ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Rookie All-Star Evan Longoria hit his first career grand slam during a five-run sixth and Matt Garza threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings to help the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on Saturday night.

Longoria has struggled recently, going 3-for-23 with no RBIs in his previous seven games. He broke out the slide in a big way with the bases-clearing drive off Toronto ace Roy Halladay (11-7) to put the Rays ahead 5-0.

Garza (8-5) allowed two hits – coming on singles in the third by Scott Rolen and Marco Scutaro during the seventh – and struck out six. The right-hander was coming off a start on July 12 when he gave up seven runs and 11 hits in five innings of an 8-4 loss at Cleveland.

The Rays have won two in a row following a seven-game losing streak. Tampa Bay has a 1 1-2 game lead over Boston, which lost 4-2 to the Los Angeles Angels.

Halladay allowed five runs and eight hits – including seven in the sixth – in six innings. He dropped to 8-2 in his last 13 starts.

Scutaro had a two-run single, Rod Barajas hit an RBI grounder and Lyle Overbay drove in a run with a double in the ninth for Toronto, which has lost seven of eight against Tampa Bay this season. Dan Wheeler got the final two outs for his fourth save.

Ben Zobrist opened the sixth with a single that bounced over Rolen at third base and then advanced to second on Akinori Iwamura’s bunt single. The Rays loaded the bases when Carl Crawford reached on an infield single that traveled about 45 feet and stopped on the first-base line. Carlos Pena made it 1-0 with an RBI single, a soft liner into left-center field. One out later, Longoria hit his 17th homer. The shot came on the 10th pitch of the at-bat in which Longoria fouled a couple balls off his leg.

Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg was ejected by plate umpire Mike DiMuro in the seventh.

Yankees 4, Athletics 3

NEW YORK – Jose Molina was hit by Lenny DiNardo’s pitch with the bases loaded in the 12th inning, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Oakland Athletics for a 4-3 victory.

Robinson Cano had four hits and David Robertson earned his first major league win as New York pulled out a tight game that lasted 4 hours, 45 minutes in 93-degree heat.

The Yankees, who stranded a whopping 21 runners, were down to their final out in the ninth when Cano doubled off Huston Street. Wilson Betemit tied it with an opposite-field single to left-center on an 0-2 pitch, handing Street his fifth blown save in 22 chances.

Long after Joba Chamberlain was lifted, Ryan Sweeney put Oakland ahead 3-2 with an RBI single off Mariano Rivera in the ninth. The All-Star closer struck out three straight batters with a runner on second to keep it a one-run game.

The A’s stole second base twice in the ninth, taking advantage of Jorge Posada’s ailing arm. The 36-year-old catcher missed 32 games this season with tendinitis in his right rotator cuff and has been relegated to part-time duty behind the plate.

Indians 9, Mariners 6

SEATTLE – One-time Seattle prospect Shin-Soo Choo homered and doubled in his first two at-bats, Jeremy Sowers picked up his first win of the season and the Cleveland Indians beat the Mariners 9-6 to snap a 10-game road losing streak.

The Indians last road win came June 21 against the Dodgers when CC Sabathia was still Cleveland’s ace and even added a homer that day. The 10-game skid was Cleveland’s longest road slump since 1991 when the Indians dropped 12 straight away from home.

Choo led the way on Saturday with his fourth homer, three RBIs and added another double in the eighth.

Royals 9, White Sox 1

CHICAGO – Gil Meche and three relievers combined on a two-hitter while John Buck and Billy Butler homered to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1.

One night after the White Sox had seven hits in the first inning against Zack Greinke, Meche (7-9) shut down the AL Central leaders, allowing the two hits and a run in 6 1-3 strong innings.

Ron Mahay, Ramon Ramirez and Horacio Ramirez completed the two-hitter as Chicago’s lead was chopped to a half-game after the fast-charging Twins beat the Rangers 14-2 Saturday night. Meche gave up a one-out double in the third to Joe Crede and a triple to Alexei Ramirez in the sixth when the White Sox got their only run on Orlando Cabrera’s sacrifice fly.

Twins 14, Rangers 2

MINNEAPOLIS – Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau each went deep and drove in eight runs between them, as the Minnesota Twins heaped four home runs on their usual small-ball approach to beat the Texas Rangers 14-2.

Lost in the shuffle of a 16-hit barrage by the home team was another win for Livan Hernandez (10-6), who was flawless for seven innings and matched his season low of five hits allowed. Minnesota is 14-7 when he starts, despite an ERA he reduced to 5.29.

Delmon Young hit a solo shot, too, to start a six-run sixth inning that ruined Rangers starter Matt Harrison’s already-deteriorating night.

Orioles 11, Tigers 10

BALTIMORE – Luke Scott homered in the bottom of the 10th, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 11-10.

Scott’s shot to right field came with one out off Freddy Dolsi (1-4). It was Scott’s third homer in two games, and he marked the occasion by sliding into the plate before his teammates mobbed him. The drive capped an uplifting night for the Orioles, who fell behind 6-0 in the top of the first and trailed 10-9 in the ninth before Ramon Hernandez homered off Joel Zumaya.

George Sherrill (3-4) worked the top of the 10th, which ended with Placido Polanco being called out trying to score on a two-out single by Gary Sheffield. The replay indicated Polanco beat the tag.