CLEVELAND: Justin Verlander dominated for eight innings and Don Kelly hit a three-run homer off Justin Masterson, leading the Detroit Tigers to their 10th straight win, 5-1 over the Cleveland Indians.
Verlander (12-8) allowed one run and four hits as the Tigers beat the Indians for 10th time in 11 games and opened a five-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central.
Kelly connected in the fifth inning off Masterson (13-8) and Miguel Cabrera picked up his 100th RBI as the Tigers improved to 11-3 against their nearest division rival.
The Indians, who are 24-10 against the Central’s three other teams, have to hope they can win the next two over Detroit to split the series.
To do that, they’ll have to beat Doug Fister and Max Scherzer.
Twins 7 Royals 0: Kansas City, Mo., Andrew Albers allowed four hits while pitching into the ninth inning in his major league debut, easily outdueling Royals ace James Shields and leading the Twins over Kansas City.
The first big leaguer from Saskatchewan in more than 20 years, Albers at one point retired 15 straight.
He was two outs shy of his third straight complete game dating back to Triple-A Rochester, and the first shutout in a big league debut since Detroit’s Andy Van Hekken did it in 2002.
White Sox 3 Yankees 2: In Chicago, Chris Sale allowed one run while outpitching Hiroki Kuroda in to the eighth inning, and the White Sox beat the Yankees.
Alex Rodriguez singled, walked, was hit by a pitch and lined out to center field after going 1 for 4 in his season debut Monday. The Yankees lost for the 13th time in 19 games after scoring a run in the ninth against closer Addison Reed.
A-Rod was on deck when Alfonso Soriano struck out to end it with a runner on first.
Red Sox 15 Astros 10: In Houston, Jacoby Ellsbury homered twice and Jonny Gomes added a three-run shot and the Red Sox rallied from a five-run deficit for a win over the Astros.
Catcher Ryan Lavarnway tied a major league record with four passed balls in the first inning as he struggled to handle pitches from knuckleballer Steven Wright, and the Astros took a 3-0 lead.
Houston extended its lead to 5-0 before Ellsbury’s two-run shot in a three-run third closed the gap.
The Astros led 7-3 before a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run double by Lavarnway gave Boston a one-run lead.
The Red Sox tacked on five more runs in the sixth, capped by the pinch-hit homer by Gomes.
Rangers 8 Angels 3: In Anaheim, Calif., Adrian Beltre drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth, Yu Darvish pitched seven solid innings, and the Rangers beat the Angels for their eighth win in nine games.
Elvis Andrus had three hits and scored the go-ahead run as the Rangers won their third straight and moved within one game of AL West-leading Oakland, which lost at Cincinnati.
Darvish (11-5) allowed eight hits in his least effective start since returning from the disabled list late last month.
But the major leagues’ strikeouts leader still escaped a seventh-inning jam, and he got the win when Beltre singled against Kevin Jepsen (1-3).
Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout led off the first inning with back-to-back homers for the Angels, who have lost nine of 12.
Blue Jays 7 Mariners 2: In Seattle, Jose Reyes homered on the first pitch of the game, added an RBI single to cap Toronto’s big fourth inning, and the Blue Jays handed Seattle ace Felix Hernandez his first loss since late May with a win over the Mariners.
The Blue Jays battered Hernandez (11-5) and knocked him out after just five innings, matching his shortest start of the season.
A leading contender for a second AL Cy Young Award, Hernandez got no help from his defense that committed three errors that led to three unearned runs while he was on the mound.
Interleague
Reds 3 Athletics 1: In Cincinnati, Jay Bruce homered and made a run-saving catch on the warning track, and Mat Latos pitched into the eighth inning against Oakland’s slumping lineup, leading the Reds to a victory over the Athletics.
The Reds had dropped seven of nine and were coming off what players called an embarrassing weekend against St. Louis — losses of 13-3 and 15-2.
They found an American League team struggling even more. The West-leading Athletics have lost five of six.
Latos (11-3) allowed four hits through 7 1-3 shutout innings, leaving him 3-0 in his last four starts.
Diamondbacks 6 Rays 1: In Phoenix, Cody Ross homered and Wade Miley allowed five hits in seven innings to help the Diamondbacks beat the Rays.
Miley (9-8) allowed one run, struck out five and walked two for his fifth win in his past six starts.
Eric Chavez had a pair of RBI doubles for the Diamondbacks, who pulled within five games of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Jeremy Hellickson (10-5) failed to pitch past the fifth inning for the second straight outing for the Rays, both against the Diamondbacks.
Orioles 4 Padres 1: In San Diego, Adam Jones tied his career high with four hits, including a home run, drove in two runs and scored twice against his hometown Padres as the Orioles beat San Diego.
Bud Norris (8-9) won his second straight start since joining the Orioles, holding San Diego to one run and five hits in six innings.
Jones homered into the balcony on the second level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left field corner at Petco Park leading off the fourth off Edinson Volquez. It was his 23rd.
Dominant Verlander leads Tigers past Indians 5-1
