The way New York has been playing lately, the All-Star game might not be the last marquee event at Yankee Stadium.
Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning and drove in three runs, leading the surging Yankees past the Minnesota Twins 8-2 on Tuesday night, their ninth consecutive victory at home.
“We’re playing great right now,” said Robinson Cano, who is hitting .522 since the All-Star break. “We’re doing our job with men on base better than the first half.”
Cano had two RBI singles in the win.
The home winning streak is New York’s longest since a nine-game run in May 2005.
“You’ve got to take advantage of being at home,” manager Joe Girardi said. “The most important thing to me is that we’re playing better.”
The Yankees (55-45) reached 10 games over .500 for the first time this year. They moved within 3 1/2 games of first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East, the closest they’ve been to first since May 14.
Minnesota, which is 1 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the AL Central, dropped to 3-18 at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2002 season. The Twins (55-45) have lost seven straight series in the Bronx.
In other AL games, it was: Oakland 8, Tampa Bay 1; Chicago 10, Texas 2; Toronto 10, Baltimore 8; Boston 4, Seattle 2; Los Angeles 3, Cleveland 2, and Detroit 7, Kansas City 1.
New York’s bullpen came through again after Darrell Rasner was pulled in the sixth. David Robertson (2-0) relieved Rasner with runners at the corners in the sixth and retired Delmon Young on one pitch to keep New York’s deficit at 2-1.
Jose Veras pitched a scoreless seventh, Kyle Farnsworth struck out three in a hitless eighth and Dan Giese finished.
The Yankees relievers have a 1.60 ERA over the past 21 games.
“The bullpen’s been incredible,” Rasner said. “Some things are coming together.”
Athletics 8, Rays 1
At St. Petersburg, Fla., Dallas Braden allowed one run over five innings and Jack Hannahan hit a three-run homer as Oakland ended a six-game losing streak with a win over Tampa Bay.
Braden (2-0) gave up four hits, walked four and struck out one. Braden was making his first start of the season, replacing Joe Blanton, who was traded to Philadelphia last Thursday.
Hannahan put the Athletics ahead 3-1 in the fourth with his homer off Andy Sonnanstine (10-5).
The Rays, who are in first place in the AL East, dropped to 39-16 at home this season. Tampa Bay has lost nine of 12 overall.
White Sox 10, Rangers 2
At Chicago, Mark Buehrle pitched 7 1-3 innings and Alexei Ramirez hit the first grand slam of his career for Chicago.
Nick Swisher hit a three-run homer, Jermaine Dye had three hits and Jim Thome reached base four times as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak.
Pitching on three days’ rest so he could attend his grandfather’s funeral in Missouri, Buehrle (8-8) gave up a leadoff triple to Hank Blalock in the second and then retired 15 of the next 16 batters.
Buehrle’s last start against the Rangers was his no-hitter on April 18, 2007. He allowed one run, six hits and no walks.
Luis Mendoza (2-4) gave up an RBI double to Dye in the first, and Swisher’s three-run homer and A.J. Pierzynski’s RBI single in the fourth that made it 5-0.
Blue Jays 10, Orioles 8
At Baltimore, Adam Lind had a career-high four hits, including a three-run homer, and light-hitting John McDonald had four RBIs for Toronto.
Alex Rios homered for the Blue Jays, who trailed 4-0 after three innings and 7-6 after five.
Toronto’s Shaun Marcum, making his first start in over a month after being sidelined with elbow soreness, gave up seven runs and eight hits, including three homers, in 4 2-3 innings.
Jesse Carlson (2-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings of one-hit relief and B.J. Ryan worked the ninth for his 19th save.
Melvin Mora went 4-for-5 with a season-high five RBIs for Baltimore. Nick Markakis and Ramon Hernandez homered for the Orioles, who have lost 10 of 14.
Red Sox 4, Mariners 2
At Seattle, Daisuke Matsuzaka continued his masterful pitching away from Fenway Park, and J.D. Drew hit a first-inning homer for Boston.
After dropping five straight on the road, the Red Sox seem to have found a remedy against the Mariners, who fell a season-worst 24 games under .500 (38-62) with their fourth straight loss.
Matsuzaka (11-1) held Seattle to five hits and shut out Seattle into the eighth, improving to 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in eight starts away from home.
Matsuzaka saw his scoreless innings streak end at 24 1-3 when Ichiro Suzuki lined an RBI double with one out in the eighth. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 30th save.
Angels 3, Indians 2
At Anaheim, Calif., Jeff Mathis hit a go-ahead solo homer in the fifth inning to lead Los Angeles.
Angels right-hander Jered Weaver, making his first start since July 9, threw 77 pitches over three innings then left with tightness in the middle of his back. He allowed two runs and three hits. Darren Oliver (4-1) relieved and allowed one hit in 2 2-3 innings for the victory.
Mathis, in a 5-for-33 rut, led off the fifth against Matt Ginter (1-1) with his seventh homer.
Francisco Rodriguez got his 41st save – surpassing last season’s total with 62 games remaining.
Tigers 7, Royals 1
At Kansas City, Mo., Kenny Rogers pitched six strong innings and Placido Polanco homered and drove in two runs for Detroit.
Magglio Ordonez had three of the Tigers’ 12 hits and drove in two runs.
Rogers (8-6) did not come back after a 2-hour, 20-minute rain delay in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up four hits and one run. In his past 11 starts, Rogers is 4-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
The Tigers are 27-13 in their past 40 games, the most wins in the majors during that stretch, going from 12 games below .500 on June 6 to two games above.
Kyle Davies (3-2) allowed two runs and five hits in four innings.
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