Manny Ramirez went 4-for-4 with his 23rd homer Monday as the Boston Red Sox hit a season-high nine doubles to thrash they beat the Detroit Tigers 14-5.
Boston had 18 hits and batted around twice in a game for the second time this season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"We needed a game like this," said Kevin Millar, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles. "It's a matter of time with offense. We had a couple of good pitchers that shut us down, but it's not going to last that long."
Ramirez, 0-for-14 before a tying single in Boston's 5-4 win Saturday, has six hits in his last eight at-bats.
"Manny started it off," Detroit manager Alan Trammell said. "Statistically, they're the best-hitting team in baseball and they proved it."
John Burkett (8-4) allowed three runs in five innings, improving to 6-0 against Detroit.
Jeremy Bonderman (3-14) gave up seven runs and eight hits in two-plus innings.
"I left the ball up in the second inning and that's what happens," Bonderman said.
Blue Jays 8, Yankees 0
In New York, former NBA player Mark Hendrickson (6-6), sent to the minors July 9, returned and allowed five hits in seven innings in a game shortened to 7 innings by rain.
Vernon Wells homered twice and drove in three runs, and Eric Hinske and Chris Woodward each had two RBIs.
Jeff Weaver (5-8) gave up five runs and 11 hits in 4 1-3 innings and ended the Yankees' five-game winning streak. The Blue Jays have won five consecutive games in New York.
Devil Rays 3, Angels 2
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Rob Bell (2-2) allowed one run and six hits in 7 1-3 innings as Tampa Bay beat Anaheim.
The World Series champion Angels have lost five successive games, their longest skid since dropping six straight from April 8-13 last year.
Angels third baseman Troy Glaus left with a bruised right shoulder during the third inning after falling when he tried to switch directions as Julio Lugo's bunt deflected off Aaron Sele. Anaheim said X-rays were normal and Glaus was day to day.
Sele (6-7) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. He had been 7-0 against the Devil Rays.
After All-Star closer Lance Carter allowed a ninth-inning sacrifice fly, Travis Harper retired Bengie Molina on a grounder for his first save this season.
Orioles 3, Rangers 2
In Baltimore, Pat Hentgen (2-5) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings to give Baltimore a win over Texas and stop a career-high five-game losing streak.
Baltimore has won five straight for the first time since May 2001.
Jorge Julio worked the ninth for his 22nd save.
R.A. Dickey (4-5) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. B.J. Surhoff homered for Baltimore.
Twins 5, Mariners 4
In Minneapolis, Chris Gomez hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning to lead Minnesota past Seattle for its fifth consecutive victory. Torii Hunter homered and Shannon Stewart went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Twins, on their best stretch since winning six straight from May 4-9.
Mark McLemore keyed a four-run seventh with a two-run double for the AL West-leading Mariners, who have dropped three straight games for the first time since April 9-11.
Juan Rincon (2-3) struck out both batters he faced in the eighth for the victory, and Eddie Guardado pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 23rd save. Arthur Rhodes (2-3) was the loser.
Athletics 6, Royals 1
In Kansas City, Missouri, Rich Harden allowed one run and four hits over seven innings, struck out four and walked two in his major league debut.
Oakland drew five straight walks with two outs in the ninth to break a 1-all tie.
Pinch-hitter Chris Singleton lined a one-out single off Sean Lowe (1-1), Jason Grimsley forced home the go-ahead run with a walk to Ramon Hernandez, Scott Hatteberg followed with a walk as Royals manager Tony Pena was ejected for the second straight day and Nate Field walked pinch-hitter Billy McMillon.
Ricardo Rincon (6-3) pitched a scoreless eighth.
White Sox 4, Indians 3
In Chicago, Joe Crede homered and Carl Everett added a two-run single as Chicago beat Cleveland for its fourth consecutive win.
The White Sox move within six games of first-place Kansas City in the AL Central. Cleveland has lost six straight games.
Mike Porzio (1-1) got his first career win as a starter, allowing three runs and five hits over five innings. Tom Gordon pitched the eighth and the ninth for his fifth save.
Brian Tallet (0-2) gave up four runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings.
Sammy Sosa homered and drove in four runs, Moises Alou had four hits and five RBIs and the Chicago Cubs again broke loose, routing the Atlanta Braves 15-6 Monday.
Tom Goodwin matched a career high with five hits and scored four times and Alex Gonzalez homered and drove in three runs. The Cubs finished with a season-high 21 hits.
On Sunday, the Cubs had 20 hits in a 16-2 romp over the Florida Marlins. Sosa and Gonzalez both homered in that win.
Sosa homered for the 10th time since July 1 as the Cubs won their third in a row. They ended the Braves' five-game winning streak and handed Atlanta only its second loss in 15 games.
Javy Lopez hit two home runs for the Braves. Andruw Jones and Marcus Giles also connected.
"We just couldn't hold them tonight," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "They were hitting them hard, hitting them soft, hitting them every which way."
Mets 8, Phillies 6
In Philadelphia, Aaron Heilman earned his first major league victory and John Franco picked up his first save since 2001 as New York beat Philadelphia.
Cliff Floyd, Jason Phillips and Joe McEwing homered as the Mets stopped a four-game losing streak.
Jim Thome hit his 25th homer and Bobby Abreu drove in four runs for the NL wild card-leading Phillies, who had won eight of 10.
Heilman (1-2) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings in his fifth big league start.
Franco got the final three outs for his first save since June 19, 2001.
Marlins 4, Expos 1
In Miami, Mike Lowell drove in two runs in his return from a tumor scare and Josh Beckett pitched seven scoreless innings as Florida beat Montreal.
Lowell, who had surgery in 1999 for testicular cancer, felt soreness in his groin the last three weeks and doctors told him Friday that a golf ball-sized mass above his left femur might be a tumor.
But the following day, specialists in Gainesville, Florida, determined it was not a tumor or cancerous, and instead was fibrous dysplasia, a benign condition of the bone.
In his first at bat, Lowell singled home Juan Pierre. Lowell drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and doubled in the eighth.
Beckett (4-4) scattered seven singles. He struck out seven and walked one. Eric Knott (0-1) was the losing pitcher.
Pirates 5, Astros 3
In Pittsburgh, Matt Stairs homered and drove in two runs as Pittsburgh jumped on Houston starter Tim Redding for five runs in the first three innings. The Pirates, the only team to beat the Astros in their last 15 games, ended Houston's five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has won four straight at home against the Astros since July 4. The Astros had won 10 of 11, matching Atlanta for the NL's best pace over that span, but are 1-5 against the Pirates over those 15 games.
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