MLB

Yankees 8, Rays 4: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez's ninth-inning homer was upheld in baseball's first use of instant replay, and New York beat AL East-leading Tampa Bay 8-4 on Wednesday night.

Rodriguez, who went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs, hit a towering two-run shot off Troy Percival that third base umpire Brian Runge immediately ruled a homer when it bounced off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field.

Rays catcher Dioner Navarro protested, bringing manager Joe Maddon out of the dugout. After convening, the umpires left the filed to review the tape, a process that took 2 minutes, 15 seconds to back the onfield call.

Boston, which beat Baltimore 5-4 on Wednesday, moved within three games of Tampa Bay in the division.

Edwar Ramirez (5-1) worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth. The Yankees extended their road winning streak to a season-high six straight.

Rodriguez had a run-scoring double in the third off Edwin Jackson (11-9) and an RBI single in the fourth. The home run was his 31st of the season and 549th of his career, breaking a tie for 12th place with Mike Schmidt on the all-time list.

Robinson Cano, Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Giambi had RBI doubles for New York.

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Red Sox 5, Orioles 4: BOSTON -- Dustin Pedroia homered in the seventh inning to begin Boston's comeback from a four-run deficit, and the Red Sox won when pitcher Jim Miller's threw away a bunt for a game-ending error.

Pedroia went 3-for-4 and raised his AL-leading average to .333. He is 21-for-34 (.618) in his last eight games.

Baltimore, which has lost six straight and 11 of 12, took a 4-0 lead in the fourth against Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Alex Cora singled off Miller (0-1) opening the ninth, and took second on Coco Crisp's bunt single. Jacoby Ellsbury, attempting to sacrifice, bunted the ball toward Miller, who threw it past third baseman Aubrey Huff and down the left-field line.

Justin Masterson (5-4) pitched two scoreless innings.

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White Sox 4, Indians 2: CLEVELAND -- Nick Swisher and Alexi Ramirez homered to help Chicago avert a three-game sweep.

Javier Vazquez (11-12) allowed two runs in six innings and Bobby Jenks recorded the final five outs for his 28th save.

The White Sox, who had lost five of six, moved one game in front of Minnesota for first place in the AL Central.

Vazquez (11-12) held the Indians scoreless until Jhonny Peralta's two-run double in the fifth.

After managing one hit in the first four innings, the White Sox scored four runs on five hits in the next two innings before Jeremy Sowers (2-8) was pulled with one out in the fifth.

Swisher led off the fifth with a homer and Ramirez's two-run shot in the sixth made it 4-0.

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Blue Jays 5, Twins 4, 11 innings: TORONTO -- John McDonald singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and Toronto beat Minnesota for the eighth straight time.

Minnesota lost for the eighth time in 11 games and dropped to 5-8 with one game remaining on its season-long, 14-game road trip.

Toronto left-hander Jesse Carlson (6-1) worked one perfect inning to win for the second time in as many days.

Scott Rolen doubled off Eddie Guardado (3-4) to begin the 11th and went to third when Travis Snider singled. Boof Bonser came on to face McDonald, who lofted a single to center over the drawn-in outfield.

Minnesota took a 4-3 lead with a two-out rally in the ninth against Toronto closer B.J. Ryan. Facing Twins closer Joe Nathan, the Blue Jays tied it in the bottom half.

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Tigers 9, Angels 6: DETROIT -- Placido Polanco had three hits and drove in three runs, and Mike Hessman homered for Detroit, which won for the third time in 10 games.

Mark Teixeira hit a home run for Los Angeles, which saw its magic number to clinch the AL West remain at eight.

With the Tigers down 6-5 in the seventh, Brandon Inge led off with a single off reliever Jose Arredondo (7-2). Curtis Granderson tripled to tie the game and Polanco followed with a single to put Detroit on top.

Hessman hit his first homer, a two-run shot, in the eighth.

Kyle Farnsworth (2-2) allowed three hits and struck out two in 1 2-3 innings for the win. Fernando Rodney got out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth for his eighth save.

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Rangers 1, Mariners 0: ARLINGTON -- Texas fill-in starter Dustin Nippert allowed seven hits in seven innings, Milton Bradley hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning for the game's only run.

Making his third start in place of injured Vicente Padilla, Nippert (2-4) struck out four and walked none.

Frank Francisco pitched the ninth for his fourth consecutive save since taking over as closer last week.

Felix Hernandez (9-9) gave up seven hits in 7 1-3 innings.

It was the third 1-0 victory for Texas in 15 seasons at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers have seven shutouts this season.

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Diamondbacks 4, Cardinals 3: PHOENIX -- Adam Dunn doubled home the winning run in the ninth inning for Arizona.

For the second time in three games, the Diamondbacks rallied against the Cardinals' tattered bullpen, whose 29 losses are most in the majors.

Arizona, which won for the third time in 10 games, started the day 1 1/2 games in front of Los Angeles in the NL West. Arizona opens a three-game series at Los Angeles on Friday night.

Stephen Drew tripled to lead off the ninth against Chris Perez (2-2). One out later, Conor Jackson singled through the drawn-in infield to tie it. It was Perez' second blown save in eight chances. Dunn followed with a shot to the right field corner.

Chad Qualls (4-8) pitched the ninth.

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Mets 9, Brewers 2: MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Church hit a grand slam and Brian Schneider added a homer in New York's six-run first inning and the Mets completed the three-game sweep.

Oliver Perez (10-7) benefited from the highest-scoring first inning by the Mets in more than a year by scattering two runs, five hits and five walks and working out of several jams until leaving in the seventh.

New York moved three games in front of Philadelphia in the NL East.

After an out, Dave Bush (9-10) gave up three straight singles, including an RBI hit by Carlos Delgado to make it 1-0, then walked Carlos Beltran to load the bases for Church.

The Mets went up 6-0 with two outs when Schneider hit a solo homer, the first time since July 19, 2007 New York scored six or more runs in the top of the first.

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Nationals 9, Phillies 7: WASHINGTON -- Cristian Guzman set a Washington franchise season record with his eighth consecutive multihit game, capping it with a bases-clearing double in the decisive eighth inning.

Guzman went 3-for-5 and had three RBIs. He is batting .538 (21-for-39) during a streak that has made him first Washington-based player to get at least two hits in eight straight games in a season since Joe Cronin of the old Senators in 1933.

The Nationals had won seven straight until being beaten 4-0 by the Phillies on Tuesday.

Ryan Howard homered twice for the Phillies.

Chad Durbin (5-4) entered the game with two outs and nobody on and the Phillies leading 5-4 in the seventh. Ryan Zimmerman homered in that inning, and Durbin allowed three hits in four batters in the eighth, capped by pinch-hitter Ronnie Belliard's RBI single that gave the Nationals a 6-5 lead. Guzman's three-run double made the score 9-5.

Saul Rivera (5-5), one of seven Nationals pitchers, threw a scoreless eighth.

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Giants 9, Rockies 2: DENVER -- Barry Zito won for the third time in four starts and Nate Schierholtz had a career-high four hits for San Francisco.

Colorado had won seven of 10, including the first two games of the three-game series.

Zito (9-16), who lost his first nine decisions this year, allowed two runs and four hits in eight innings.

Scott McClain had three hits and hit his first major league homer for the Giants, who had lost five straight and seven of eight. Pablo Sandoval hit his second home run for San Francisco.

Aaron Cook (16-9) allowed six runs and 10 hits in three innings, his shortest outing since Aug. 7, 2004.

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Marlins 5, Braves 3: MIAMI -- Hanley Ramirez homered and doubled to lead Florida in front of an incredibly sparse crowd.

Fewer than 600 people were in Dolphin Stadium for the first pitch. While the official attendance, based on tickets sold, was 11,211, the ballpark was so quiet that home-plate chatter could be heard.

Jeremy Hermida had two hits and an RBI, and three relievers kept the Braves scoreless over the final three innings. Doug Waechter (4-2) got his first win since July 25, and Joe Nelson pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.

Braves manager Bobby Cox extended his major league ejection record to 143 on Wednesday, getting tossed in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes.

Kelly Johnson hit a two-run triple for the Braves.

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Pirates 6, Reds 5: CINCINNATI -- Adam LaRoche snapped an 0-for-16 slump with two RBI singles to lead Pittsburgh.

With the score tied at 4 in the eighth, Nate McLouth led off with a single off Jeremy Affeldt (1-1). He stole second and continued to third when Affeldt's throw got past first baseman Joey Votto for a throwing error. Ryan Doumit walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, and LaRoche drove in McLouth with a soft single to right.

Mike Lincoln relieved Affeldt and gave up a run-scoring single to Andy LaRoche.

Tyler Yates (5-3) got the final out of the seventh to earn the win. Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his 19th.

Adam LaRoche followed Doumit's sixth-inning, RBI single that tied it 3-3 with a broken-bat bloop to short right that drove in the go-ahead run.

NFL

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick expects Tom Brady to be ready Sunday for the season opener against Kansas City after the NFL's reigning MVP missed all four exhibition games.

"He's practicing this week, and I expect he'll be ready to go," Belichick said Wednesday during a conference call with Kansas City reporters.

Asked if that meant that the quarterback, who has had an injured right foot, would play, Belichick said: "He's been practicing all week. I expect him to be out there today, and I expect him to be out there the rest of the week."

Brady, who participated fully in practice Wednesday, said Monday the condition of his foot has improved and he could have played in all four exhibition games.

Wednesday's practice report listed the quarterback with right shoulder and foot injuries. But last year's practice reports listed him with the shoulder injury in every game, and he started all of them. Brady has started 127 straight games, the third-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.

"If it's up to me, there's no question" that he would play against the Chiefs, Brady said Monday. "I've been getting progressively better over the past couple of weeks. I'm excited. I'm excited to start the year."

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RENTON, Wash. -- Deion Branch had his knee reconstructed. Then came tedious, daily rehabilitation and aches of not being with his teammates.

Suddenly, he's pushing to see if he can play in the Seahawks' season opener Sunday -- seven months to the day he had the surgery that can take a year, or more, to overcome.

"It was refreshing, just to be back with the guys running around," Branch said Wednesday, cherishing a mini-milestone of catching passes out of a machine while in full pads for the first time since destroying the ACL in his left knee last January in a playoff loss at Green Bay.

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TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay's Joey Galloway is raring to go. All he needs is a nod from coach Jon Gruden.

The speedy receiver said Wednesday he's ready to play Sunday in the season opener at New Orleans. Nevertheless, he stressed the call will be made by Gruden, who held the 14th-year pro out of training camp, as well as all four preseason games, because of a groin injury.

"The zookeeper posts the times the white tiger gets to eat," Galloway said. "I'm hoping he's going to post one this Sunday and let me eat."

Gruden was noncommital after practice, but it sounded like there's a good chance Galloway will play.

"I expect him to, but again we have a couple more days to go," the coach said. "We'll see how he feels. He's getting better."

The 36-year-old Galloway has had more than 1,000 yards receiving each of the past three years, including 57 receptions for 1,014 yards and six touchdowns in 2007.

But last season ended on a sour note when he had just one reception for 9 yards before leaving the Bucs' first-round loss to the New York Giants because of a shoulder injury. None of the team's other receivers were able to take up the slack, and the offense stalled.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars receiver Reggie Williams missed practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury and might not be ready for the season opener.

Williams, who sat out much of training camp and part of the preseason after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, was expected to be in the starting lineup Sunday at Tennessee. But he spent Wednesday's practice riding a stationary bike and working with team trainers.

His latest injury could mean Jacksonville will try to speed up Jerry Porter's return. Porter, who had offseason surgery to repair a torn hamstring, practiced Monday for the first time in nearly three months. Coach Jack Del Rio initially said Porter needed to practice two weeks before he would be ready to play, but he has seemingly softened his stance since.

If Williams and Porter both sit out the opener, the Jaguars would have Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt, Troy Williamson and Mike Walker at the position.

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