Red Sox ram Orioles with six home runs

BOSTON – Clay Buchholz allowed just three hits over seven innings and Dustin Pedroia hit two of the Boston’s season-high six homers as the Red Sox downed the Baltimore Orioles, 10-0, in the American League on Tuesday.

David Ortiz homered in the seventh inning, his 269th as a designated hitter, tying him with Frank Thomas for the most all-time by a DH.

Kevin Youkilis, J.D. Drew and Alex Gonzalez also homered for the Red Sox, whose first five hits were homers as they opened an 8-0 lead after three innings and improved to 12-2 against Baltimore this year. For Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP, it was the first two-homer game of his career.

Michael Bowden got the last six outs to finish off the combined five-hitter.

Buchholz (5-3) struck out five and walked one to improve to 4-0 over his last five starts.

At New York, Nick Swisher hit his second home run of the game, connecting with one out in the ninth inning, as New York sent Tampa Bay to its season-high seventh straight loss, 3-2.

The switch-hitting Swisher connected from both sides of the plate. He won it with a left-handed shot off Dan Wheeler (4-4).

Derek Jeter struck out three times and remained stuck in his longest slump of the year, moving no closer to the Yankees hit record held by Lou Gehrig. He is in an 0-for-12 rut and still four hits behind Gehrig’s total of 2,721.

Mariano Rivera (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth as the Yankees won for the 12th time in 15 games.

At Anaheim, California, Erick Aybar’s two-out single drove home Bobby Abreu in the 10th inning as Los Angeles overcame Seattle’s All-Star closer Brian Fuentes’ latest blown save with a 3-2 win.

Mike Sweeney led off the ninth with a solo homer to center off Fuentes, erasing an outstanding home debut by Scott Kazmir. The Angels’ new starter left with a 2-1 lead after battling Seattle ace Felix Hernandez through the first seven innings.

Abreu led off the 10th with a single off Miguel Batista (6-4). After a sacrifice bunt, a groundout and an intentional walk, Aybar singled up the middle.

Franklin Gutierrez hit a first-inning homer for the Mariners, who have lost three straight.

At Toronto, John McDonald hit a three-run homer to key Toronto’s six-run sixth inning in a 6-3 win over Minnesota.

Minnesota has lost 10 of 12 in Toronto and has not won consecutive games in Canada since May 2005. The Twins have lost 13 of 15 overall against the Blue Jays.

McDonald went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, boosting his season total to seven.

Jon Rauch (2-1) relieved Brian Duensing after the first three batters reached safely in the sixth but gave up a sacrifice fly, a walk and a game-tying two-run single to Edwin Encarnacion.  (AP)