Boston Red Sox pitcher Paul Byrd pumps his fist after getting Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista to fly out with the bases loaded to end the fourth inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday. (The Associated Press)

Edgar Renteria hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning and the host San Francisco Giants pulled even in the NL wild-card race with Colorado, beating the Rockies 9-5 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

The Giants moved into a second-place tie in the NL West with Colorado, six games behind Los Angeles. The Rockies lost their season-high fifth in a row.

Renteria homered with two outs to overcome a 5-2 deficit, connecting two pitches after Rafael Betancourt (0-1) relieved Franklin Morales. Renteria hit his eighth career grand slam and second in two years against Betancourt.

Renteria also doubled in a run and matched his career high with five RBIs.Both teams are now 72-59, giving them a three-game lead in the NL Wild Card race over Atlanta -- which dropped a tough 3-2 decision against NL East-leading Philadelphia -- and a 31/2-game lead over Florida, which ended a three-game losing streak by beating San Diego 6-4.

In the American League, Paul Byrd, making his first major league start since last September, pitched six shutout innings and the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep with a 7-0 victory over visiting Toronto.

The win was the sixth in seven games for Boston, which pulled 31/2 games ahead of Texas in the AL Wild card race, thanks to the Rangers' 5-3 loss to the Twins.

Byrd, out of baseball after finishing last year with the Red Sox, signed a minor league contract Aug. 5. He gave up three hits and walked three.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the AL Central-leading Tigers improved to 42-21 at home and the Rays, trying to stay in the Wild Card race, fell to 28-38 on the road, as a result of Detroit's 4-3 home win.

Placido Polanco hit a three-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning. Third baseman Brandon Inge sealed the victory, leaping to snag B.J. Upton's high hopper down the line with a runner on first and throwing across the diamond for the final out.