CLEVELAND – Everything is going the Indians’ way. There’s no dispute or debate about that.

One day after the home run that wasn’t, Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher and Mark Reynolds connected for homers, and Scott Kazmir (2-1) struck out 10 in six innings, leading Cleveland to a 9-2 win over Oakland on Thursday and a four-game sweep of the Athletics.

“Our starting pitching is giving us a chance to win,” Indians Manager Terry Francona said. “We have a very good bullpen. We’re playing well defensively. A lot of guys are contributing offensively. That’s a good way to play baseball.”

Kipnis hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Bartolo Colon (3-2) for the Indians, who improved to 13-4 since April 20.

RAYS 5, BLUE JAYS 4: Luke Scott drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th inning to give host Tampa Bay a win.

The game featured a rare matchup of reigning Cy Young Award winners, but David Price and R.A. Dickey were not involved in the decision.

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It was only the third time since the Cy Young has been awarded in both leagues that reigning winners have faced each other the following season.

Kyle Farnsworth (2-0) pitched one inning to get the win.

ROYALS 6, ORIOLES 2: Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer homered in a four-run fourth inning, and Jeremy Guthrie (5-0) pitched effectively against his former team as Kansas City won at Baltimore to avoid a three-game sweep.

Gordon and Hosmer both connected against Freddy Garcia (0-1) with a runner on. It was Gordon’s third home run in three games and Hosmer’s first in 145 at-bats dating back to last year.

Mike Moustakas also homered for the Royals, who snapped a three-game skid and averted being swept for the first time this season.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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METS 3, PIRATES 2: Center fielder Juan Lagares robbed Andrew McCutchen of a go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning, then pinch-hitter Mike Baxter’s single in the bottom half gave host New York the win.

Baxter delivered his second winning pinch-hit in three days. His 10th-inning single Tuesday beat the Chicago White Sox.

This time, Baxter batted for Lagares and won it.

Lagares was equally responsible for the victory. Before the game, Mets Manager Terry Collins said the rookie might win a game with his glove — he was right, maybe sooner than he expected.

INTERLEAGUE

NATIONALS 5, TIGERS 4: Ryan Mattheus, Drew Storen and Rafael Soriano combined for shutout relief after Dan Haren nearly squandered a four-run lead as Washington took a two-game sweep at home.

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Adam LaRoche singled in the first and second innings for his first consecutive multi-hit games this season, helping the Nationals to their first four-game winning streak of the year.

Ryan Zimmerman, in a 2-for-14 slide coming in, had three hits.

YANKEES 3, ROCKIES 1: CC Sabathia and five relievers held Colorado to four hits, Robinson Cano added a solo homer and New York won at Denver in a game delayed more than two hours by rain.

Cano also had an infield single in the third for his 1,500th hit as the Yankees took 2 of 3 from Colorado.


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