Ranger Power Overcomes Athletics

Rod Barajas hit a three-run home run and Michael Young extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games with a run-scoring double, leading the Texas Rangers past the Oakland Athletics, 6-2, on Sunday night in Oakland.

Juan Dominguez (4-5) didn’t walk a batter in 7 1/3 innings for Texas, which took two of three from the A’s.

Dan Johnson hit a two-run homer in the second for Oakland, which remained four games behind the Angels in the American League West.

Barajas hit a towering shot into the bleachers in left-center with one out in the fourth, his 21st of the season. That gave Texas a 4-2 lead.

Young’s double three batters later made it 5-2, and Texas held that lead after blowing a three-run cushion in Saturday’s 7-6 loss.

Oakland loaded the bases with two out in the ninth against closer Francisco Cordero, but Mark Kotsay grounded out.

The Rangers have 258 home runs, passing the 1996 Baltimore Orioles for the second-best total in major league history, six behind the 1997 Seattle Mariners.

A’s right-hander Rich Harden, sidelined since Aug. 19 because of a strained muscle beneath his throwing shoulder, pitched a scoreless eighth, two days after a subpar simulated game in which he didn’t use his changeup.

He pitched out of the windup Sunday, and although his velocity was slightly down, the A’s hope he will be able pitch out of the bullpen against the Angels.

Young matched the third-longest hitting streak in club history with his double against Kirk Saarloos (10-8). Saarloos gave up five runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Kansas City 5, Cleveland 4 -- Center fielder Grady Sizemore lost Paul Phillips’ ninth-inning double in the sun, allowing Angel Berroa to score the winning run at Kansas City, Mo.

Victor Martinez hit a three-run homer for Cleveland, which lost for only the third time in 20 games.

Emil Brown had a two-run homer for the Royals, who had dropped 10 straight to Cleveland and have the worst record in the major leagues. But they ended the Indians’ four-game winning streak and avoided a four-game sweep.

Boston 9, Baltimore 3 -- Manny Ramirez hit his 41st homer in a five-run first inning and Johnny Damon homered in a four-run fifth to give the Red Sox a three-game sweep at Baltimore.

It was the fifth homer in five games for Ramirez, who has 431 homers in his career and is tied with former Oriole Cal Ripken for 34th place on the all-time list.

David Wells (14-7) gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings before leaving because of a minor knee injury.

New York 8, Toronto 4 -- Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, Gary Sheffield had a three-run shot in the eighth and the Yankees won their final scheduled home game.

Chien-Ming Wang (8-4) gave up three runs in seven innings to help the Yankees win for the 12th time in 14 games.

A fan favorite since he came up to the Yankees in 1991, Bernie Williams repeatedly was given standing ovations on an overcast afternoon, perhaps his final game with New York in Yankee Stadium. The 37-year-old center fielder, whose production has declined the last three years, can become a free agent after the season, and there has been no indication whether the team wants him back.

Williams went one for four with an infield single.

Detroit 8, Seattle 1 -- Mike Maroth (14-13) gave up one run and four hits in seven innings, and Curtis Granderson scored twice and drove in two runs at Detroit.

Carlos Pena’s two-run homer in the eighth off Jeff Harris traveled 461 feet, the longest in Comerica Park’s six-year history. The ball landed on a concourse atop a 10-foot brick wall above the right-field scoreboard.