Red Sox cruise by fading Jays

TORONTO — Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer, Clay Buchholz pitched 5 2/3 innings to earn his first major league win in more than a year and Boston beat Toronto 4-1.

David Ortiz added a two-run double in the Red Sox's fourth straight victory.

Toronto (44-47) has lost 13 of 16 to drop a season-high three games below .500.

Called up from Triple-A Pawtucket, where he was 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA, Buchholz (1-0) made his first major league start since Aug. 20. The win was his first since May 2, 2008. He allowed one run and four hits. Jonathan Papelbon went one inning for his 24th save.

Blue Jays rookie Ricky Romero (7-4) lost for the first time in seven starts, allowing four runs and five hits in 4 1-3 innings.

TWINS 5, RANGERS 3: At Arlington, Texas, Jason Kubel hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and Minnesota put a damper on Josh Hamilton's first home game in more than six weeks.

Kubel's homer in the third, after consecutive one-out hits by Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, put the Twins up 5-2 against Vicente Padilla (7-5).

Hamilton had three hits, including a two-run homer and an RBI single, in his first home game since May 31.

WHITE SOX 12, ORIOLES 8: At Chicago, Jim Thome hit a grand slam and a three-run homer for a career-high seven RBIs, carrying the Chicago White Sox to a 12-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

With 14 RBIs in the last three games, Thome increased his career total to 1,545 and passed Harry Heilmann and Willie Stargell into 41st place on baseball's all-time list. His previous single-game best was six; he did that four times, most recently at Baltimore on July 6, 2006 — which also was when he had hit his last grand slam.

YANKEES 5, TIGERS 3: At New York, Mark Teixeira hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh for New York.

The Yankees trailed 3-1 against rookie Luke French, then started the comeback with an unearned run in the fifth. Joel Zumaya (3-3) relieved to start the seventh, gave up a leadoff single to Derek Jeter and a long double to Johnny Damon.

RAYS 8, ROYALS 7: At Kansas City, Mo., Evan Longoria and Pat Burrell hit two-run homers in consecutive innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays rally for an 8-7 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Longoria, who missed Tuesday night's All-Star Game with an infected finger, connected against Juan Cruz (3-3) in the eighth to give the Rays the lead.