After the Yankees unveiled a huge monument to their late owner, Jeter singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Curtis Granderson followed with his second home run of the night, a three-run drive that helped New York to an 8-6 victory Monday over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays in a key AL East matchup.
Winning the opener of a four-game series that started its final homestand, New York (91-59) opened a 1 1/2 -game lead over the Rays (89-60).
After Tampa rallied from a four-run deficit, Jeter’s hit off Matt Garza (14-9) followed Brett Gardner’s leadoff infield single and Francisco Cervelli’s hit-and-run single through the vacated hole at shortstop. With New York ahead 5-4, Granderson greeted Grant Balfour with a three-run homer.
Chad Gaudin (1-4) won in relief of rookie Ivan Nova .
Twins 9 Indians 3: In Minneapolis, Danny Valencia and Michael Cuddyer hit home runs and Brian Duensing got his 10th win for the Twins.
The victory, combined with the White Sox’s loss, cut the Twins’ magic number for winning the AL Central to two.
Cuddyer’s two-run shot capped the Twins’ four-run sixth after the Indians had closed within 4-3 in the top of the inning.
Duensing (10-2) has allowed three runs or fewer in 10 of 11 starts this season.
Jeanmar Gomez (3-5) allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings, is winless in his last six starts.
Angels 7 Rangers 4: In Anaheim, California, Torii Hunter drove in two runs to back Jered Weaver’s solid pitching and Los Angeles beat Texas, keeping the Rangers’ magic number at six for clinching their first AL West title since 1999.
Weaver (13-11) allowed three runs and nine hits over 6 2-3 innings.
As a result of Oakland’s win over the White Sox, the Rangers still lead the Athletics by nine games with 13 to play. — including a four-game road series against the A’s that begins Thursday night.
Derek Holland (3-4) was the loser.
Orioles 4 Red Sox 2: In Boston, Ty Wigginton had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Luke Scott followed with an RBI single in the seventh inning, lifting Baltimore over the Red Sox.
The Orioles, rejuvenated since Buck Showalter took over as manager Aug. 3, won for the 11th time 15 games. Baltimore won for just the fourth time in their last 21 games in Fenway Park.
David Hernandez (8-8) worked two innings of relief for the win.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-6) pitched 6 1-3 innings, allowing four runs, six hits, walking five and striking out four.
Tigers 7 Royals 5: In Detroit, Will Rhymes hit his first major league homer and Alex Avila drove in three runs and made a spectacular defensive play to lead the Tigers past Kansas City.
Detroit trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, then took the lead on Rhymes’ two-run homer off Zack Greinke (9-13).
Yuniesky Betancourt matched a career high with four hits for Kansas City, including a three-run homer.
Brad Thomas (6-2) earned the win with 1 2-3 innings of shutout relief. Tigers starter Rick Porcello gave up five runs and 12 hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Athletics 3 White Sox 0: In Oakland, California, Chris Carter finally got his first major league hit, Boof Bonser won for the first time in more than two years and the Athletics sent the White Sox to their seventh straight loss.
Bonser (1-0) tossed a perfect seventh for his first major league win since June 4, 2008, with Minnesota against Baltimore.
Scott Linebrink (3-2) allowed all three runs — one earned — in the seventh.
Carter was hitless in his first 33 at-bats, the longest streak to start a career by a non-pitcher since Texas’ Vic Harris began 0 for 36 in 1972.
