ARLINGTON, Texas — Hiroki Kuroda pitched seven scoreless innings, Mariano Rivera got gifts before posting another save and the New York Yankees beat Texas 2-0 Thursday to split the four-game series. After David Robertson worked a 1-2-3 eighth, Rivera pitched the ninth for his 33rd save this season, extending his career record to 641. The Yankees took the lead for good when Brent Lillibridge's RBI double in the sixth made it 1-0 off Derek Holland (8-6). Kuroda (10-6) scattered six hits, striking out three and walking one. He is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in four July starts. The Rangers honored the retiring Rivera in a ceremony before his last regular-season game in Texas, presenting him with a pair of cowboy boots inscribed with the Yankees logo, his name and No. 42. He was also given a cowboy hat and a $5,000 donation was made to the Mariano Rivera Foundation that helps needy children. Blue Jays 4, Astros 0: Mark Buehrle pitched a two-hitter and the Toronto Blue Jays ended a season-worst seven-game losing streak, beating Houston. The last-place Blue Jays had been 0-6 since the All-Star break and had dropped 14 of 18 overall. The Astros have won just once since July 13 and have the worst record in baseball at 34-67. They've lost 18 of 22. Buehrle (6-7) struck out a season-high nine — his highest strikeout total since he fanned a career-high 12 against Seattle in April 2005 — and walked two in his first complete game of the season. Buehrle pitched his ninth career shutout, and first since throwing a perfect game against Tampa Bay in 2009. Erik Bedard (3-8) lost his fifth straight start. White Sox 7, Tigers 4: Jake Peavy pitched into the eighth inning and the Chicago White Sox beat Justin Verlander and Detroit as the Tigers again played minus Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera missed his third straight game because of an injured left hip flexor. The AL MVP left in the middle of Monday's game. Torii Hunter homered for the third time in the series. But the Tigers outfielder exited in the eighth and is day to day with a sore left Achilles. Royals 7, Orioles 1: Jeremy Guthrie pitched six solid innings, and Billy Butler homered in Kansas City's victory over Baltimore. The Royals, who limped into the All-Star break with five consecutive defeats, went 5-2 on the homestand against the Orioles and AL Central Division-leading Detroit. Guthrie (10-7), who won 47 games in five seasons with the Orioles, allowed six hits in six innings. He gave up one run, struck out five and walked one. Guthrie went 3-1 in July and his 10 victories are one shy of his career high, set in 2010 with the Orioles. The Royals had 10 hits, including two each by rookie David Lough and Jarrod Dyson. Mariners 8, Twins 2: Hisashi Iwakuma allowed four hits in six shutout innings, and Seattle scored six runs in the second en route to a rout of Minnesota. Iwakuma (10-4), who won his third straight decision, struck out nine and walked one. Since moving into the starting rotation on July 2, 2012, Iwakuma has gone 18-8 with a 2.78 ERA in 38 starts. Against the Twins, Iwakuma is 4-0 and hasn't allowed an earned run in 26 2-3 consecutive innings over his four starts. He has held the Twins to a .168 batting average with eight walks and 24 strikeouts. Angels 8, Athletics 3: Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo each drove in two runs to power the Los Angeles Angels past Oakland. C.J. Wilson (11-6) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings for his third straight victory — the past two against Dan Straily (6-4) and the A's. He struck out six and walked three. Josh Hamilton was 1 for 5 with an RBI after missing three games with a stiff right ankle for the Angels, who had scored just seven runs total while losing three of their previous four. The last time an opponent scored at least eight runs at the Oakland Coliseum was when the Angels lost 10-8 in 19 innings on April 29. — Agencies
