Rocco Baldelli drilled a ninth-inning double down the third-base line to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a dramatic 10-9 over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

The surprising Rays (83-51) have won four straight as they continue to maintain command of the American League East division.

"It's the best baseball story of the year," Rays pitcher J.P. Howell told reporters. "And it's going to keep going."

The latest victory was far from easy, however, as Tampa Bay was required to rally from a 3-7 deficit in the top of the fifth.

Elsewhere in the AL, it was: Red Sox 8, White Sox 2 Angels 4, Rangers 3 Rays 10, Orioles 9 Athletics 3, Twins 2 Mariners 4, Indians 3 (in 10 innings) Blue Jays 7, Yankees 6 and Royals 13, Tigers 3.

In the National League, it was: Phillies 5, Cubs 2 Marlins 4, Mets 3 Brewers 11, Pirates 3 Padres 9, Rockies 4 Reds 7, Giants 6 Astros 8, Cardinals 5 and Nationals 9, Braves 8 (in 10 innings).

In St. Petersburg, Florida, first baseman Carlos Pena delivered a two-run double during a three-run sixth and Baldelli was hit by a pitch that forced in a run in the seventh.

The designated-hitter was making just his seventh start of the year, after being diagnosed with a rare DNA disorder in spring training that sidelined him for most of the year. He finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, including the game-winner.

"What he's done to come back and to win a ballgame like that is just huge for him, huge for us and huge for the city," Tampa Bay starter Andy Sonnanstine said.

The Orioles' Nick Markakis had a huge day, going 4-for-5 with a solo home run in the top of the ninth that tied the game at 9-9.

Despite allowing the homer, reliever Dan Wheeler (3-5) was credited with the win after pitching the top of the ninth.

Sonnanstine was rocked for five runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Jay Payton's two-run homer in the first gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead and the Orioles (63-72) tacked on three more in the third with Aubrey Huff's three-run shot, his 30th of the year.

The Rays, an AL-best 51-19 at home, have won the first two games of the three-game set, extending their record of not having lost any of the 13 series since the All-Star break.

In Chicago, the Cubs' seven-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Phillies, whose swings for the fences paid off in a 5-2 win.

Jayson Werth homered twice and Ryan Howard hit his major league-leading 37th homer as the Phillies closed within a game of NL East division leader New York. The Cubs' lead in the NL Central was cut to 5-1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee.

Werth also hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the sixth for the Phillies, who got a nice effort from their bullpen and ended a three-game skid.

Howard and Werth connected in the eighth to make it 5-1.

The Cubs, who rallied to win Thursday and Friday, opened the bottom half of the eighth with consecutive singles from Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez to trim the lead to 5-2.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 1, 2008)