MINNEAPOLIS -Ken Griffey Jr hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth inning Sunday to rouse the Seattle Mariners in a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins that stopped their six-game losing streak.
Wladimir Balentien added an RBI double in that breakthrough eighth, ruining seven shutout innings by Nick Blackburn and helping the Mariners bring their record back to .500.
Brendan Morrow, making his first appearance since April 23 after sitting out with biceps tendinitis, picked up his sixth save with a shaky ninth. Miguel Batista (2-0) got one out for the win.
Jose Mijares walked Jose Lopez in front of Griffeys 614th career homer.
Jesse Crain (1-1) took the loss.
Angels 4, Royals 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Torii Hunter made a leaping catch above the left-center field fence to rob Miguel Olivo of a tying homer in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles held off Kansas City.
Jeff Mathis delivered a two-run single during a three-run seventh inning for the Angels, who completed a three-game sweep.
Scot Shields (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win and Brian Fuentes got his ninth save, with a huge assist to Hunter. Fuentes gave up a walk and a single after Hunters grab, but got David DeJesus to ground into a game-ending double play.
The Angels have won seven of eight and are a half-game behind first-place Texas in the AL West. The Royals, who lost three consecutive games for the first time this season, scored four runs the entire series.
Jamey Wright (0-1) took the loss.
Blue Jays 5, Athletics 0
OAKLAND, Calif. – Brett Cecil yielded five hits over eight impressive innings to earn his first major league victory, Alex Rios drove in three runs and Toronto beat Oakland for its seventh win in 10 games.
Rios hit a solo homer, a sacrifice fly and a ninth-inning RBI single to back Cecil (1-0). The 22-year-old left-hander struck out six in his second big league start for Toronto, which headed home from its five-game California road swing alone atop the AL East.
Dallas Braden (3-4) gave up nine hits and three runs in six innings for the As, who have lost six of eight. At 11-18 with the ALs worst offense in several categories, the As have matched their second-worst start since moving to Oakland in 1968.
Tigers 5, Indians 3
CLEVELAND – Rick Porcello extended Detroits streak of strong pitching, and the Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the struggling Indians.
The Indians, losers of seven of nine, have the worst record in baseball at 11-21. They turned four double plays but the offense sputtered again following consecutive Tigers shutouts the previous two days.
Cleveland held a long players-only meeting after a 4-0 loss Saturday night, but it didnt seem to help much.
Porcello (3-3) gave up one run over five innings to win his second consecutive start. Curtis Granderson and Adam Everett had two RBIs apiece.
Grady Sizemores RBI single in the second snapped Clevelands 22-inning scoreless streak.
Grandersons two-run single capped a four-run second against Anthony Reyes (1-1). Jeff Larish had a leadoff homer and Everett a sacrifice fly during the rally.
Yankees 5, Orioles 3
BALTIMORE – Johnny Damon hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, the biggest blow in a long-ball surge that carried New York past Baltimore.
Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano also connected for the Yankees, who received a gritty pitching performance from Joba Chamberlain (2-1) to capture the decisive matchup of the three-game series.
Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his sixth save in seven opportunities.
Damon connected off Jim Johnson (2-1). It was his ninth homer, the sixth in 10 games, and it marked the seventh straight game in which Damon got at least one extra-base hit.
Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer off Chamberlain in the first.
Alex Rodriguez went 1 for 4 for New York in his third game since returning from hip surgery. He is 1 for 10 since homering in his first at-bat Friday night.
Rangers 7, White Sox 1
CHICAGO – Hank Blalock homered twice, Vicente Padilla allowed one hit in seven innings and the Texas Rangers ended Bartolo Colons dominance against them by beating Chicago.
Padilla (2-2) pitched around four walks in his second consecutive impressive outing. In his previous start against Seattle, the right-hander yielded only one hit and an unearned run in eight innings. He became the first Rangers starter to give up one hit or less in back-to-back starts.
Colon (2-3) had won 12 straight starts against Texas since Aug. 21, 2003, with a 2.50 ERA. It was the longest active winning streak against one opponent in the majors.
Chris Davis also homered and added an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won nine of 13 without injured slugger Josh Hamilton.
It was Blalocks seventh career multihomer game and first since April 2006.
