MINNEAPOLIS — With each Oakland drive that soared over the outfield wall at the Metrodome last night, Clayton Mortensen felt a little more comfortable.

That comfort translated into the first major league victory for one of the Athletics' top pitching prospects.

Mortensen, acquired in the trade that sent Matt Holliday to St. Louis, limited Minnesota to one run on five hits over six innings as the Athletics rolled to a 12-5 victory.

Jack Cust, Mark Ellis, Cliff Pennington, Daric Barton and Kurt Suzuki all homered for Oakland, which entered the game last in the American League in home runs.

Unlike in his first two starts, the 24-year-old Mortensen (1-2) avoided giving up the big inning. While Minnesota's Denard Span hit a leadoff homer, Mortensen allowed only one more Minnesota player past second base.

"The other two games, he has been impressive and had one very bad inning," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "Tonight was an example of him not having that bad inning. It could have been early with the leadoff homer, but he rebounded and got out of that inning."

Cust hit the first of Oakland's homers — a massive shot to right-center that was estimated at 442 feet — to tie the game at 1 in the top of the second. The Athletics then broke the game open in the third off of Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn (9-11). Pennington led off with a solo home run before Rajai Davis doubled. Suzuki doubled in Davis and, after a Cust walk, Ellis hit a three-run homer to left to give Oakland a 6-1 lead. Suzuki, a Baldwin High alum from Maui, hit his 12th homer of the season in the sixth, a two-run drive to make it 11-1. He finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

"Not a good night pitching-wise, I think we all saw we got hammered," said Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team again fell below .500. "They put balls in the seats. Blacky just couldn't make a pitch. I don't know how many homers he gave up. I don't know how many walks we had. I quit counting. Too many walks and too many hits. We get behind like that and it just got ugly."

BLUE JAYS 6, TIGERS 4

Brian Tallet (7-9) picked up his second straight win, allowing three runs and seven hits as visiting Toronto handed AL Central-leading Detroit its fourth straight loss, after a six-game winning streak.

ANGELS 7, WHITE SOX 1

Joe Saunders (13-7) allowed one run — a solo homer by Jayson Nix in the third — and three hits over seven innings to win his fourth straight start as host Los Angeles beat Chicago for its fourth straight victory.

RAYS-RED SOX

The host Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays got in just 12 minutes before their game was postponed because of rain. The teams will start fresh tomorrow as part of a doubleheader.

MARINERS-RANGERS

The game between the visiting Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers has been postponed because of rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow.

ROYALS 2, INDIANS 1

Miguel Olivo homered with one out in the top of the 12th inning and Joakim Soria gave up a hit, but struck out two in the bottom half of the inning for his 25th save as Kansas City beat Cleveland for its fifth straight victory.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PHILLIES 4, METS 2

Cole Hamels (9-9) allowed one run and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings, Jimmy Rollins and Pedro Feliz had RBI singles and St. Anthony alum Shane Victorino from Maui hit a career-high three doubles as host Philadelphia beat New York. Ryan Madson finished for his seventh save in 12 chances.

DODGERS 10, GIANTS 3

Hiroki Kuroda (6-6), who dodged the barrel of a broken bat that flew in his direction and retired 19 straight during one stretch, gave up a run and three hits in eight innings and Casey Blake homered as visiting Los Angeles routed San Francisco.

ROCKIES 4, PADRES 1

Yorvit Torrealba hit a three-run double with two outs in the top of the ninth off closer Heath Bell and pinch-hitter Paul Phillips added an RBI single as Colorado rallied to beat San Diego and stay two games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 3

Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman homered, and pinch-hitter Mike Morse broke a 2-all tie in the sixth inning with a two-out, two-run double as Washington won in Miami for the first time this year.

BRAVES 1, CARDINALS 0

Jair Jurrjens (11-10) scattered six hits over eight innings and Omar Infante had a run-scoring groundout in the second inning as visiting Atlanta beat NL Central-leading St. Louis.

ASTROS 9, PIRATES 1

Carlos Lee hit a three-run homer, Lance Berkman added a solo shot and Bud Norris (5-3) allowed a run and six hits in six innings to help Houston beat Pittsburgh for its 11th victory in its last 15 home games.

CUBS 6, RED 4

Geovany Soto homered for the first time since Aug. 10, and Aramis Ramirez went 3 for 3 with three RBIs to lead host Chicago past Cincinnati for its first four-game winning streak in nearly two months.

BREWERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3

Ryan Braun homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and Braden Looper (12-6) gave up three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings to lead visiting Milwaukee past Arizona.

SHORT HOPS

Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton received a third injection for a pinched nerve in his back yesterday, and the two-time All-Star won't be available for "at least seven days" according to general manager Jon Daniels. ... New York Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon missed last night's game against Baltimore with a stiff lower back. ... Baltimore pitcher Koji Uehara (2-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 12 starts) will miss the rest of the season because of a right elbow injury that has sidelined him since June. ... San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, who was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday because of spasms in his lower back, says he hopes to pitch Monday against Colorado. ... Oakland purchased the contract of catcher Eric Munson from Triple-A Sacramento and transferred pitcher Dallas Braden (right foot infection) to the 60-day disabled list, all but ending his 2009 season.