NEW YORK – Ivan Nova was sharp in his return from a shoulder injury and the New York Yankees got back-to-back home runs from Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each had an RBI single for the Yankees, who regained sole possession of first place in the AL East when Baltimore lost at Oakland.
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Evan Longoria homered for the third-place Rays, who fell four games behind New York.
Nova (12-7) missed a little more than three weeks because of inflammation in his right rotator cuff. Making his first start since Aug. 21, he was charged with two runs and four hits in six-plus innings. He struck out eight and walked two, improving to 5-1 in eight career starts against Tampa Bay.
ATHLETICS 5, ORIOLES 2: Stephen Drew homered and made a pair of big defensive plays to back Jarrod Parker as Oakland beat visiting Baltimore.
WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 3: Francisco Liriano took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Paul Konerko homered and drove in three runs, and visiting Chicago maintained a one-game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.
Liriano (6-11) was tremendous against his former team, allowing only a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh to Trevor Plouffe. He walked two, hit a batter and struck out nine in seven innings.
TIGERS 5, INDIANS 3: Anibal Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Detroit won at Cleveland despite losing a run on an appeal play.
Sanchez (3-5) gave up three hits and two runs, and struck out seven over 62/3 innings.
ROYALS 3, ANGELS 2: Ernesto Frieri needed just four pitches to ruin a spectacular start by Zack Greinke, giving up back-to-back home runs to Billy Butler and Salvador Perez in the ninth inning as Kansas City rallied to stun visiting Los Angeles.
MARINERS 8, RANGERS 6: Justin Smoak homered in the eighth and drove in a run in the ninth to lead Seattle to a win at Arlington, Texas.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BRAVES 5, NATIONALS 4: Reliever Ryan Mattheus hit Andrelton Simmons’ uniform with a bases-loaded pitch in the eighth inning, giving Atlanta a win over visiting Washington.
PIRATES 7, CUBS 6: Andrew McCutchen homered and reached base four times, and visiting Pittsburgh held off a late rally to snap a seven-game losing streak.
BREWERS 9, METS 6: Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer during a five-run fourth inning to lift Milwaukee past visiting New York.
GIANTS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2: Buster Posey had a two-run homer to lead visiting San Francisco.
DODGERS 4, CARDINALS 3: Luis Cruz hit a tying two-out RBI double in the ninth inning, and pinch-hitter Juan Rivera followed with a run-scoring single at Los Angeles.
ASTROS 5, PHILLIES 0: Dallas Keuchel pitched five-hit ball into the sixth inning as Houston won at home.
MARLINS 6, REDS 4: Carlos Lee homered and drove in three runs in Miami’s home victory.
PADRES 4, ROCKIES 3: Casey Kelly carried a shutout into the seventh inning and Jesus Guzman hit a three-run homer, leading San Diego to a win at home.
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