OAKLAND, Calif. – Oakland’s Jack Hannahan blooped a game-winning single to shallow left in the 10th inning to score Mark Ellis from first, and the Tigers blew a chance to gain ground in the AL Central.
Huston Street (4-2) pitched a perfect 10th with two strikeouts for the win in the A’s fourth extra-inning contest in their last six games.
Yorman Bazardo (0-1) plunked Ellis in the lower back to start the 10th, then Hannahan followed with his single that landed fair behind third.
Kurt Suzuki hit a tying, two-run homer in the ninth off Todd Jones. Shannon Stewart followed Suzuki’s sixth homer with a single and Nick Swisher walked before both advanced on a wild pitch. Jones intentionally walked Jack Cust to load the bases, then Mike Piazza grounded into a double play to send the game to extra innings.
White Sox 8, Indians 0
CLEVELAND – Jose Contreras held Cleveland to four singles pitching into the seventh inning, and A.J. Pierzynski tied a career high with four hits as Chicago snapped the Indians’ eight-game winning streak.
Contreras (8-16) won consecutive starts for the first time since last September as the White Sox broke a five-game losing streak and won for the first time in their last 12 road games, snapping their longest road losing streak since 1962.
Cleveland, which opened a 51/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central during its streak, fell to 13-4 since Aug. 15.
Pierzynski broke an 0-for-17 slump by going 4-for-5 for the White Sox, who tied a season-high with 18 hits – 17 singles and a solo homer by Darin Erstad.
Jake Westbrook (5-8) allowed three earned runs and 11 hits over five innings.
Devil Rays 8, Yankees 2
NEW YORK – Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer to tie Tampa Bay’s single-season record and the Devil Rays sent the Yankees into a pivotal series on a sour note.
Tampa Bay beat Andy Pettitte for only the second time in 20 career starts and won a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2005. It’s only the Devil Rays’ fourth series win in 27 trips to the Bronx.
Bobby Abreu went 2-for-5 with an RBI for the Yankees, who fell six games behind AL East-leading Boston.
Pettitte (12-8) allowed five runs and 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings for the Yankees, who open a three-game series at home against the Mariners on Monday. New York leads Seattle by two games in the wild-card race.
Rookie Jason Hammel (2-4) struck out seven in five-plus innings, allowing just one run and five hits.
Blue Jays 6, Mariners 4
TORONTO – Matt Stairs and Gregg Zaun each hit two-run homers, A.J. Burnett pitched seven sharp innings and Toronto beat slumping Seattle, sending the Mariners to their season-high ninth consecutive loss.
Seattle has not won since Aug. 24 at Texas, a victory that put the Mariners a season-high 20 games over .500.
Burnett (8-7) retired the first ten batters in order and struck out five of the first six. He allowed three runs and four hits, walked one and struck out seven to win for the first time in three starts.
Jeff Weaver (6-11) allowed five runs and eight hits in three-plus innings. He walked one, struck out one and lost for the second time in three starts against Toronto this season.
Royals 8, Twins 1
MINNEAPOLIS – Alex Gordon hit two home runs and Brian Bannister won for the fourth straight time for Kansas City.
John Buck had three hits, including his 17th home run, and Shane Costa added three more for the Royals, who tied their season high with 16 hits. Kansas City earned a split of the four-game series.
Bannister (12-7) allowed six hits and struck out one in eight innings. It was his fourth straight win, and fifth in six outings. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last nine starts. Joakim Soria pitched a perfect ninth.
Minnesota starter Boof Bonser (6-12) allowed seven hits and five earned runs in 1 2-3 innings, the shortest outing of his career. Bonser has one win in his last 15 starts, and has a 5.56 ERA in that stretch.
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