BOSTON – Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis homered as the Boston Red Sox improved to 7-0 against the New York Yankees this season with a 6-5 victory in the American League on Wednesday.
The Red Sox have beaten the Yankees eight straight times dating to the last game of last season – their longest winning streak against their longtime rivals since 1912.
Tim Wakefield (8-3) beat the Yankees for the second straight time after losing to them in nine of his previous 10 decisions.
Mark Teixeira went 4 for 5 for New York, including his AL-leading 19th homer. Wang Chien-Ming (0-4) lasted just 2 2-3 innings. Wang, restored to the rotation after two scoreless relief appearances, gave up four runs and six hits.
Wakefield allowed eight hits in six innings and improved to 5-0 at Fenway Park in five starts this year.
At Chicago, Detroit’s Justin Verlander pitched a six-hitter for his first victory ever at US Cellular Field, a 2-1 win over Chicago White Sox.
Jim Thome hit his 552nd home run and John Danks pitched 7 1-3 strong innings, but the White Sox still fell 6{ games behind AL Central-leading Detroit. Adam Everett homered for the Tigers, who have won five of their last six games.
Verlander (7-2) has a 7-0 record and league-low 1.10 ERA since April 27. Going into the game, he had been 0-6 with a 5.92 ERA in eight starts at US Cellular Field and 2-9 with a 5.90 ERA all-time against the White Sox.
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar homered and Tampa Bay stopped a three-game losing streak, beating Anaheim Angels, 9-5.
Pena hit a solo homer in the third inning and Aybar added a two-run shot off John Lackey (1-2) for a 9-5 lead in the fifth. Aybar had an RBI single in Tampa Bay’s five-run second against Lackey, who had won nine of 10 previous decisions against Tampa Bay.
The Rays rallied from a 3-0 deficit to build a 7-3 lead for Jeff Niemann, but the rookie right-hander lasted just 3 2-3 innings.
At Cleveland, Gil Meche tied a career high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings and Kansas City hit three home runs to beat Cleveland, 9-0.
Alberto Callaspo had a career-high four hits, including his first career grand slam, for Kansas City. The Royals got two-run homers from Jose Guillen and Miguel Olivo. Meche (3-5) allowed four hits and three walks in winning for the first time in seven starts.
At Baltimore, Jose Lopez homered twice and Felix Hernandez pitched seven solid innings for Seattle’s 4-1 win over Baltimore.
Lopez finished with three hits, raising his batting average over the last 11 games to .364 (16 for 44). He hit a solo drive in the second and a two-run shot in the sixth for his third career multihomer game. (AP)