NEW YORK: Ichiro Suzuki homered for the first time since last August, prolonging extended slumps against the New York Yankees for Mark Buehrle and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Suzuki hit a go-ahead, three-run shot in the third inning, and the Yankees overcame an early deficit to beat the Blue Jays 6-4 Friday night for their 17th straight home win against Toronto.

Jose Bautista hit two homers to reach 20 for the fifth straight season. He also doubled and drove in four runs, but Buehrle couldn’t hold leads of 3-0 and 4-2. The All-Star left-hander dropped to 1-12 against the Yankees, including 10 straight losses over the past decade.

New York won for the seventh time in eight games since the All-Star break and moved one game in front of the third-place Blue Jays in the AL East. The Yankees are 26-10 against Toronto since September 2012.

Nationals 4, Reds 1: Right-hander Tanner Roark pitched seven strong innings and center fielder Denard Span had four hits and an RBI, lifting the Washington Nationals to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Roark (10-6) allowed one earned run and three hits, walked one and struck out six to become the Nationals’ first 10-game winner.

Span continued his hot hitting, going 4-for-5 for Washington (56-44), which maintained first place in the National League East.

Rays 6, Red Sox 4:

Left-hander David Price pitched eight strong innings and third baseman Evan Longoria hit a three-run double in the decisive seventh inning, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Dueling against Red Sox ace Jon Lester in front of a crowded section of scouts preparing for the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, Price (11-7, 3.08 ERA) struck out 10 and allowed only three runs as he picked up his sixth win in his last six starts.

But it was Longoria who delivered in the biggest moment, clearing the bases and breaking a 3-3 tie in the seventh with a double down the left-field line.

Phillies 9, Diamondbacks 5:

The Philadelphia Phillies raced out to an early lead and added plenty of insurance to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5. The Phillies battered Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley (6-7) for six runs in five innings and then pushed across three more to trump a pinch-hit grand slam by Arizona outfielder Alfredo Marte in the sixth.

Padres 5, Braves 2: Rookie pitcher Jesse Hahn allowed only three hits over six strong innings to pace the San Diego Padres to a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Hahn allowed one run, struck out four and walked three in improving to 6-2.

The Padres stretched their winning streak to three games by scoring in four of the first five innings, paced by first baseman Tommy Medica’s four hits.

Cubs 7, Cardinals 6: Luis Valbuena hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, Ryan Sweeney had four RBIs and the Chicago Cubs held on for a 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs overcame deficits of 3-0 and 6-5, blowing a two-run lead of their own in the process.

White Sox 9, Twins 5: Three batters into the game, the Chicago White Sox had a three-run lead, running away from the Minnesota Twins in a 9-5 win.

Minnesota starter Kevin Correia gave up three runs in the first and two runs in each the third and fourth innings, driving the right-hander from the game after four innings.

Chicago right fielder Dayan Viciedo tied a career high with four hits, including his 20th double of the year and first baseman Jose Abreu cleared the bases with a three-run homer in the first.

Rangers 4, A’s 1: Right-handed pitcher Jerome Williams limited the Oakland Athletics to one run over six innings in the Texas Rangers’ 4-1 victory over the A’s.

Williams (1-4) gave up five hits while striking out four and walking none as a fill-in in Texas’ injury-riddled starting rotation.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Rangers’ two-run sixth, first baseman J.P. Arencibia and right fielder Alex Rios each had run-scoring base hits in the second and third innings, respectively and left fielder Jim Adduci had an RBI in the sixth.

Marlins 2, Astros 0: Brad Hand carried a shutout into the eighth inning, carrying the Miami Marlins to a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros.

Hand (2-2) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out four before departing with one out in the eighth after Astros catcher Jason Castro stroked a double to right field.

Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis broke the stalemate with his two-run, two-out double in the top of the seventh.

Royals 6, Indians 4: Billy Butler crushed a two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 triumph over the Cleveland Indians.

Butler drove John Axford’s second pitch out for his fourth home run and his second career pinch home run.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana had two home runs.

Mets 3, Brewers 2: Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning as the New York Mets rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

All three Mets runs came off Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez (4-4), who has 29 saves this season but a 4.50 ERA in six July appearances.

He allowed a leadoff double to third baseman Daniel Murphy, who scored on a single by third baseman David Wright before Duda smacked a first-pitch fastball to right for his 17th of the year.