ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adrian Beltre hit a long home run and had a pair of RBI singles as the Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees 7-3 Wednesday night, winning their sixth consecutive series to start a season for the first time in franchise history.
Mike Napoli and Mitch Moreland also homered for the two-time defending AL champion Rangers (15-4), who have the best record in the majors.
Texas was ahead to stay after Beltre led off the second against Phil Hughes (1-3) with his third homer, a 441-foot drive that landed high on the grassy hill in straightaway center field. Beltre's first run-scoring single came an inning later when Texas added three more runs.
Rookie left-hander Robbie Ross (4-0) struck out two while working 2 2-3 perfect innings in relief of spot starter Scott Feldman.
RED SOX 7, TWINS 6
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mike Aviles homered and the Boston Red Sox bullpen just barely avoided another big collapse in a victory over Minnesota.
Alfredo Aceves struck out Denard Span with the bases loaded in the ninth inning for his fourth save in six chances as the Red Sox completed the sweep.
Dustin Pedroia tripled, doubled and singled for the Red Sox. The Twins have dropped five in a row.
Clay Buchholz (2-1) had another shaky outing for the Red Sox, giving up five runs on 10 hits with three walks in 5 1-3 innings.
The Red Sox led 7-1 after five innings, but their beleaguered bullpen was able to hang on with 3 2-3 scoreless innings of relief. Last Saturday, Boston blew a 9-0 lead against the Yankees.
Liam Hendriks (0-1) gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks in four innings.
MARINERS 9, TIGERS 1
DETROIT (AP) — Felix Hernandez allowed only a run in seven innings, rookie Alex Liddi hit a two-run homer and the Seattle Mariners went on to beat the slumping Detroit Tigers.
Hernandez (2-1) gave up a solo homer to Brennan Boesch in the third and not much else. The right-hander yielded four hits and three walks, giving all of the free passes in the first.
Adam Wilk (0-3) allowed six runs and eight hits in just two-plus innings. The rookie gave up just two runs in each of his first two starts.
The Tigers have lost five of six after starting 9-3. Seattle has won two straight after losing four in a row.
RAYS 3, ANGELS 2
Jeremy Hellickson overcame early struggles to pitch six effective innings and Ben Zobrist homered.
Hellickson (3-0), who held Los Angeles hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position through the second, allowed one run and five hits. Zobrist hit a solo shot off C.J. Wilson (2-2) during a two-run third.
Albert Pujols went 0 for 3, including two strikeouts, extending his hitless streak to 19 at-bats. The Angels slugger has not had a hit in five consecutive starts, which is the longest stretch in his big league career, but did walk in the eighth.
Pujols, with 445 homers, has not gone deep in 18 games this season, a span of 72 at-bats.
ROYALS 8, INDIANS 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Billy Butler hit two of Kansas City's four home runs to help the Royals snap a 12-game losing streak.
Butler's two-run blast off Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1) put the Royals ahead in the first. He added a solo shot in the ninth off reliever Jairo Asencio, following Alex Gordon's three-run homer against the reliever.
Eric Hosmer's two-run shot in the fifth made it 4-0 — the Royals' largest lead since April 8, when they beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3.
Luke Hochevar (2-1) allowed four hits and two runs over 6 1-3 innings, recovering from a horrendous home opener start April 13 when he gave up seven runs in the first inning of an 8-3 loss to Cleveland.
ORIOLES 3, BLUE JAYS 0
BALTIMORE (AP) — Jason Hammel pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis homered.
After limiting Toronto to one run on Tuesday, Baltimore became the first team this season to shut out the Blue Jays. The Orioles are 4-1 against Toronto after going 6-12 last year.
Hammel (3-0) struck out seven and walked one in lowering his ERA to 1.73 over four starts. The right-hander came to Baltimore in February with reliever Matt Lindstrom in the trade that sent Jeremy Guthrie to Colorado.
Lindstrom worked a perfect eighth and Pedro Strop got three outs for his second save in two nights as the replacement for closer Jim Johnson, who has been hospitalized since Monday with flulike symptoms.
