DETROIT — Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday, lifting Detroit over Oakland, 7-6, thereby boosting the Tigers after Max Scherzer was denied his 20th win and Miguel Cabrera limped off with an injury. Detroit scored four times in the ninth off Grant Balfour (0-3). A two-out walk set up Victor Martinez's RBI single, and then Hunter connected as the Tigers avoided a four-game series sweep. Scherzer gave up six runs in five innings. The no-decision left him with a 19-1 record. Cabrera hurt his abdomen making an awkward slide while trying to stretch a single into a double in the fifth. Prince Fielder hit his 21st homer for Detroit, and Joaquin Benoit (4-0) pitched the ninth for the win. Jed Lowrie and Brandon Moss each hit a two-run homer for Oakland. Royals 3, Twins 1: Bruce Chen bounced back with a solid start and Kansas City completed a sweep and won its fifth straight game, beating Minnesota to hand the Twins their fifth straight loss. The Royals took all three games at Target Field. Chen (6-2) gave up one run and five hits. In his past two starts, he allowed 13 runs in nine innings. Angels 2, Rays 0: Jason Vargas allowed two hits over seven innings and Los Angeles held off Tampa Bay. The Rays have lost four of five. The Angels have won five of six. Orioles 3, Red Sox 2: Right-hander Chris Tillman finally won his 15th game of the season, continuing his mastery of Boston to throw seven strong innings as the Orioles topped the Red Sox 3-2. Orioles third baseman Manny Machado stroked a two-run double in the third to lead the offense. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak in one-run games for Baltimore. Mariners 3, Astros 2: Seattle Mariners relievers Charlie Furbush, Yoervis Medina and Danny Farquhar worked three and a third scoreless innings to preserve a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The Mariners (60-73) snapped a six-game skid thanks in part to their bullpen, which inherited a one-run lead from Erasmo Ramirez (5-1). National League Mets 11, Phillies 3: Carlos Torres did his best Matt Harvey imitation, carrying a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning against Philadelphia. Daniel Murphy had four hits, Eric Young Jr. got three and Anthony Recker added a two-run homer on his 30th birthday as the Mets broke loose for their most runs since beating Washington, 11-0, in the first game of a July 26 doubleheader. Nationals 9, Marlins 0: Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond each hit a three-run homer, leading Gio Gonzalez and Washington over Miami. Werth connected in the sixth and Desmond went deep an inning later, breaking open a close game and powering Washington to its eighth victory in nine games. Brewers 4, Pirates 0: Yovani Gallardo continued his late-season surge to pitch seven effective inning, helping the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0. Gallardo (10-9) scattered six hits, walked one walk and struck out five. Gallardo also got stronger as the game went on, retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. Inter-League Braves 3, Indians 1: In Atlanta, Brian McCann hit a three-run homer, Kris Medlen pitched seven scoreless innings as Atlanta completed a sweep of Cleveland. McCann went deep in the third after Justin Upton kept the inning going with a two-out single. Upton had to leave the game in the sixth after being struck on the left hand by a pitch, but X-rays were negative. He is day-to-day. — Agencies
