Bautista hits 38th home run as Blue Jays beat Rays  —  TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit his 38th home run to move into a tie for the major-league lead as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 to avert a four-game sweep.  —  Bautista, Adam Lind, who hit his 23rd homer …

Yankees Beat Orioles 3-2 for 4-Game Split  —  BALTIMORE (AP) — Freddy Garcia returned from the disabled list to pitch six innings of two-hit ball, Nick Swisher homered and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 Monday night earn a split of the four-game series.

The Climb To The End For MLB Has Begun!  —  FOX Sports  —  The final month of the Major League Baseball regular season gets underway this week with several divisions undecided and playoff spots up for grabs.  This week's featured games pit the St. Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers …

Buehrle makes quick work of Twins for White Sox  —  CHICAGO — Mark Buehrle pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning and Tyler Flowers drove in two runs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 3-0 Monday night in a game played in a brisk 2 hours, 4 minutes.

Dodgers beat Padres 4-1 behind stellar Kershaw  —  :LOS ANGELES — Andre Ethier had three hits and an RBI after sitting out a game with a sore knee and James Loney hit a two-run homer, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night and Clayton Kershaw to his 17th win.

Victorino's HR Leads Phillies Over Reds 3-2  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Shane Victorino hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning Monday night, and Cole Hamels was solid in his return from the disabled list, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Royals Hit 3 Homers, Beat Tigers 9-5  —  DETROIT (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have the record of a last-place team, and a pitching staff to match.  —  The Detroit Tigers found out again Monday night that the Royals don't have a last-place offense.  —  The Royals got 18 hits …

Plenty of room for debate on MVP discussion, plus my picks … Blue Jays star Jose Bautista deserves strong consideration for the American League MVP award, and if someone thinks he's the MVP because he's been the best player in the league, that's understandable.

Nelson Cruz expected to miss 3 weeks  —  Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz is expected to miss three weeks after an MRI on Monday revealed a Grade I strain of his left hamstring.  —  Cruz will receive a PRP injection from Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister to stimulate the healing process.

Gee Pitches Mets Past Marlins 5-1 for DH Sweep  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Dillon Gee rebounded from a wretched start and the New York Mets, back on the field following a two-day break because of Hurricane Irene, finished off a doubleheader sweep of the Florida Marlins with a 5-1 victory Monday night.

Hudson Throws 7 Shutout Innings for Arizona  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Daniel Hudson threw seven shutout innings and Ryan Roberts homered to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Monday night for their seventh straight win.  —  Hudson added an RBI single for the Diamondbacks …

Lee hits tiebreaking homer, Astros beat Pirates  —  HOUSTON—Carlos Lee hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, Wandy Rodriguez struck out a career-high 13 and the Houston Astros rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4 on Monday night.  —  Trailing 3-2 in the seventh …