The Associated Press

BOSTON - Tim Wakefield finished off the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Now comes the real challenge for the streaking Boston Red Sox.

Boston beat Detroit 6-1, ending a stretch of 26 games - 23 against teams below .500 at the time of the game - in which the Red Sox won 20. Next up are consecutive three-game home series against Anaheim and Texas, their closest pursuers in the AL wild-card race.

"I think we can beat any team right now," Johnny Damon said after the four-game sweep. "Our team is rising up."

Sunday's win and New York's 6-4 loss in Toronto cut the Yankees' AL East lead over the Red Sox to 4 1/2 games - the closest Boston's been to first since June 23.

Wakefield (11-7) allowed three hits in eight innings and Boston won its sixth straight and 11th in the last 12.

The Red Sox scored four runs in the fifth off Wilfredo Ledezma (3-2) and two in the seventh on Mark Bellhorn's 14th homer against Craig Dingman.

Blue Jays 6, Yankees 4

TORONTO - Carlos Delgado homered in Toronto's five-run seventh inning and the Blue Jays ended a five-game losing skid after a power outage delayed the start for about an hour. Tony Batista (10-10) won for the first time since July 23, allowing two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Indians 9, White Sox 0

CLEVELAND - Scott Elarton pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout, and Casey Blake hit two of Cleveland's four homers. Travis Hafner and Ronnie Belliard also connected for Cleveland. Through eight innings, Elarton (3-3) faced the minimum 24 batters. It was the fastest game in Jacobs Field history at 1 hour, 56 minutes.

Orioles 7, Rangers 6

ARLINGTON, Texas - Melvin Mora drove in four runs and Baltimore snapped its season-high 12-game losing streak. The slide was the Orioles' longest since dropping the final 12 games of the 2002 season.

Angels 4, Twins 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Adam Kennedy hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lead Anaheim.

Jose Guillen doubled home the tying run in the sixth for his 100th RBI of the season, and Troy Glaus went 0-for-2 with two walks in his first game back after being sidelined for more than 3 1/2 months with a shoulder injury.

Mariners 5, Royals 4

SEATTLE - Ichiro Suzuki homered, scored three times and got three more hits, leading Seattle past Kansas City.

Suzuki, who is chasing George Sisler's major league record 257 hits in a season, finished 3-for-4 and has 209 hits.