Nick Blackburn combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, and Joe Mauer’s two-out, two-run single sparked a five-run third inning that led the surging Minnesota Twins over the Detroit Tigers 7-0 Wednesday.
Minnesota took two of three from the Tigers and has won 13 of its last 15 games. Detroit, which had won 18 of 22 coming into the series, was shut out for the 10th time this season, the most in the major leagues.
The Twins have outscored the Tigers 39-17 in six games at the Metrodome this year, winning five.
Blackburn (7-4) allowed three hits in seven innings, struck out four and walked one. Jesse Crain allowed two hits in the eighth, and Boof Bonser pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
Angels 7, Athletics 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joe Saunders pitched into the seventh inning to match Brandon Webb for the major league lead with his 12th win, and Juan Rivera and Eric Aybar homered for the Angels.
Saunders (12-4) allowed four runs — two earned — and six hits in 6 1-3 innings to help Los Angeles open up a 5 1/2-game lead over its AL West rivals.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his major league-leading 34th save in 36 attempts, tying John Smoltz’s 2003 record for the most before the All-Star break.
Orioles 5, Royals 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Daniel Cabrera pitched a seven-hitter to earn his first victory since May 20, and Aubrey Huff homered for Baltimore.
Cabrera (6-4) retired 13 straight batters before David DeJesus singled with two outs in the eighth. He struck out two and walked none in his second complete game of the season, both against the Royals.
Cabrera is 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA lifetime against Kansas City, and the Orioles are 8-0 in his eight career starts against the Royals.
Gil Meche (6-9) allowed five runs, four earned, and nine hits in six innings. He is winless at Camden Yards in 10 career starts.
Ramon Hernandez had three hits for the Orioles, who improved to 5-2 against Kansas City to clinch the season series for a fifth consecutive year.
Phillies 7, Braves 3
ATLANTA (AP) — Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer and Pat Burrell added a solo shot as Philadelphia survived a ninth-inning scare to beat Atlanta 7-3 on Wednesday night.
The Phillies improved to 5-0 in Atlanta this season and 7-1 overall in the season series.
The Braves (40-45) fell a season-worst five games under .500 with their second straight loss in the series, despite homers from Chipper Jones and Ruben Gotay.
Jones, playing his second game after missing eight straight starts with a strained right quadriceps, hit his 17th homer off J.C. Romero in the eighth, cutting the Phillies’ lead to 5-3.
The Phillies answered with two runs in the ninth on Jimmy Rollins’ RBI triple and Chase Utley’s run-scoring single.
Marlins 4, Nationals 2
MIAMI (AP) — Florida’s Alfredo Amezaga hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in seventh inning when play resumed after a 1 1/2-hour rain delay.
Florida trailed 2-1 when the game was halted with one and two outs in the seventh for 1 hour, 35 minutes. Charlie Manning (0-2) relieved starter Odalis Perez after the delay, and Amezaga his second home run of the season and 11th in 1,106 career at-bats.
Wes Helms added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Ricky Nolasco (9-4) improved to 4-0 in his last five starts, allowing two runs and three hits in seven innings. Kevin Gregg threw a perfect ninth for his 15th save.
Florida won two of three and is 10-2 against the Nationals this season.
Paul Lo Duca hit a two-run single in the second for the Nationals, and Robert Andino had an RBI single in the sixth.
Pirates 9, Reds 5
CINCINNATI (AP) — Xavier Nady homered twice and drove in four runs to lead Pittsburgh, which lost another pitcher to injury.
Closer Matt Capps will be gone for about eight weeks after a medical test detected bursitis and tightness in his pitching shoulder. Capps is the fourth Pittsburgh pitcher to wind up on the disabled list in the last two weeks.
Dodgers 4, Astros 1
HOUSTON (AP) — Hiroki Kuroda threw seven shutout innings after coming off the disabled list, and Jeff Kent had two RBI-doubles for Los Angeles.
Kuroda (4-6) allowed five hits in his first start since going on the DL on June 18 with tendinitis in his right shoulder.
Andre Ethier hit a solo homer and Blake DeWitt scored on Luis Maza’s squeeze bunt for the Dodgers, who have won five of their last six road games.
