ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Texas Rangers failed to take advantage of an outstanding performance by starter Derek Holland. Holland struck out a career-high 11 while giving up only two hits and two walks in eight innings of the Rangers' 3-1, 11-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Friday. “I'm very happy with the way Derek is pitching,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “I know if he continues to pitch the way he did tonight, he'll get the results and we'll get the results.” Holland threw a season-high 116 pitches, retiring five Rays in a span of seven pitches at one point. Ben Zobrist's 11th-inning home run lifted the Rays to the victory. His 16th homer came off Mark Lowe (0-1) after a leadoff walk to B.J. Upton. Yankees 8, Orioles 5: Alex Rodriguez hit his 300th home run with the Yankees, Russell Martin and Steve Pearce also homered, and New York regained sole possession of first place in the AL East by defeating Baltimore. The Yankees built a 7-0 lead in the fifth inning against rookie Wei-Yin Chen (12-9) and held on for their third win in nine games. New York had lost eight of 11 to the Orioles, including the opener of this four-game series. Royals 7, White Sox 5: Lorenzo Cain hit two home runs, including a tie-breaking, two-run shot in the ninth inning, as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox. Salvador Perez also hit a two-run homer for the Royals, who won their sixth straight against the White Sox. Chicago hit three home runs: Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run shot and Dewayne Wise and A.J. Pierzynski hit solo shots homers. Kelvin Herrera (2-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning for the Royals. Indians 7, Twins 6: Russ Canzler hit his first major league homer and reliever David Huff won his first game this season and the Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota built an early 4-0 lead on Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez before Canzler and Huff (1-0) — who both spent most of the year in Triple-A Columbus before being called up this month — lifted Cleveland to its fourth win in six games. Canzler went 3 for 4 with a walk and three RBIs — the first RBIs of his major league career — and Huff retired all 10 batters he faced after relieving Gomez in the fourth. In other games it was: Toronto Blue Jays 7, Boston Red Sox 5; LA Angels 3, Detroit Tigers 2 and Oakland Athletics 6, Seattle Mariners 1. — Agencies
