Anderson shines

Brett Anderson holds the Boston Red Sox to two hits over nine innings, leading the Athletics to a 6-0 win over the American League East leaders.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brett Anderson, right, is congratulated by catcher Kurt Suzuki after Anderson pitched a two-hitter in Oakland's 6-0 win over the Boston Red Sox.
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Oakland rookie Brett Anderson held the Boston Red Sox to two hits over nine innings on Monday, leading the Athletics to a 6-0 win over the American League East leaders. The left-hander allowed only singles to Jason Bay in the second inning and Nick Green in the fifth on his way to pitching Oakland's first complete game in a year.

Anderson (5-7) struck out a career-best nine and walked two as the Athletics stopped the Red Sox from padding their slender lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees. The Athletics, the worst hitting team in the league, collected 15 hits and forced off Boston starter John Smoltz after six innings. He gave up 10 hits and five runs. Oakland scored four runs in the fourth inning and added single tallies in the sixth and ninth.

Mark Ellis delivered a two-run double in the fourth and Adam Kennedy singled in solo runs in the fourth and sixth. Orlando Cabrera added a ninth-inning homer. Nomar Garciaparra, in his first game back at Fenway Park since being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2004, drove in Oakland's initial run in the fourth. Meanwhile in other action, Jarrod Washburn shut out the Baltimore Orioles in a one-hitter as the Seattle Mariners edged their contest 1-0.

Nick Markakis hit a fourth-inning single for Baltimore's only hit, and was the only man to reach base in a masterful performance from Washburn. Russell Branyan's home run proved enough to win it for Seattle. Josh Hamilton returned for the Texas Rangers, but could not help them in a 9-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a battle for first place in the American League West. Hamilton went two-for-four with a double, but that was no match for the Angels, who got a three-run homer from Jeff Mathis and two-run singles from Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera.

Ricky Romero turned in an impressive performance to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees. Romero gave up three runs on seven hits in six and a third innings before the Blue Jays survived some late-inning drama to come away with the victory. Mike Jacobs smashed a ninth-inning home run to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Willie Bloomquist scored Kansas' first three runs with a homer and a triple. * Reuters