Nick Blackburn (No. 53) of the Minnesota Twins has been placed on the 15-day DL. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Twins placed pitcher Nick Blackburn on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and recalled reliever Lester Oliveros from triple-A Rochester before Monday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Blackburn left his start on Sunday against the Yankees after 1 2-3 innings. He had an MRI on Monday and will meet with a specialist on Tuesday.

Anthony Swarzak will take Blackburn’s spot in the rotation and start on Friday when the Twins play Detroit.

Oliveros was one of two pitchers the Twins acquired in a trade that sent Delmon Young to Detroit on Aug. 16. The right-hander made three appearances in Rochester before getting recalled.

The Twins have used the disabled list 23 times this season and have fallen to fourth in the AL Central after briefly getting back into contention at the all-star break.

Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., fouled a ball off his right foot on Saturday and hasn’t played since. Morneau said he could pinch-hit on Monday if needed.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka continues to have pain in his lower-back/oblique area and was not in the starting lineup.

Denard Span is spending a week away from the team to rest and recover from migraine symptoms. Span missed 56 games with a concussion, then briefly returned before having to go back on the DL Aug. 18.

Starting pitcher Scott Baker (right flexor strain) and second-baseman Alexi Casilla (hamstring) will begin workouts on Tuesday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—The Minnesota Twins placed pitcher Nick Blackburn(notes) on the
15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and recalled reliever Lester
Oliveros(notes) from Triple-A Rochester before Monday’s game against the Baltimore
Orioles.

Blackburn left his start on Sunday against the Yankees after 1 2-3 innings.
He had an MRI on Monday and will meet with a specialist on Tuesday.

Anthony Swarzak(notes) will take Blackburn’s spot in the rotation and start on
Friday when the Twins play Detroit.

Oliveros was one of two pitchers the Twins acquired in a trade that sent
Delmon Young(notes) to Detroit on Aug. 16. The right-hander made three appearances in
Rochester before getting recalled.

The Twins have used the disabled list 23 times this season and have fallen
to fourth in the AL Central after briefly getting back into contention at the
All-Star break.

Justin Morneau(notes) fouled a ball off his right foot on Saturday and hasn’t
played since. Morneau said he could pinch-hit on Monday if needed.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka(notes) continues to have pain in his lower-back/oblique area and
was not in the starting lineup.

Denard Span(notes) is spending a week away from the team to rest and recover from
migraine symptoms. Span missed 56 games with a concussion, then briefly returned
before having to go back on the DL Aug. 18.

Starting pitcher Scott Baker(notes) (right flexor strain) and second-baseman Alexi
Casilla(notes) (hamstring) will begin workouts on Tuesday.

Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz, left, comes in to score from third as Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer can’t handle the throw on a fielders choice hit into by Mike Aviles in the eighth inning on Monday night. Mauer was charged with an error on the play. (Jim Mone/Associated Press)

Red Sox 8, Twins 6

MINNEAPOLIS — David Ortiz had four hits and three RBIs, delivering the go-ahead single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to an 8-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

Ortiz, a former Twin, hit a two-run homer in the sixth and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Jarrod Saltalamacchia added a homer and two RBIs to help the Red Sox win for the fifth time in seven games and move 1 1/2 games ahead of the idle New York Yankees in the AL East.

Marco Scutaro chipped in three hits and Jonathan Papelbon picked up his 25th save.

Jason Kubel had a homer among his three hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who have lost five in a row.

Alfredo Aceves (8-1) gave up one run in an inning in relief of Tim Wakefield for the victory. Wakefield gave up five runs — three earned — and eight hits with five strikeouts.

Glen Perkins (3-2) gave up two runs — one earned — in 1 2-3 innings to take the loss.

White Sox 7, Orioles 6

BALTIMORE —A.J. Pierzynski homered and drove in three runs, and Alex Rios singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to help Chicago to its fourth straight victory.

Gordon Beckham also connected for the White Sox, who blew a four-run lead before rallying to secure their season-high sixth consecutive road win.

After J.J. Hardy hit a three-run homer in the seventh off Jesse Crain (6-3) to put Baltimore up 6-5, the White Sox regained the lead against Jim Johnson (5-4). Paul Konerko walked, Carlos Quentin singled and Pierzynski hit a sacrifice fly to tie it. Rios then singled under the glove of third baseman Josh Bell to bring home Quentin.

Sergio Santos struck out the side in a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.

Rays 2, Royals 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Casey Kotchman led off the ninth inning with a home run and also hit a run-scoring single to lift Tampa Bay.

Kotchman drove the first pitch from Blake Wood (5-1) over the centre field fence.

Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth (4-1) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win.

Luke Hochevar allowed one run and five hits over seven innings for the Royals. The right-hander, who had won his previous three starts, had seven strikeouts and two walks.

Rays rookie Jeremy Hellickson, 3-0 in four starts during July, gave up one run and six hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

Eric Hosmer put the Royals ahead 1-0 on a first-inning RBI single.

Rangers 9, Mariners 2

ARLINGTON — Matt Harrison pitched seven strong innings for his career-high 10th victory, Nelson Cruz homered, and the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 on Monday night.

Harrison (10-8) allowed two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 104-degree heat, surpassing his nine-win rookie season in 2008.

Cruz, Mitch Moreland and Yorvit Torrealba all had three hits for the AL West-leading Rangers, who stretched their lead over second-place Los Angeles to 1 1-2 games. The Angels had the night off.

The Rangers scored twice in the second against rookie Charlie Furbush (1-1) with the help of the Mariners’ second error of the night.

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his first-inning, two-run home run off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his first-inning, two-run…

New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira leaps after he was hit in the foot by a pitch thrown by Minnesota Twins starter Scott Baker in the first inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira leaps after he was hit in the foot…

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova delivers in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova delivers in the first…

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker winds up against the New York Yankees in the second inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker winds up against the…

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his first-inning, two-run home run off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his first-inning, two-run…

New York Yankees’ Jorge Posada follows through on his second-inning, two-run home run in a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

New York Yankees’ Jorge Posada follows through on his…

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova delivers in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova delivers in the first…

Minnesota Twins’ Jim Thome watches his fourth-inning, two-run double off New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Monday, April 4, 2011. Photo: Kathy Willens / AP

Minnesota Twins’ Jim Thome watches his fourth-inning, two-run…