ARLINGTON — Roy Oswalt pitched efficiently into the seventh inning in his first start of the season and the Texas Rangers won their seventh straight, beating the slumping Colorado Rockies 4-1 Friday. Oswalt (1-0) allowed one run and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings to win for the first time since Sept. 27. The 34-year-old pitched with Philadelphia last season and signed with the Rangers on May 29. Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli both homered for Texas, which improved to a major-league best 13-3 in interleague play. Pirates 4, Tigers 1: A.J. Burnett pitched six shutout innings to win his seventh consecutive start and the Pittsburgh Pirates won for the fifth time in six games, over the Detroit Tigers. Burnett (8-2) allowed two hits and three walks and struck out four to extend his streak of starts that resulted in victories to the longest for a Pirates pitcher in 38 years. Doc Ellis won eight consecutive outings in 1974. Burnett matched his career high by winning a seventh consecutive decision. Orioles 2, Nationals 1: Jason Hammel pitched eight innings of five-hit ball and had a career high-tying 10 strikeouts to lead the Baltimore Orioles past the Washington Nationals. Coming off a one-hit shutout against Atlanta, Hammel (8-2) allowed an unearned run in improving to 5-0 lifetime against Washington. The right-hander has gone 19 straight innings without giving up an earned run, a streak that began on June 10 against Philadelphia. Braves 4, Red Sox 1: Jair Jurrjens made an impressive return to the majors by limiting the Boston Red Sox to one run and three hits, leading the Atlanta Braves to a win. Jurrjens, an All-Star last season when he topped the Braves with 13 wins, worked 7 2/3 innings and left after allowing an RBI double by Daniel Nava that drove in Will Middlebrooks, who led off the eighth with a double. Adrian Gonzalez's single in the first was Boston's only other hit. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 22 opportunities. Cardinals 11, Royals 4: Carlos Beltran hit two two-run doubles in his return to Kauffman Stadium, and the St. Louis Cardinals pounded Vin Mazzaro and the Kansas City Royals. David Freese and Tyler Greene added two RBIs each for St. Louis, and everybody in the starting lineup had a hit before the fourth inning ended. Jon Jay returned from the disabled list to go 1 for 5 and score twice, and Matt Carpenter came off the DL to go 2 for 4 with an RBI. Indians 2, Astros 0: Shin-Soo Choo hit a leadoff triple and Michael Brantley drove in a run late to back up a strong start by Ubaldo Jimenez and the Cleveland Indians got a win over the Houston Astros. Brewers 1, White Sox 0, 10 innings: Zack Greinke pitched three-hit ball over nine innings, Rickie Weeks drove in the lone run with a single in the 10th and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox. Blue Jays 12, Marlins 5: Jose Bautista homered and drove in three runs, Kelly Johnson also had three RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the skidding Miami Marlins. Twins 5, Reds 4: Ryan Doumit and Ben Revere each had four hits, leading the Minnesota Twins to a victory that gave the Cincinnati Reds their season-high fourth straight loss. Mets 6, Yankees 4: Ike Davis received a bit of help from the New York Yankees on his three-run homer and Frank Francisco closed out the Mets' victory after calling their crosstown rivals “chickens.” Rays-Phillies postponed: Friday night's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies has been postponed by rain. It will be made up as part of a split-admission doubleheader Sunday. Other results: Atlanta 4, Boston 1; San diego 9, Seattle 5; LA Angeles 8, Dodgers 5. — Agencies
