ARLINGTON, Texas—Scott Kazmir went eight innings to win his career-best sixth straight start, Evan Longoria hit one of Tampa Bay’s four homers and the Rays beat the Texas Rangers 12-4 Friday night.

Kazmir (6-1) allowed two runs and six hits, struck out six and walked none. B.J. Upton, Dioner Navarro and Eric Hinske also connected to help the Rays avoid matching their longest skid of the season.

The Rangers had scored eight or more runs in their previous six games, but Kazmir kept them in check as Tampa Bay pulled within a half-game of the first-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

All was calm with the Rays following Thursday night’s bench-clearing brawl with the Red Sox.

Tampa Bay pitchers James Shields (six games) and Edwin Jackson (five), outfielders Jonny Gomes (five) and Carl Crawford (four), and second baseman Akinori Iwamura (three) were suspended for their role in the incident.

All five were available for the opener of the three-game series due to appeals and because the suspensions were scheduled to start at staggered times.

Vicente Padilla (7-3) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings for the Rangers. He had won a career-best seven straight decisions.

Padilla retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced before Longoria belted his eighth homer leading off the fifth to tie it at 1.

Upton hit a solo drive and Cliff Floyd scored on Padilla’s wild pitch in the sixth to make it 3-1.

The Rays scored three in the eighth and six in the ninth. Navarro hit a two-run homer off Robinson Tejeda in the eighth and Hinske had a two-run drive in the ninth.

Ian Kinsler hit a solo drive in the eighth for Texas.

Padilla missed a start while he was on bereavement leave earlier this week. He was in his native Nicaragua attending to a personal family matter before returning late Thursday night.

Rangers shortstop Michael Young was scratched from the lineup due to a bruised left ring finger. Young had started 60 of Texas’ first 62 games and currently carries a 21-game hitting streak, longest in the majors this season and four short of his career high.



Mariners 8, Red Sox 0

BOSTON—Felix Hernandez held a Boston lineup without Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz to six hits over six innings and the Seattle Mariners snapped a four-game losing streak with an 8-0 victory over the Red Sox on Friday night.

Hernandez (4-5) won for the second time in as many starts after going seven starts without a win. It was his first road victory since April 16. He walked three and struck out five.

The Mariners, losers of 29 of their last 40, capitalized on some shoddy Red Sox fielding. Three Boston errors, two by starter Bartolo Colon, led to the Mariners’ first three runs.

Richie Sexson, Ichiro Suzuki and Jose Vidro all had two RBIs for the Mariners.

Bartolo Colon (3-1) lost for the first time in his Red Sox career. He allowed three earned runs and eight hits over five innings.

Sean Casey had three hits for the Red Sox.



Indians 4, Tigers 2

DETROIT—Paul Byrd pitched seven sharp innings to earn his 100th career win and Casey Blake had a two-run double in Cleveland’s three-run fourth, leading the Indians to a victory over the Tigers.

Byrd (3-5) allowed two runs and four hits to improve to 9-2 against Detroit.

Ryan Garko hit a solo drive in the eighth for Cleveland, which has split the first eight games of its 11-game road trip. The Indians also picked up their 1,000th win against Detroit.

The Tigers have lost four straight to fall a season-worst 12 games under .500.

Justin Verlander (2-9) fell to 1-6 in his last eight starts, giving up three runs and five hits over seven innings. He struck out a season-high eight and issued four walks.



Royals 2, Yankees 1

NEW YORK—Kyle Davies won his second consecutive start since being called up from the minors and struggling Kansas City earned a rare victory at Yankee Stadium while snapping an 11-game road skid.

David DeJesus hit an RBI single and the Royals got splendid relief work from Ron Mahay and Joakim Soria to win for only the third time in 18 games overall.

With its first road victory since May 18 at Florida, Kansas City improved to 2-19 in its last 21 visits to Yankee Stadium—and 6-33 since the start of the 1998 season.

Darrell Rasner (3-3) picked up a hard-luck loss as New York lost for only the second time in its past nine home games.

Davies (2-0) gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. The right-hander was called up from Triple-A Omaha last Saturday and beat Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia 4-2 to end Kansas City’s 12-game losing streak.



Orioles 6, Blue Jays 5

TORONTO—Melvin Mora, Kevin Millar and Adam Jones all homered in Baltimore’s six-run eighth inning and the Orioles beat Toronto.

Toronto right-hander Shaun Marcum blanked Baltimore through seven innings but left after Brian Roberts opened the eighth with a double. Nick Markakis singled home Roberts on the first pitch he saw from left-hander Brian Tallet and Mora followed with a two-run homer to center, his 10th, making it 4-3.

The Orioles added three more runs on homers by Millar and Jones off Armando Benitez (0-1).

Dennis Sarfate (3-1) got the win by retiring one batter in the seventh and George Sherrill closed it out in the ninth for his 21st save.



White Sox 10, Twins 6

CHICAGO—Carlos Quentin hit a three-run homer that deflected off right fielder Michael Cuddyer’s glove and Joe Crede went 4-for-4 with two homers as the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 10-6 on Friday night.

The victory on a blustery night at U.S. Cellular Field was the White Sox’s fourth straight since a tirade from manager Ozzie Guillen last Sunday about the team’s struggling offense. Chicago had 16 hits and increased its lead in the AL Central to 3 1/2 games over the second-place Twins.

Quentin, the White Sox’s surprise star this season, hit his 16th homer to cap a six-run fifth inning.

Crede, who had to leave Wednesday night’s game and sit out Thursday’s with a bruised right wrist, hit solo shots in the third and sixth and had two singles. Jermaine Dye had Chicago’s fourth homer of the night.