American League
Roy Halladay won his American League-leading 17th game as the Toronto Blue Jays beat Barry Zito and the Oakland Athletics 6-3 Friday night.
Oakland manager Ken Macha held a team meeting before the game to tell his players that ace Mark Mulder has a stress fracture in his right hip, a startling injury that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season.
Halladay (17-5) outpitched Zito, allowing three runs on eight hits, striking out eight and walking none in six innings. He is tied with Atlanta's Russ Ortiz for the major league lead in wins.
Zito (10-11) gave up five runs on six hits and three walks in 5 1-3 innings.
Aquilino Lopez came on with a runner on first in the ninth and got two outs for his sixth save.
Royals 3, Twins 2
In Minneapolis, Darrell May pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Kansas City threw out two runners at home and the Royals evened an important intradivision series with a victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Joe Randa went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Kansas City, which ended a four-game losing streak.
Brent Mayne and Raul Ibanez also drove in runs for Kansas City, which passed the Twins in the AL Central race. The Chicago White Sox lead the Royals by one game and the Twins by 1 1/2.
May (7-6), who beat the Twins last Sunday, is responsible for Kansas City's only two quality starts in its last eight games.
Twins starter Kyle Lohse (10-10) completed 6 1-3 innings -- allowing seven hits, three runs and a walk while striking out three.
Red Sox 6, Mariners 4
In Boston, Jeff Suppan allowed two runs over 6 2-3 innings and Manny Ramirez homered for the second straight game to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Seattle Mariners.
Suppan (1-1), who had allowed 16 earned runs in 16 1-3 innings since coming to Boston on July 31, gave up six hits.
With their second straight win, the Red Sox tied the Oakland Athletics in the wild-card race.
Byung-Hyun Kim pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 12 opportunities.
Joel Pineiro (13-9) is winless in August after pitching 19 2-3 scoreless innings to close out July.
Orioles 4, Yankees 3
In New York, Pat Hentgen pitched into the eighth inning, and Brook Fordyce homered and drove in two runs as the Baltimore Orioles ended the New York Yankees' seven-game winning streak.
Deivi Cruz hit a tiebreaking double with two outs in the sixth off David Wells (12-4), sending the Orioles to their third straight win following an eight-game skid.
During the game, New York traded seldom-used lefty Sterling Hitchcock to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league pitchers Justin Pope and Ben Julianel.
Hentgen (5-6) gave up three runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings.
Orioles closer Jorge Julio entered with one out in the ninth, then loaded the bases before being lifted with two outs. Left-hander Buddy Groom earned his first save of the season, needing just one pitch to get pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra to fly to right.
White Sox 7, Rangers 1
In Chicago, Jose Valentin hit two homers and Frank Thomas and Carl Everett hit one each Friday night as the Chicago White Sox won their fifth straight, beating the Texas Rangers.
Valentin hit a three-run homer in the second and added a solo shot in the eighth, giving him 21 for the season.
Neal Cotts (1-0) got his first major league win, outpitching fellow rookie Juan Dominguez (0-2). Cotts lasted five-plus innings, allowing five hits and a run with five walks.
RSS