Rays send Yankees into cellar

Scott Kazmir sparkled in his first start since agreeing to a $28.5 million contract extension, and the surprising Tampa Bay Rays dropped the New York Yankees into last place with a 5-2 victory Thursday.
Kazmir (2-1) allowed three singles in six scoreless innings, and Akinori Iwamura and Shawn Riggans homered off Ian Kennedy for the AL East-leading Rays.
Tampa Bay (24-17), which started play in 1998, has been alone atop the division standings for three consecutive days for the first time. The Rays won three of four from New York and have captured six of seven series in building the best record in the AL.
Royals 8, Tigers 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Guillen homered and drove in three runs, Gil Meche pitched seven solid innings and the Royals completed another three-game sweep of the Tigers.
Kansas City won its season-best fourth straight and improved to 6-0 this season against Detroit, which has lost four straight and 10 of 12 while falling into last in the AL Central.
Indians 4, Athletics 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — An unearned run against Aaron Laffey caused by his own throwing error ended the scoreless streak by Cleveland starters at 44 1-3 innings but didn’t interrupt their string of dominant outings.
Laffey (2-2) allowed just the unearned run and five hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one while filling in for the injured Jake Westbrook. He lowered his ERA to 1.35 and has gone seven innings in each of his last three starts without giving up an earned run.
Blue Jays 3, Twins 2,
11 innings
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pinch-hitter Joe Inglett sliced a two-out, bases-loaded single through the infield in the 11th inning, helping Toronto complete a three-game sweep of the Twins.
Scott Rolen started the 11th against Jesse Crain (1-2) with a double into the right-field corner that Michael Cuddyer couldn’t quite catch. Lyle Overbay was walked intentionally with two outs, and pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun drew a walk.
Then Inglett, called up last weekend from Triple-A Syracuse, batted for Jorge Velandia poked his hit just out of shortstop Adam Everett’s reach.
Nationals 1, Mets 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Willie Harris’ diving catch in the ninth saved the Washington Nationals, who beat the New York Mets 1-0 Thursday behind Jason Bergmann’s fantastic pitching performance.
Washington won an unlikely duel between Bergmann and Mike Pelfrey, who carried a no-hit bid into the seventh. Harris’ bunt set up Felipe Lopez’s sacrifice fly in the eighth, helping the Nationals take three of four at Shea Stadium.
Pelfrey (2-4) held Washington hitless until Boone’s leadoff single in the seventh. He allowed one run and three hits in 7 2-3 winnings, the longest outing of his career.
Dodgers 7, Brewers 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent and Gary Bennett homered during a six-run seventh inning, leading Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers past Milwaukee.
After Jones and Kent hit solo shots, Bennett capped the burst with a three-run homer.
Billingsley (3-5) didn’t allow a hit until Brewers starter Ben Sheets, a career .078 hitter, singled with two outs in the fifth. Billingsley gave up three hits and struck out five.
Sheets (4-1) allowed six runs off nine hits. He had five strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings to end the first 4-0 start of his career.
Pirates 11, Cardinals 5
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jason Bay’s three-run homer off Jason Isringhausen snapped an eighth-inning tie and capped Pittsburgh’s rally from an early four-run deficit.
Nate McLouth added his 11th homer for the Pirates, who outscored the sagging Cardinals 10-0 the last five innings to take two of three in the series.
Isringhausen (1-5) was demoted from the closer’s role last week and was serving as the setup man for Ryan Franklin, but ended up with his sixth blown save in 17 chances.
John Grabow (3-1) got the last two outs in the seventh for the Pirates, who nailed down their eighth victory in 10 games with three more runs in the ninth off Ron Villone.
Cubs 4, Padres 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Dempster struck out a career-high 12 and hit a go-ahead single against Greg Maddux during a four-run fifth inning, leading Chicago over the punchless Padres.
Jim Edmonds singled in his debut with the Cubs, who won three of four from the team with the worst record in the major leagues (15-27). NL Central-leading Chicago has won six of seven.
Dempster (5-1) allowed six hits in 8 1-3 innings and walked one, leaving after 115 pitches. He retired 15 straight batters after a first-inning single by Brian Giles, who had three hits.
Astros 8, Giants 7
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lance Berkman splashed his major league-leading 15th home run into McCovey Cove, breaking a ninth-inning tie and helping Houston rally past the Giants.
Houston came back from a 6-0 deficit to take three of four from the Giants, its first series win at San Francisco since a three-game sweep in September 2001.
Pinch-hitter Darin Erstad hit a tying, three-run homer in the eighth and Carlos Lee also homered in the inning off Tyler Walker, who faltered on his 32nd birthday. Berkman connected off Vinnie Chulk (0-2) for the first splash-hit homer by an Astro.
Phillies 5, Braves 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cole Hamels pitched his first career shutout, Ryan Howard homered and the Phillies moved within a game of the NL East-leading Florida Marlins.
Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino also homered and drove in two runs each for the Phillies, who lead the major leagues with 59 home runs. Florida has hit 58.
Hamels (5-3) gave up just four hits, struck out six and walked two in his first complete game of the season.