NEW YORK—Mike Lowell hit a go-ahead, three-run homer two innings after Kevin Youkilis’ shot squirted out of Johnny Damon’s glove, bounced off the top of the left-field wall three times, and sat on the fence for several tantalizing seconds.

Youkilis’ ball rolled back to the field for a tying, two-run triple, helping spark the Red Sox to a soggy come-from-behind 6-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday.

Damon bruised and sprained his left shoulder on Youkilis’ triple and left the game, and the Yankees lost for the fifth time in six games.

Josh Beckett (8-5) recovered from a three-run first inning that included a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez, and a sacrifice fly by Jason Giambi. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances, completing a six-hitter.

Darrell Rasner (4-7) allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings, losing for the seventh time in eight starts.



Athletics 7, White Sox 1

CHICAGO—Jack Cust hit a two-run homer and Joe Blanton pitched seven solid innings to lead the Athletics to the win.

Emil Brown and Wes Bankston both had three hits for Oakland, which finished with 17 hits.

The White Sox dropped their second consecutive game after winning seven straight, and their lead in the AL Central fell to one game with the Twins’ victory over Cleveland.

Blanton (5-11) allowed one run and six hits.



Twins 12, Indians 3

MINNEAPOLIS—Delmon Young hit a three-run homer and finished with a season-high four RBIs to help the Twins win for the 14th time in their last 16 games.

Nick Punto homered and also had four RBIs for Minnesota.

Livan Hernandez (9-5) allowed home runs to Kelly Shoppach and Ben Francisco, but held the Indians to three runs and five hits over six innings.

Paul Byrd (3-10) allowed six runs and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings for slumping Cleveland, which has lost six straight.

The Indians also cut closer Joe Borowski, saying goodbye to last season’s AL saves leader two days after he blew his fourth save in 10 chances in a loss to the Chicago White Sox.



Mariners 4, Tigers 1

SEATTLE—Raul Ibanez clanged a solo home run off the windows of a restaurant in right field and a pair of Seattle relievers helped finish what Erik Bedard started.

Jose Lopez added a key two-run double late to help the Mariners win for the eighth time in 11 games. Ibanez’s 10th homer of the season broke a 1-all tie in the fourth, and Lopez sealed the victory with a two-out, two RBI double off Detroit starter Kenny Rogers (6-6) in the eighth.

It made a winner out of Seattle starter Bedard (6-4) even though he called it a day after five innings. The Mariners bullpen turned in four shutout innings, capped by Brandon Morrow’s sixth save in six chances after getting the final out of the eighth and working the ninth.



Orioles 10, Rangers 4

BALTIMORE—Freddie Bynum tied a career high with three RBIs, and the Orioles roughed up 10-game winner Vicente Padilla.

Adam Jones and Brandon Fahey both drove in two runs and scored twice for Baltimore, which built an 8-1 lead in the third inning. The victory moved Baltimore percentage points ahead of the New York Yankees into third place in the AL East.

Padilla (10-5) allowed a career-high tying eight runs and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

Milton Bradley went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Texas, and Ian Kinsler had two singles to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Jeremy Guthrie (5-7) permitted four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings for Baltimore.



Rays 11, Royals 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Edwin Jackson took a two-hitter into the eighth inning and Carlos Pena homered and drove in five runs to help AL East-leading Tampa Bay win its fifth straight.

Jackson (5-6) matched his win total for last season, limiting the Royals to David DeJesus’ first-inning single and Mark Grudzielanek’s solo homer in the seventh before giving up two singles and an unearned run in the eighth.

Tampa Bay won for the ninth time in 10 games, improved baseball’s best record to 53-32, and maintained a three-game lead in the AL East over second-place Boston.

Pena’s first homer since June 3 was a three-run shot off Brian Bannister (7-8) that made it 7-0 in the fifth. He also had a RBI single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the third.