Orioles' Ponson finally gets better of Yankees
Sidney Ponson shut down the team that has pounded him by pitching a four-hitter and Javy Lopez homered again, leading the Baltimore Orioles past the Yankees, 9-1, last night in New York.
Melvin Mora drove in four runs, Lopez had three RBIs, and Miguel Tejada hit a pair of RBI singles for Baltimore. The Orioles won for just the second time in 10 games against the AL East leaders this season.
After going 0-3 with an 8.83 ERA in three outings against the Yankees this season, Ponson (6-12) retired 18 straight batters.AL roundup Ponson got off to another rocky start when Bernie Williams hit a leadoff double in the first and scored on Gary Sheffield's single.
But Ponson found his rhythm in a hurry after Jorge Posada opened the second with a single for the Yankees' third hit.
Hideki Matsui then grounded into a double play and New York did not get another runner until Matsui singled with one out in the eighth as Ponson posted his third straight win in his third complete game of the year.
Lopez, coming off his two-homer performance Wednesday night against the Red Sox, hit his 15th homer, along with a double and single.
Jose Contreras (8-5) pitched on three days' rest without success -- the Orioles roughed him up for seven runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Contreras's problems started after leadoff man Brian Roberts beat him to the bag for a two-out infield hit in the third. A walk loaded the bases, Mora followed with a two-run single, and Tejada and Lopez added RBI singles.
Lopez homered in the sixth for a 5-1 lead. Contreras was pulled after a pair of two-out singles in the seventh, and the Orioles finished off reliever Bret Prinz.
A's 7, Rangers 6 -- Oakland overtook host Texas for first place in the West with its sixth straight win as Adam Melhuse hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth and Mark McLemore homered Signed and drove in three runs.
Texas led the division by 4 1/2 games after beating Oakland last Friday. It was the biggest lead any team has had in the AL West this season, and now it's gone with the Rangers' third consecutive loss.
Tigers 3, White Sox 2 -- Jason Johnson allowed three hits over six innings and Detroit sent visiting Chicago to its fifth straight loss. Johnson (8-8) allowed both runs to get his fourth win in five decisions.
With the game tied at 2 in the sixth, Bobby Higginson delivered the go-ahead run with an RBI ground out to first.
Devil Rays 2, Royals 0 -- Rob Bell and three relievers combined on a four-hitter, and Tino Martinez had three hits and an RBI to lead Tampa Bay to a sweep in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Bell (4-4) struck out three and walked two in 6 1/3 innings in the Devil Rays' third straight win following a six-game losing streak. Kansas City has lost seven in a row, and has scored just 11 runs over the stretch.
Mariners 6, Angels 5 -- Bret Boone singled to center to score Ichiro Suzuki, who had doubled, in the 13th inning to pace visiting Seattle.
