MLB: Royals’ Alex Gordon breaks out against Baltimore

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Gordon went 4 for 4 with a pair of three-run homers and a career-high six RBIs as Kansas City beat Baltimore 8-6 on Sunday.

Gordon connected off Ubaldo Jimenez (2-5) with two outs in the fifth inning. Gordon, who led the Royals with 20 home runs last year, had gone 134 at-bats without one.

He homered again in his next at-bat, a three-run shot off left-hander Troy Patton in the seventh after Eric Hosmer walked and Billy Butler doubled for his third hit.

Adam Jones hit a three-run homer off Royals reliever Aaron Crow in the ninth. It was the first runs Crow allowed in 20 relief appearances and 17 innings.

Greg Holland got two outs for his 12th save.

James Shields (6-3) picked up his fifth win in six starts, holding the Orioles to three runs over seven innings.

ANGELS 6, RAYS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Albert Pujols hit a pair of solo homers against David Price, and Matt Shoemaker took a shutout into the seventh inning to lead Los Angeles over Tampa Bay.

Pujols drove an 0-2 pitch over the center-field fence in the first inning. The three-time NL MVP increased the Angels’ advantage to 6-2 in the seventh with his 12th homer this season and the 504th of his career, tying Eddie Murray for 25th place.

Price became the 319th pitcher Pujols has homered off during the regular season.

Shoemaker (2-1) was charged with a run and two hits in six-plus innings. He struck out six, five days after earning his first major league win with a 4-3 victory at Philadelphia.

Price (4-4) gave up six runs — five earned — and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. Kevin Kiermaier hit his first big league homer for the Rays.

TIGERS 6, RED SOX 2

BOSTON — Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer, Torii Hunter added a solo shot and the streaking Detroit Tigers won their 11th straight road game to complete a three-game sweep of Boston.

It was the fifth consecutive win and 15th in 18 games for the Tigers, who have the majors’ best record at 27-12.

Ian Kinsler got four hits, and Miguel Cabrera had three hits and two RBIs as Detroit dominated the first matchup between the teams since losing last season’s AL championship series to the eventual World Series champion Red Sox.

It was the first time the Red Sox were swept at home by the Tigers since losing four games in June 1983.

Anibal Sanchez (1-2) came off the disabled list and went five innings for the win.

Jake Peavy (1-2) gave up five runs and 11 hits in six innings.

ATHLETICS 13, INDIANS 3

CLEVELAND — Yoenis Cespedes drove in a career-high five runs, Brandon Moss had three RBIs and Oakland completed a three-game sweep with a win over slumping Cleveland.

The Athletics, who have won nine of 10, outscored the Indians 30-6 in the series.

Oakland saved its best for the final game, pounding out 12 hits and drawing nine walks. Cespedes’ two-run double was the key hit in a four-run fifth. He also drove in two runs with another double in the eighth.

Moss was 3 for 3 with two walks and scored four runs. Josh Donaldson, who drove in seven runs in the series, had an RBI single and scored four times.

Jesse Chavez (4-1) gave up solo homers to Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley, accounting for both runs the right-hander allowed in five innings.

Cleveland has dropped four straight and six of eight. Justin Masterson (2-3) allowed seven runs, seven hits and five walks in 4 1-3 innings.

MARINERS 6, TWINS 2

MINNEAPOLIS — Felix Hernandez pitched eight strong innings and Robinson Cano had four hits in Seattle’s victory over Minnesota.

Hernandez (5-1) continued his recent domination of the Twins, giving up two runs and seven hits while striking out five and walking one. In his past four starts against Minnesota, Hernandez has pitched 34 innings and allowed three earned runs with 30 strikeouts.

Michael Saunders tripled, doubled and drove in two runs as Seattle snapped a four-game skid.

Ricky Nolasco (2-4) allowed three runs in five innings.

RANGERS 6, BLUE JAYS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Mitch Moreland hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, Alex Rios had a two-run triple and Texas avoided a three-game sweep with a victory against Toronto.

Making his second straight start at first base with Prince Fielder sidelined by a neck strain, Moreland hit a line drive just over the wall in right field off R.A. Dickey (4-4) to break a 2-all tie.

The Rangers had gone 23 innings without an extra-base hit when Rios drove one off the right-center wall in the fourth.

Juan Francisco and Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, who had won a franchise-record six straight in Texas, including a four-game sweep in their only visit last year.

Aaron Poreda (2-0) got the win for the Rangers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Blue Jays made a season-high four errors.

ASTROS 8, WHITE SOX 2

HOUSTON — Matt Dominguez homered twice and had four RBIs to lead Houston past Chicago.

Dominguez hit his sixth and seventh homers of the season off lefty John Danks (3-4). Both came with Dexter Fowler on base.

Backed by early run support, Brad Peacock (1-4) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. The Astros scored two runs or fewer in six of Peacock’s previous nine outings.

Chris Carter also homered for the Astros, who have won four of five. The White Sox have lost six of eight.

Chicago played without rookie slugger Jose Abreu, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with ankle tendinitis.

YANKEES 4, PIRATES 3, 1ST GAME

PIRATES 5, YANKEES 3, 2ND GAME

NEW YORK — Josh Harrison homered in the seventh inning to make up for a baserunning blunder and made a diving catch in left field that helped preserve Pittsburgh’s first win in the Bronx since the 1960 World Series.

Mark Teixeira had a two-run single and Brett Gardner added an RBI double as New York won the opener of the first single-admission twinbill at Yankee Stadium since 2004.

Starling Marte hit a two-run homer for the Pirates in the second game after striking out four times in the opener. Marte, though, left with left hamstring tightness in the seventh. Neil Walker and Tony Sanchez homered for Pittsburgh in the opener.

Former Yankees catcher Chris Stewart had two RBIs in the second game. Fill-in closer Mark Melancon, who broke into the big leagues with New York, pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

The Pirates had lost all eight games at Yankee Stadium in interleague play. They last beat New York on the road in Game 5 of the 1960 World Series.

Yangervis Solarte homered and singled for the Yankees, who had won four straight. Alfredo Aceves (0-2) took the loss.

Gerrit Cole (4-3), who turned down the Yankees when they drafted him in 2008 to go to UCLA, struck out eight in six sharp innings to help the Pirates snap a three-game skid.

In the opener, New York scored all its runs in the first two innings off Charlie Morton (0-6).

Hiroki Kuroda (3-3) allowed three runs in six innings for his first win since April 12. David Robertson got four outs for his eighth save.

GIANTS 4, MARLINS 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval homered for the first time in more than a month, Ryan Vogelsong won for just the second time in nine starts, and San Francisco salvaged a split of the four-game series.

Buster Posey returned from a day off to hit a sacrifice fly, while Tyler Colvin and Brandon Hicks each hit RBI singles in a stretch of four straight base hits with two outs in the first against Jacob Turner.

Staked to an early lead, Vogelsong (2-2) struck out six in seven innings as the Giants concluded a season-long stretch with 17 games in as many days. San Francisco avoided its first three-game home losing streak.

Turner (0-2) is still searching for his first road win, falling to 0-11 in 18 career road starts.

CUBS 4, BREWERS 2

CHICAGO — Travis Wood pitched two-hit ball for seven innings and Chicago got home runs from Welington Castillo and Mike Olt.

Wood (4-4) allowed two runs and struck out seven for the Cubs, who took two of three from the NL Central leaders to win a series for the second time this season. The left-hander walked three, all in the first inning.

Hector Rondon earned his fifth save in five chances after allowing a leadoff double to Ryan Braun in the ninth for Milwaukee’s third hit. The Brewers, who began the day with the NL’s best record, have scored 11 runs in five games.

Marco Estrada (3-2) gave up four runs and seven hits — five doubles and two homers — in five innings. In nine games this season, Estrada has served up 12 home runs, second-most in the majors.

ROCKIES 8, PADRES 6, 10 INNINGS

DENVER — Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and Colorado turned the third triple play in team history in its win over San Diego.

After Carlos Gonzalez singled earlier in the inning, Morneau lined a 3-2 fastball from Dale Thayer (2-2) to straightaway center. He was mobbed at home by his teammates.

It was the second walkoff homer for Colorado this season.

Nick Masset (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th for his first win with Colorado. LaTroy Hawkins blew his first save of the season in the ninth as he surrendered a tying two-run homer to Everth Cabrera.

Corey Dickerson had a two-run homer and Troy Tulowitzki added a solo shot in the fifth to keep up his hot hitting at Coors Field, where he’s batting .571 in 18 games.

The triple play in the third was Colorado’s first since Tulowitzki turned an unassisted one on April 29, 2007, against Atlanta.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, DODGERS 3

PHOENIX — Cody Ross hit his first home run of the year, Eric Chavez went deep for the second consecutive day and Arizona won a home series for the first time this season.

After setting a team record for runs Saturday night in an 18-5 rout, the Diamondbacks broke a 3-all tie with Chavez’s soaring, two-run shot off Dan Haren (5-2) in the fifth inning.

Ross, batting .163 entering the game after coming back from major hip surgery, also doubled for Arizona, which has won two straight over the Dodgers after losing eight of the first nine meetings this season.

Chris Owings singled three times and stole two bases for the Diamondbacks. The rookie is 9 for 11 against Haren.

Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez homered for the Dodgers, who have lost three of four.

Josh Collmenter (2-2) went 5 1-3 innings to get the win. Addison Reed threw a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

PHILLIES 8, REDS 3

PHILADELPHIA — Cody Asche, Jimmy Rollins, Wil Nieves and Marlon Byrd all homered to power Philadelphia’s victory.

Cliff Lee (4-4) struck out three in 6 2/3 innings for his first home victory of the season.

Cincinnati’s Devin Mesoraco had a career-high four hits, including two doubles, and an RBI. The Reds again played without the injured Joey Votto, who remained in Cincinnati during the three-game series with a strained quad.

Philadelphia’s offense came to life for a second straight day. Despite playing in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies entered Sunday second to last in the NL in home runs with 27.

NATIONALS 6, METS 3

WASHINGTON — Wilson Ramos drove in four runs and Ian Desmond homered to help Jordan Zimmermann earn his first win in three starts for Washington.

Desmond’s solo shot tied the score in the second inning and Ramos’ two-run double in the third put the Nationals ahead for good. The catcher drove in two more with a bases-loaded single in the fifth off starter Zack Wheeler (1-4), staking Washington to a 5-1 lead.

Zimmermann (3-1) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings hours after Washington put left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano shut out the Mets over the final three innings. Washington’s bullpen pitched 13 scoreless innings in the series as the Nationals took two of three.

Soriano worked the ninth for his 10th save.