Minnesota Twins’ Jim Thome, left, is 19 HRs away from tying Sammy Sosa on the lifetime list. (Gail Burton/Associated Press)

Twins 3, Orioles 1

(PhatzRadio/ CBC Sports) – BALTIMORE — Jim Thome hit his 591st career home run and had two RBIs to back a dominating pitching performance by Scott Baker, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 Thursday night to salvage a split of the four-game series.

Michael Cuddyer also connected for the last-place Twins, who came in with a major league-low six home runs in 18 games.

Baker (1-2) allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings, striking out nine and walking one. He is 6-0 with a 2.17 earned-run average in eight career starts against Baltimore.

Thome hit a solo home run in the second inning and added an RBI single in the sixth. The 40-year-old slugger began the night with a .163 batting average and five RBIs.

Thome needs 19 more homers to tie Sammy Sosa for seventh place on the lifetime list.

White Sox 9, Rays 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jeff Niemann struggled again and the Chicago White Sox took full advantage.

Omar Vizquel, A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko each drove in two runs and the White Sox stopped a seven-game losing streak with a 9-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.

Niemann (0-3) lasted just 4 2-3 innings, giving up six runs and six hits. He struck out four, walked two, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch.

Royals 3, Indians 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Melky Cabrera rifled a bases-loaded, two-run single into left field off Cleveland closer Chris Perez with one out in the ninth inning Thursday night, lifting Kansas City to a 3-2 victory over the Indians.

Perez (0-1), who had been 6 for 6 in save opportunities and was unscored upon in 7 2-3 innings, started the ninth and got in immediate trouble when Kila Ka’aihue doubled leading off.

Pinch runner Mike Aviles went to third when Mitch Maier hit a pinch single. Alcides Escobar grounded to third baseman Jack Hannahan, who threw out Aviles at home for the first out. Chris Getz walked, loading the bases and Cabrera delivered.

Rookie Aaron Crow (2-0) pitched one inning for the victory, which gave the Royals a 2-2 split of the four-game series between AL Central leaders.

Mariners 1, Athletics 0

SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez took a shutout into the eighth inning and Adam Kennedy’s home run was all the Seattle Mariners needed to beat the Oakland Athletics 1-0 Thursday night.

Hernandez (2-2), last year’s Cy Young Award winner, allowed four singles, two by Cliff Pennington and one by David DeJesus and Josh Willingham.

He struck out eight and walked three before leaving after a season-high 126 pitches.

Jamey Wright took over in the eighth with two outs and Pennington on second and DeJesus on first. Conor Jackson grounded out on his first pitch to end the inning.

Brandon League pitched the ninth for his fourth save in four chances.

Red Sox 4, Angels 2

ANAHEIM — Adrian Gonzalez hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the 11th inning, and the last-place Boston Red Sox hung on for their fifth win in six games.

Josh Beckett yielded three hits over eight innings, and Jacoby Ellsbury had an early two-run single for the Red Sox, who won their second straight road game after a franchise-worst 0-7 start away from Fenway Park.

After J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia led off the 11th with singles off Rich Thompson (0-1), Gonzalez’s drive into right field improved the slow start to his first season with Boston. Pedroia then scored on Jed Lowrie’s sacrifice fly to shallow centre.

Bobby Jenks (1-1) pitched the 10th, and Jonathan Papelbon earned his fourth save.