After losing two straight games to Toronto, the Baltimore Orioles broke out the big bats.
The Orioles tied a team record by with seven home runs to rout the Blue Jays 12-2 and stay within 1 1 /2 games of the AL East lead.
Chris Davis and Manny Machado each connected twice and the Orioles remained close to the division-leading New York Yankees, who won 8-2 in Minnesota.
Nate McLouth hit a leadoff shot in the first inning and Jim Thome and Mark Reynolds also homered. Baltimore has hit seven home runs three times, most recently on Aug. 26, 1985.
"Home runs are very unique, and when you do what we did tonight, it's something to be proud of. It's something that doesn't happen a whole lot in the game," Thome said.
Thome's home run was the 612th of his career and the first he's hit at home for the Orioles.
"Up and down the lineup, everyone swung the bat well. It's been fun," Thome said.
Davis finished with a career-high five RBIs to help the Orioles split a fourgame series with the lastplace Blue Jays.
"This was a tough series. It was one of those ones that you don't want to see at the end of the season coming in off a long road trip," Davis said. "I think if you'd have told us a few months ago that we'd be a gameand-a-half out with six games left, I think you'd be pretty happy with that."
Beginning Friday, the Orioles have three games with Boston at home and three at Tampa Bay.
"We just got through playing Boston and we played them well. Obviously, the three in Tampa are going to be tough, but we're at a point where we still have a chance, so that's all you can ask for," Davis said.
The Orioles trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth before hitting three home runs.
Thome led off with his third homer since joining the Orioles. With two outs, Machado hit his fifth of the year for a 3-2 Baltimore lead. All of Machado's home runs have come at home, and his drive was the Orioles' 200th homer of the year.
Davis' three-run drive gave the Orioles a five-run inning and finished Carlos Villanueva (7-7).
Villanueva equalled a career high by giving up four home runs.
A'S 9, RANGERS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas - Yoenis Cespedes had one of Oakland's two triples in the first inning and the Athletics jumped out to a quick lead in a 9-3 victory at Texas on Wednesday night to pull within three games of the AL West-leading Rangers.
The Athletics, who had played five consecutive one-run games, led 5-0 only eight batters into the game. They chased Martin Perez (1-3) before the rookie lefthander got all the way through the batting order.
Oakland has won two of three in the series that wraps up with a day game today.
BREWERS 8, REDS 1
CINCINNATI, Ohio - Ryan Braun hit his NL-leading 41st home run on Wednesday night, and the Milwaukee Brewers kept their wild-card chances flickering with an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Milwaukee entered the day trailing St. Louis by 4 1 /2 games for the final NL wild-card spot.
