoffman settled down to get the final three outs for his 11th save in 13 opportunities.

Royals 10, Rockies 5, 12 innings

DENVER – Ryan Shealy’s broken-bat single to right in the 12th inning brought in the go-ahead run and Joel Peralta added a two-run double in his first major league at-bat as Kansas City won its first road series of the season.

The Royals scored five runs off reliever Ramon Ramirez (1-1) in the 12th inning.

Peralta (1-2) pitched two innings for the win.

Shealy had three hits and two RBIs against his former team. Teahen finished with three hits – including an RBI triple in the 11th – and three RBIs.

The Royals took one-run leads into the ninth and 11th innings, only to see the Rockies tie it back up. The Rockies stranded 10 runners from the eighth on.

Yankees 6, Mets 2

NEW YORK – Tyler Clippard beat all his new teammates to the Yankees clubhouse and quickly changed in a makeshift locker. He spent the next four hours watching the “Bad News Bears,” checking text messages, adjusting his headphones and flipping a ball to himself.

Then, it was time to work.

The baby-faced Clippard made his major league debut by striking out Jose Reyes on three pitches and delivered the poised performance the banged-up Yankees needed, leading them past the New York Mets 6-2 Sunday night.

With Mets fans playfully chasing Yankees’ rooters with brooms around Shea Stadium, the Yankees avoided a Subway Series sweep and stopped a three-game losing streak.

Alex Rodriguez hit his big league-leading 17th homer and Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada also connected. The Yankees begin their upcoming home set against Boston trailing the AL East leaders by 10 games.

David Wright homered for the third time in two days for the Mets, and Damion Easley hit two-out homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth. Their four-game winning streak ended, the Mets head to Atlanta leading the NL East by 21/2 games.

Promoted from Triple-A earlier in the day after Darrell Rasner broke a finger, Clippard became the seventh rookie pitcher to start for the Yankees this season.

The 22-year-old Clippard (1-0) was magnificent over six innings and allowed just three hits, including Wright’s solo homer. He retired the first four batters, later got Reyes on a fly ball to leave the bases loaded and breezed through the final seven hitters.

Featuring a sharp breaking ball that set up a fastball that barely reached 90 mph, the lanky righty struck out six and walked three. Clippard twice caught Carlos Delgado looking and also fanned Wright and Paul Lo Duca.

Clippard also showed shades of the real Yankee Clipper – the great Joe DiMaggio. Clippard drilled a double to deep right-center field, keeping the ball for a souvenir, and put down a nifty sacrifice bunt that set up Johnny Damon’s two-run double.

Clippard said he had not batted since high school. Before the game, he asked a clubhouse man for the lightest bat the Yankees had available and was given a shiny, black Miguel Cairo model.

After throwing a no-hitter in Double-A last year, Clippard became the Yankees’ fifth pitcher this season to make his major league debut with a start. The only other team ever to do that in the first 42 games was Kansas City of the Union Association in 1884.

Jeter’s two-run homer made it 4-1 in the fourth. Posada homered into the mezzanine off John Maine (5-2) in the fifth and Rodriguez added a solo drive in the seventh.

Prone to control trouble, Maine started slinging the ball in the fourth and wound up in danger. A pair of four-pitch walks and Clippard’s bunt brought up Damon with two outs.

Damon hit a blooper that fell in front of diving right fielder Shawn Green for a go-ahead double, and Jeter followed with a line drive over the fence in left-center.

Wright put the Mets ahead in the second with his home run. The Mets later loaded the bases with two outs for Reyes, and the crowd stood and chanted when the count went to 3-1 – hoping for a big hit. Reyes instead lofted a harmless fly.

Notes: A sellout crowd of 56,438 helped set a Mets attendance record for a three-game series at 168,912. … Posada extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games. … Jeter also doubled in stretching his hitting streak to 15 games. … The Mets fell to 84-84 overall in interleague play. … The Yankees are 33-24 against the Mets in interleague action. The teams play three times at Yankee Stadium on June 15-17. … Doug Mientkiewicz was hit by a pitch in the right leg from Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano in the seventh, but did not get a base. Plate umpire Tony Randazzo ruled Mientkiewicz did not try to move out of the way. “Stay here. No,” Randozzo was heard saying on the Fox microphone. Mienkiewicz later popped up. … A day after making three errors, including a comical throw off his own leg, Yankees 2B Robinson Cano routinely handled more than a half-dozen chances.

AP-ES-05-20-07 2326EDT