BOSTON - Right after the final out Sunday, Red Sox manager Grady Little was eagerly anticipating the next game at Fenway Park.
By beating Anaheim 5-3 on Sunday, Boston tied the Yankees for first in the East. And the Yankees and Red Sox start a three-game series tonight.
"I think those baseball gods kind of work in weird ways, don't they?" Little said.
John Burkett won for the first time in eight starts, and the Red Sox averted a three-game sweep. Boston and the Cubs are the only teams that have not lost three in a row this season.
Nomar Garciaparra went 2-for-4 for the Red Sox to extend his hit streak to 19 games, the longest current streak in the majors.
Boston took a 4-0 lead in the second. David Ortiz singled to lead off. With one out, Trot Nixon reached on an error by first baseman Scott Spiezio, and Jeremy Giambi was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Jason Varitek doubled to score Ortiz and Nixon. Johnny Damon had a run-scoring groundout, and Bill Mueller followed with a single that scored Varitek.
RANGERS 5, YANKEES 1: John Thomson allowed three hits to help Texas to its first three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium. New York has lost six of seven and is 9-13 after an 18-3 start.
Mike Mussina struck out Hank Blalock for his 2,000th strikeout but allowed Juan Gonzalez's two-run homer in the fourth that made it 2-1. Texas scored two in the sixth on doubles by Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro and an error by Alfonso Soriano.
A'S 8, INDIANS 5: Visiting Oakland scored five in the ninth to avoid a three-game sweep.
With the A's down 5-3, Erubiel Durazo led off the ninth with a double and scored on Mark Ellis' single. After a single by Terrence Long, pinch-hitter Chris Singleton tied it with a single.
Eric Byrnes then hit a single to right-center to give Oakland a 6-5 lead. Oakland added to its lead on Scott Hatteberg's single and Miguel Tejada's groundout.
BLUE JAYS 4, ROYALS 3: Josh Phelps hit a three-run homer to lift visiting Toronto to a three-game sweep. The Royals, who have lost 15 of 23 after starting 16-3, dropped to second behind Minnesota in the Central. The Blue Jays have won 12 of 16.
Kelvim Escobar, who saved 38 games last season but had a 7.79 ERA in 15 relief appearances this season, made his first start since Sept. 28, 2001. On a limited pitch count, he allowed one run in three innings. Tanyon Sturtze, who made his first relief appearance since May 2, 2001, earned the victory by allowing one run on two hits in 21/3 innings.
TWINS 3, WHITE SOX 2: Host Minnesota scored two in the eighth to sweep the three-game series.
Torii Hunter, who stranded seven runners in his first three at-bats, singled with one out in the eighth. Dustan Mohr singled Hunter to third, and Tom Gordon's wild pitch tied it.
After Bobby Kielty was intentionally walked, A.J. Pierzynski grounded to third baseman Paul Konerko, who forced pinch-runner Luis Rivas at second. But Jose Valentin's relay throw got past Kelly Wunsch at first, scoring Mohr.
MARINERS 6, TIGERS 2: Mike Maroth became the second pitcher in host Detroit's history to lose his first nine decisions. Maroth joined Ted Gray (1953) as the only Tigers pitchers to start 0-9. Heathcliff Slocumb was the last pitcher to lose his first nine decisions of a season, doing it in 1997 with Boston and Seattle.
Ichiro Suzuki led off the game with a single, and Carlos Guillen followed with a homer.
