Mark Teixeira belted a three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the New York Yankees to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday and end their three-game losing streak. Curtis Granderson, with a double and a home run, helped spark the Tigers to a 3-2 lead.
Hard-throwing right-handed reliever Joel Zumaya (3-3) came on and the Yankees rallied. Derek Jeter hit a single to right, Johnny Damon doubled and Teixeira hit the decisive blast into the second deck. Meanwhile, in other American League action, Clay Buchholz was a winner on his return to the Boston Red Sox rotation as they beat their American League rival Toronto Blue Jays 4-1. Buchholz pitched five and two thirds innings on the day he was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to earn his first victory in over a year.
He got support from a two-run Kevin Youkilis homer in the first inning an David Ortiz's two-run double in the fifth. Jim Thome had a career-high seven RBI, including a grand slam and a three-run shot, as the Chicago White Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 12-8. Felix Hernandez allowed two runs in eight innings as the Seattle Mariners beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2, while Evan Longoria struck a two-run homer to help the Tampa Bay Rays to an 8-7 win over the Kansas City Royals, and Jason Kubel's three-run homer led the Minnesota Twins to a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers.
In the National League, Albert Pujols hit two home runs to lead the St Louis Cardinals to a comfortable 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. St Louis kept their NL Central lead at three games from the Chicago Cubs, who beat the Washington Nationals 3-1. Bronson Arroyo earned his 10th win of the season with his second consecutive scoreless start as the Cincinnati Reds topped the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0, while Jair Jurrjens pitched six scoreless innings for the Atlanta Braves as they cruised past the New York Mets 11-0.
* Reuters