Max Scherzer became the first Detroit pitcher in 104 years to open the season with 11 victories as the Tigers destroyed the Boston Red Sox 10-3 in a battle of American League division leaders on Saturday.
_0">Scherzer (11-0) tied George Mullins' start to the 1909 season for the franchise record and also matched the best start to a season since Roger Clemens in 1997 with Toronto.
Victor Martinez belted a grand slam and had five RBIs to give Scherzer the run support he needed as the AL Central Tigers improved to 41-32 while the AL East Red Sox fell to 45-32.
Arizona's Jason Kubel hit a walk off two-run single to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 win over Cincinnati, maintaining their place atop the National League West.
Jay Bruce pounded two home runs but it was not enough for the Reds who fell to 44-32 while the Diamondbacks have now won four successive games to improve to 41-33.
In inter-league play the Texas Rangers (42-32) were too good for the St. Louis Cardinals (47-27), winning 4-2 with the help of a Nelson Cruz two-run homer.
Toronto continued their purple patch of form with their 10th successive win as Jose Bautista belted a two-run homer with two-outs in the bottom of the eighth to help the Blue Jays (37-36) to a 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles (42-33).
The last time the Blue Jays won 10 successive games was in 2008 with the latest win lifting them from last place in the American League East and just six games from the division lead.
Kevin Frandsen produced his first career walk off home run, sending the ball into the left field seats to lead off the bottom of the ninth that gave the Philadelphia Phillies an 8-7 win over the New York Mets.
It was sweet relief for the Phillies (36-39) who almost squandered a 7-1 advantage when the Mets scored four runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth but ultimately prevailed.
The New York Yankees turned a two-run deficit into a two run lead in the seventh inning to prevail 7-5 over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Rookie Wil Myers had produced his first home run, a grand slam, in the sixth to give the Rays (38-37) a cushion but Vernon Wells delivered with a three-run double in the seventh to help the Yankees (41-33) to the win.
Milwaukee (31-42) upset NL East leaders Atlanta (43-33) for the second successive day, duplicating their 2-0 shutout from Friday while San Francisco (38-36) needed 11 innings to avoid being beaten by lowly Miami (24-50) for a second successive game with a 2-1 win.
(Reporting By Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)