The Tampa Bay Rays matched a club record with 15 wins in April, reaching the mark with an 8-6 win over the Oakland Athletics in a clash of American League divisional leaders Tuesday. The AL East leaders improved baseball's best record to 15-5. The victory total equals the number they had in the opening month two years ago, when they made a surprising run to the World Series. Pat Burrell's three-run homer off Ben Sheets (1-2) snapped a 4-4 tie in the third inning. Reid Brignac's shot leading off the bottom of the fourth gave the hosts an 8-4 lead. Rays starter Eric Davis (2-1) weathered a shaky five innings to take the win. He gave up a three-run homer to Cliff Pennington, who had four hits and four RBIs – both career highs – for the A's. Twins 2, Tigers 0: In Detroit, Francisco Liriano pitched eight scoreless innings to lead Minnesota over Detroit. Liriano (3-0) struck out 10 and walked only one. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 23 in the series opener. He had his highest strikeout total since 2006, when he was en route to a 12-win season as a star rookie before injury intervened. Detroit starter Justin Verlander (1-2) took the loss despite giving up only an unearned run and striking out a season-high seven over 5 2-3 innings. Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1: In Toronto, Mike Lowell drove in the go-ahead run with a bases loaded walk as Boston beat Toronto. It was Boston's fifth straight victory in Toronto, and their fifth consecutive one-run game. The Red Sox are 4-1 in those games. One night after the teams combined for 25 runs in battering 13 pitchers, starters Clay Buchholz and Shaun Marcum gave the bullpens a break. Red Sox starter Buchholz (2-2) pitched eight strong innings, allowing one run to lower his ERA to 2.19. With Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon getting a day off, Ramon Ramirez worked the ninth for his first save of the season. Toronto reliever Scott Downs (0-3) loaded the bases in the eighth with two outs. Kevin Gregg came on to face Lowell and walked him on four pitches, his first walk this season. Indians 9, Angels 2: In Anaheim, Austin Kearns homered for the second straight game and drove in five runs to power Cleveland over Los Angeles. Kearns, who missed the final two months of last season with Washington after thumb surgery, has homered in consecutive games for the first time since 2007. His homer in the eighth inning was his first for a year. Shin-Soo Choo had two RBI singles for the Indians. Cleveland rookie pitcher Mitch Talbot (3-1) won his third straight start, allowing one run over 6 1-3 innings. He has allowed only two earned runs in 21 1-3 innings. Angels starter Joe Saunders (1-4) went five innings, giving up nine hits and four walks. Mariners 3, Royals 2: In Kansas City, pitcher Zack Greinke ended April winless in five starts after Kansas City's bullpen blew another lead in a loss to Seattle. Greinke (0-2), last year's AL Cy Young winner, threw seven scoreless innings and left with a 2-0 lead only to watch the bullpen give it away. The Mariners batted around in a three-run eighth off relievers Josh Rupe (0-1), Robinson Tejeda and Bruce Chen. Seattle's Shawn Kelley (1-0) earned the win with 1 2-3 perfect innings, while David Aardsma worked the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances. Rangers 4, White Sox 2: In Arlington, Matt Treanor had a solo homer and a two-run double for his first extra-base hits of the season as Texas downed Chicago. Treanor's big game came hours after the Rangers sent Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden, the two catchers on their season-opening roster, to the minors. Orioles 5, Yankees 4: In Baltimore, the hosts became the last team in the majors to record a home win, edging New York.
