Schilling, Santana duel to standstill

Curt Schilling and Johan Santana dueled to a standstill, befuddling hitters for eight innings and showing why they're two of baseball's top pitchers.

Minnesota Twins rookie Jason Kubel took matters into his own hands -- after both aces were long gone.

Kubel's grand slam in the 12th inning off Julian Tavarez gave the Twins a 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

"We have high hopes for this young man," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's been putting a lot of good swings on the ball."

Kubel, who missed all last season with a knee injury, homered just over the big baggie in right field and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Kubel was mobbed at home plate by his teammates, including Santana, who struck out a season-high 13.

"It's all starting to come back now," said the rookie Kubel, who is hitting .444 (12-for-27) with two homers and eight RBIs in his last six games.

In other AL games, it was: Detroit 7, Tampa Bay 1; New York 1, Cleveland 0; Toronto 7, Baltimore 1; Chicago 5, Texas 2; Oakland 2, Seattle 0; and Los Angeles 4, Kansas City 1.

Tavarez (1-2) hit Michael Cuddyer with one out in the 12th, Justin Morneau hit a ground-rule double to right-center and Torii Hunter was intentionally walked to the load the bases. And that brought Kubel to the plate.

Santana struck out six of the first seven and got David Ortiz swinging in the fourth for his 1,000th career strikeout, prompting a standing ovation from the adoring home crowd.

"In the second or third inning, I turned to Bill (Hasselman) and said, `We might have to win this game 1-0,'" Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Francona wasn't far off as each ace gave up just a solo homer through the first eight innings.

"I don't know if I've ever seen his stuff that good," Gardenhire said of Santana, who struck out a season-high 13. "It was a battle to the end."

While nowhere near as overpowering as Santana, Schilling was just as effective against the light-hitting Twins. Schilling's pitches darted in and out of the strike zone, frustrating a young Twins lineup that's still learning how to approach the best of the big league pitchers.

Schilling gave up six hits, one run and struck out five in eight innings, but left with the game tied at 1 and missed a chance at becoming the majors' first 10-game winner.

"The important thing for me was I didn't get caught up in what he was doing," Schilling said. "I'm not trying to get him out."

Dennys Reyes (1-0) got one out for the win after Jesse Crain gave up an RBI-groundout in the top of the 12th.

Tigers 7, Devil Rays 1

At Detroit, Kenny Rogers earned the 199th victory of his career, leading the Tigers to their fourth straight win.

Rogers (9-3) allowed a run, four hits and a walk and struck out nine, one short of his career high, in eight innings. He's 199-134 in 18 major league seasons.

The four-time Gold Glove winner also helped himself with a spectacular defensive play in the seventh. Jorge Cantu's hard grounder hit the 41-year-old and rebounded to the first-base line, but he chased it down and made a diving toss to first for the out.

Yankees 1, Indians 0

At New York, Chien-Ming Wang shut down Cleveland's powerful lineup, Robinson Cano homered off hard-luck loser Paul Byrd and the Yankees stopped their four-game slide.

Meeting for the first time this season, the Indians and Yankees entered tied for the major league lead with 359 runs apiece. But Wang and Byrd silenced the offenses in an old-fashioned pitchers' duel, and New York's bullpen closed it out.

After stranding five runners in his first two at-bats, Cano connected on a 1-1 pitch from Byrd (5-5) with one out in the sixth.

Wang (7-2) pitched five-hit ball for 7 1-3 innings, improving to 6-1 with a fill-in save in his past nine appearances. Mariano Rivera worked a hitless ninth for his 13th save.

Blue Jays 7, Orioles 1

At Toronto, Roy Halladay threw a six-hitter to win his seventh straight decision and help the Blue Jays end a three-game losing streak. Halladay (8-1) has three complete games this season and 23rd overall.

Vernon Wells homered and had three RBI to back Halladay, who hasn't lost since April 9 against Tampa Bay -- a span of 11 starts.

Miguel Tejada homered for the Orioles.

Adam Loewen (0-1) was the loser in his first major league start in his native Canada.

White Sox 5, Rangers 2

At Arlington, Texas, Paul Konerko broke a tie with a three-run homer in the sixth, and Jon Garland (5-3) pitched 5 1-3 innings to help Chicago win for the sixth time in eight games.

Bobby Jenks got three outs for his 19th save.

Athletics 2, Mariners 0

At Oakland, Calif., Joe Blanton pitched into the ninth and Jay Payton homered to help the A's win their fifth straight.

Jason Kendall added an RBI single as the A's matched their best winning streak of the season. They have won eight of nine and 10 of 12, including a three-game weekend sweep of New York at Yankee Stadium.

Blanton (6-6) bounced back with a great outing following an 11-2 loss last Wednesday at Cleveland in which he gave up two homers and six earned runs in five innings. The right-hander didn't allow a baserunner past first until giving up a single and a double to start the ninth. He gave way to closer Huston Street, who finished for his 15th save. Jamie Moyer (3-6) lost in his 499th career start.

Angels 4, Royals 1

At Anaheim, Calif., rookie Jered Weaver won his fourth straight start since being promoted, and the Angels spoiled Brandon Duckworth's Royals debut.

Weaver, the Angels' first-round draft pick in 2004, reduced his ERA to 1.37 and became the second pitcher in franchise history to win his first four major league starts. The other was Bo Belinsky, who won his first five starts in 1962.

Weaver, the younger brother of Angels right-hander Jeff Weaver, allowed an unearned run and five hits over seven innings while striking out five and walking one.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

Duckworth (0-1) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out six and walking three.