Twins beat Rays on Kubel's pop-up off catwalk

This pop-up took a bad hop.

Jason Kubel's two-out pop clanked off a catwalk high above Tropicana Field and fell behind the pitcher's mound for a go-ahead single in the ninth inning yesterday, sending the Minnesota Twins past the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-6.

"I'll take it," Kubel said. "Get a run in, that's all that matters. Any way it works. I'm happy with that."

After the Rays scored six times in the eighth, capped by pinch hitter Jason Bartlett's grand slam that tied it at 6, the Twins put runners at the corners and Kubel lofted his pop. Second baseman Reid Brignac and shortstop Bartlett backed up and got in position to catch the ball, but it struck the highest metal catwalk - about 190 feet over the field - and changed direction. The ball landed 15 feet behind the mound.

"At the last second, at the top, it hit the catwalk and dropped straight down," Bartlett said. "Reid and I were both at the edge of the dirt right when it hit so I don't think anybody had a chance."

The loss dropped the Rays out of a first-place tie with the idle Yankees in the AL East. Tampa Bay has lost only three times in its last 13 games.

Red Sox 6, Indians 2

Daisuke Matsuzaka (8-3) pitched eight solid innings and Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam as host Boston earned a split of the four-game series.

White Sox 6, Tigers 4

Mark Kotsay hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning, then lined a two-run triple in the 11th that sent visiting Chicago to the win. Detroit's Ryan Raburn hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth off Bobby Jenks that made it 4-all.

Orioles 5, Angels 4

Cesar Izturis singled in the winning run in the ninth inning as host Baltimore improved to 3-0 under Buck Showalter.

Braves 3, Giants 2

Eric Hinske snapped an 0-for-17 slide with a tiebreaking homer off Tim Lincecum (11-5) in the sixth for host Atlanta.

Phillies 5, Marlins 4

Carlos Ruiz homered leading off the 10th inning as visiting Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep.

Ryan & Co. buy Rangers

The Texas Rangers exited federal bankruptcy protection, little more than 12 hours after Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan's group bought the team at a marathon auction. The ruling by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jernigan clears the way for Major League Baseball to formally approve Ryan and sports attorney Chuck Greenberg as the team's new owners next week.

Pedro won't return in '10

Pedro Martinez said several teams called with offers to pitch but that he turned them down . . . Royals outfielder/DH Jose Guillen has been designated for assignment . . . Indians catcher Carlos Santana will have surgery on his injured left knee and miss the rest of the season. - AP