MAJOR LEAGUE
The Oakland Athletics rallied from a 5-0 deficit to equal the longest winning streak in American League history with a 7-6 triumph over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
By securing their 19th straight victory, the A's drew level with the 1906 Chicago White Sox and 1947 New York Yankees.
The major-league record is 26 wins by the 1916 New York Giants.
MVP candidate Miguel Tejada delivered the winning run when the shortstop's ninth-inning single off loser Jason Grimsley (3-5) plated Greg Myers to end the contest.
It was Tejada's 116th RBI of the season.
Veteran David Justice also had a big part to play, as he knocked in four runs with a two-run homer and a single that scored two.
The win went to closer Billy Koch (8-2), who survived another shaky ninth, during which he loaded the bases.
Barry Zito started and went six innings for Oakland in quest of an AL-best 20th win.
Neifi Perez and AJ Hinch took him deep to give the Royals the early lead.
Red Sox 8, Yankees 4
In New York, Nomar Garciaparra had three hits and knocked in as many runs in leading the Boston Red Sox to an 8-4 win over the Yankees in a rain-delayed contest.
Loser Mike Mussina (16-8) served up run-scoring singles to Garciaparra in the third and seventh innings.
White Sox 5, Blue Jays 3
In Toronto, the surging Chicago White Sox continued to roll, knocking off the Blue Jays 5-3 for their sixth successive victory.
Rookie Joe Borchard, the 12th overall pick in the 2000 draft, was the hitting hero.
He belted his first major-league homer with a man aboard in the fourth off fellow rookie Corey Thurman (2-3).
Indians 11, Tigers 1
In Detroit, Karim Garcia had an afternoon he won't soon forget as he twice went deep with two men aboard to plate six runs as the Cleveland Indians drubbed the Tigers 11-1.
Mariners 5, Twins 2
In Seattle, the Mariners got three eighth-inning runs to snap a 2-2 tie and post a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins, who lost for the fifth straight time.
A Ruben Sierra single with two men gone plated two runs and Desi Relaford's subsequent double brought home another.
Johan Santana (8-6) was charged with the first two scores to take the loss; on a bright note, he fanned nine in just four-and-one-third innings. Seattle's Arthur Rhodes (8-3) struck out the side in the eighth to get the decision; two of the three went down looking. Kazuhiro Sasaki tossed a near-flawless ninth for his 34th save.
Chiayi Luka 3, Taichung Agan 2
Yesterday in Taichung
WP: Shad Williams
LP: Lee Ming-ching (李明進)
MVP: Shad Williams
Last night's game between the visiting Chiayi Luka and the Taichung Agan was so close, two home runs from Agan in its last at-bat should have won the game. Instead, Luka scraped a victory 3-2. Luka starter Shad Williams went seven stellar innings for his team, giving up one run on five hits, while reliever Tsai Shih-chin (蔡士勤) barely held on to the lead to give his team the much-needed win. The winning pitcher, Shad Williams was selected the game MVP for his stunning performance. Agan starter Lee Ming-ching (李明進) fell victim to two crucial fielding errors as he went the distance for Agan, yielding three runs on seven hits. Only one of the three runs given up by Lee was earned. Offensively for Luka the star of the game was center-fielder Chen Kai-fa (陳該發), whose two-run homer on top of the third gave Luka an early lead. Chen was 2-for-4 for the night.The two teams will meet again tonight in the second game of the three-game series.
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