Young Slams the Door on Mulder, Athletics, 9-4

Michael Young didn’t let Mark Mulder get out of another bases-loaded jam, and made sure the Texas Rangers kept alive their longshot chance in the American League West.

Young’s grand slam in the fourth, an inning after Mulder escaped trouble, helped the Rangers to a 9-4 win Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series against the division-leading Oakland Athletics.

“If Mulder gets out of that inning, who knows what happens,” Mark Teixeira said. “The grand slam really hurts. After that, as a team we knew it was over.”

The A’s trailed only 3-2 before Young’s second career slam, his 21st homer this season. It came after first baseman Scott Hatteberg’s two-out error and put the Rangers up 7-2.

Texas is four games behind the A’s with 12 to play.

Before Young’s slam, Oakland scored with runs in the third and fourth innings, ending Texas’ string of 20 scoreless innings.

Boston 3, Baltimore 2 -- Mark Bellhorn singled in two runs in the ninth as the Red Sox rallied at Boston to end a three-game losing streak.

Curt Schilling cruised through eight innings, striking out a season-high 14 as he went for his major league-leading 21st victory.

Given a 1-0 lead on Kevin Millar’s sacrifice fly in the eighth, Red Sox closer Keith Foulke (4-3) gave up Javy Lopez’s two-run homer on a 3-and-2 pitch with two out in the ninth.

New York 5, Toronto 3 -- Jason Giambi homered at New York to end the longest slump of his career, and Esteban Loaiza finally earned his 100th career victory and first for the Yankees.

Mariano Rivera matched his career high with his 50th save as the Yankees held their 4 1/2 -game lead over Boston in the AL East.

Giambi had been 0 for 32, with 11 of those at-bats coming since he returned from the disabled list.

Chicago 8, Minnesota 6 -- Paul Konerko hit his 40th home run of the season, and Juan Uribe had his first career grand slam, a pinch-hit shot in the seventh inning that lifted the White Sox at Chicago.

Tampa Bay 7, Kansas City 4 -- Jorge Cantu hit a go-ahead, two-run double during a five-run eighth inning to help the Devil Rays win at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Cleveland 8, Detroit 7 -- Casey Blake’s bloop single broke a ninth-inning tie and lifted the Indians, who trailed 7-2 after five innings, at Detroit.