Fighting for first-place in the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox have quickly developed a testy rivalry.

Josh Beckett and the David Ortiz-less Red Sox regained the top spot in the division Wednesday night with a 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay that featured a hard slide and an exchange of heated words.

Beckett (6-4) allowed one run in six innings and the Red Sox won their 12th straight home game.

Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp was involved in a flareup in the eighth when he slid into second baseman Akinori Iwamura hard and late. Crisp was thrown out, but that was hardly the end of it. After Julio Lugo struck out, Rays manager Joe Maddon went to the mound to remove pitcher Jason Hammel, turned toward the Red Sox dugout and said something to Crisp.

“Everybody else on the mound started looking over there so I got louder,” Crisp said. “I don’t know if he could hear what I was saying but basically I just said, ‘I did that on my own so don’t punish anybody else on the team.’”

Crisp was upset with shortstop Jason Bartlett, not Iwamura, after Bartlett put his knee down in front of the bag on Crisp’s successful steal in the sixth. Crisp came out of that with a sprained left thumb that was bandaged after the game but may not sideline him.

“I told him ... I’d get back on base and then I’m going to show him how I felt about it,” Crisp said. “It wasn’t as dramatic as it probably would have been if he would have covered the bag.”

Maddon said Crisp intended to injure Iwamura.

“There’s no place for that when you intentionally try to hurt somebody,” Maddon said.

Crisp said that wasn’t his intention and he and Iwamura — who said he wasn’t hurt — declared the matter closed.

Despite ending 10 days in first place, the Rays are a franchise-high 11 games over .500 (35-24). Last season, they finished last for the ninth time in their 10 seasons, 30 games behind the division-winning Red Sox.

Boston now leads the division by a half game

J.D. Drew, batting third in place of the injured David Ortiz, continued his surge with an RBI double and a single. In Tuesday night’s 7-4 win over Tampa Bay, Drew had a two-run homer, a double and two outstanding catches in right field.

The Red Sox are 3-1 since Ortiz injured his left wrist on a swing Saturday night. He went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.

Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson’s struggles at Fenway continued as he left after five innings trailing 4-1. Jackson (3-5) is 0-3 in his career there, allowing 20 earned runs in 22 innings.

Angels 5, Mariners 4

At Seattle, Torii Hunter hit a two-run single in a big first inning before Jered Weaver and three relievers preserved the victory for Los Angeles.

Weaver (5-6) allowed 10 hits for the fifth time in 13 starts this season — but won for the third time in four starts. He allowed four runs, struck out three and walked one.

Francisco Rodriguez finished for his 24th save in 25 chances as Los Angeles moved to a season-best 13 games over .500.

Carlos Silva (3-6) was down 3-0 in the first following an RBI double by Howie Kendrick and Hunter’s two-run single.

Athletics 10, Tigers 2

At Oakland, Calif., Justin Duchscherer allowed three hits over 6 2-3 innings and the Athletics completed a three-game sweep.

Duchscherer (5-4) struck out three and faced only one batter over the minimum through the first five innings while winning for only the second time in his last five starts despite a season-high five walks.

Tigers’ starter Nate Robertson (3-6) gave up five runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Yankees 5, Blue Jays 1

At New York, Mike Mussina tied for the American League lead in wins and Derek Jeter passed Mickey Mantle on the Yankees career hits list.

Wilson Betemit homered off Jesse Litsch (7-2) and the Yankees snapped a three-game skid by handing Toronto only its seventh loss in 22 games.

Mussina (9-4) pitched six strong innings and Jeter, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui hit RBI singles to back him.

Twins 7, Orioles 5

At Minneapolis, Joe Mauer homered and drove in three runs and Boof Bonser got a win in his first relief appearance for Minnesota.

Mauer went deep against Jamie Walker in the seventh to give Minnesota a two-run lead.

In the fifth, Mauer drove in two runs with one sacrifice fly — the first such feat in the majors in more than seven years — to bring his team within one.

Daniel Cabrera (5-2) lost for the first time in six starts.

Bonser (3-6) threw 2 2-3 scoreless innings. Joe Nathan worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Indians 15, Rangers 9

At Arlington, Texas, Ryan Garko drove in a career-high six runs and had four hits and David Dellucci hit a three-run homer for Cleveland.

Dellucci extended Cleveland’s lead to 11-6 in the sixth inning against Elizardo Ramirez (0-1) with his sixth homer. It came one batter after Garko’s two-run single had put the Indians in front.

Cliff Lee (9-1) threw 112 pitches in five innings and struck out eight. He began the night with an AL-best 1.88 ERA, but the Rangers got to him for six runs and nine hits.

White Sox 6, Royals 4, 15 innings

At Chicago, Paul Konerko hit a two-run homer in the 15th to win it.

Konerko, batting .198 when he came up against Jimmy Gobble (0-1), hit his seventh homer.

Octavio Dotel (3-2) pitched 2 2-3 innings of hitless relief.

David DeJesus hit a tying two-run single in the ninth off White Sox closer Bobby Jenks, who blew his third save in 17 chances.