BOSTON — Bartolo Colon made a solid return to the majors after recovering from an elbow injury, posting his first win since last June as Boston beat Kansas City 6-3 on Wednesday night.
The 2005 Cy Young winner allowed two runs and struck out four in five innings in his first game since Sept. 29, when he pitched one scoreless relief inning for the Los Angeles Angels. He became a free agent after the season then signed a minor league contract with Boston on Feb. 25.
Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the first, and scored three runs for Boston, which won its sixth straight, while Dustin Pedroia had three hits and Jason Varitek added a solo homer.
Joey Gathright scored all three runs for Kansas City and reached base on all four at-bats with two singles and two walks.
Angels 4, Blue Jays 3
TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero hit two home runs and Jon Garland remained unbeaten in Toronto.
It was the 34th career multihomer game for Guerrero, who came in batting .260 with four homers, his lowest career totals after 45 games.
Guerrero hit a solo shot to center in the first and added a three-run drive into the second deck in left in the third. He finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Garland (5-3) has lost just once in his past seven starts. He gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings. The right-hander is 6-0 with a 4.47 ERA in 10 career games at Rogers Centre and 10-2 overall in 14 career starts against the Blue Jays.
Francisco Rodriguez closed it out in the ninth for his major league-leading 19th save.
Blue Jays right-hander Shaun Marcum (4-3) worked on two days’ rest after going just one inning because of a rain delay Sunday at Philadelphia. Marcum, who lost for the first time since April 26, allowed four runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Yankees 8, Orioles 0
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit two balls over the fence but was credited with only one home run as New York broke loose.
Darrell Rasner (3-0) won his third straight start since he was called up from the minors and New York banged out 13 hits while snapping a four-game skid. The Yankees had lost six of seven, scoring only 14 runs during that span.
Rodriguez’s return from the disabled list has provided an immediate boost. He homered in his first game back Tuesday night, a 12-2 loss, and finished with a home run and two doubles in this one.
The three-time MVP homered off Garrett Olson (3-1) to start the third, then hit another ball over the wall in the sixth that was incorrectly called an RBI double.
Athletics 9, Rays 1
OAKLAND, Calif. — Dana Eveland pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game and Jack Cust homered twice as Oakland avoided being swept at home by Tampa Bay for the first time.
Eveland (4-3) ended a four-start winless stretch as the A’s stopped a five-game losing streak in the series. It was Oakland’s third victory in 12 games.
Eveland struck out five and walked one, winning for the first time since April 25.
Bobby Crosby broke a scoreless tie with a two-run double in the third. Jack Hannahan hit a solo homer in the fifth and Cust added a two-run shot to make it 6-0.
Andy Sonnanstine (6-2) struck out a season-high six and had his five-game winning streak snapped.
Rangers 10, Twins 1
MINNEAPOLIS — Sidney Ponson stayed unbeaten for Texas, topping his previous team with career complete game No. 29.
One day less than a year after the Twins released the struggling right-hander with a 2-5 record and a 6.93 ERA, Ponson (3-0) allowed one run and six hits to go nine innings for the first time since April 24, 2005, with Baltimore at Toronto.
Michael Young started the Texas sixth with a homer and Ian Kinsler finished with a three-run shot against Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn (4-3). The Rangers ripped Blackburn and two relievers for 17 hits.
White Sox 7, Indians 2
CHICAGO — Jermaine Dye hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning and added solo shot in the seventh as Chicago won its seventh straight.
Michael Aubrey hit a solo home run in the second for the Indians, who have lost a season-high five straight.
Javier Vazquez (5-3) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings.
Jim Thome followed Dye’s home run in the seventh with his second homer in as many days and ninth on the season.
Paul Byrd (2-4) allowed five runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
End Capsules
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