Alex Rodriguez passed Joe DiMaggio on the career home run list, connecting twice and driving in five runs Tuesday night in the New York Yankees' 10-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Mike Mussina (8-4) overcame a rocky start to win his seventh straight decision. In his first game since leaving a June 11 outing with a groin injury, he lasted just five innings.
"I was trying to make sure that I didn't do anything foolish," Mussina said. "But as it went on, I got a little more loose and a little more comfortable. I could tell it was getting a little tired when we decided that was enough."
Rodriguez had his 35th multihomer game. He hit a three-run shot off Matt Riley (1-3) in the first inning for career No. 362 to pass DiMaggio. He also hit a two-run drive against Rodrigo Lopez in the seventh to help the Yankees improve to 7-0 against Baltimore this season.
Rangers 10, Mariners 2
In Arlington, Texas, Ryan Drese pitched eight solid innings and Rod Barajas homered in his third straight game as Texas thrashed Seattle.
Drese (4-4) allowed four hits while matching his longest outing in 51 career starts. He struck out three and walked two.
The Rangers won their fourth straight and are first in the American League West at the latest point in a season since 1999 -- when they won their last division title. Seattle had won four straight and 10 of 14, but is 9 1/2 games back in last place.
Texas, which swept Seattle in a three-game home series in April, went ahead to stay on Mark Teixeira's two-run single in the first off Clint Nageotte (1-3).
Red Sox 9, Twins 2
In Boston, Nomar Garciaparra hit a grand slam for his first homer of the season to back Curt Schilling as Boston downed Minnesota.
David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit solo homers, and Ortiz also doubled in a run to give him a league-leading 65 RBIs.
Garciaparra missed Boston's first 57 games and was activated June 9 after recovering from Achilles' tendinitis in his right heel.
Schilling (9-4) improved to 5-1 in his last six starts. He's 6-0 at Fenway Park, the first pitcher in the major leagues to win his first six home decisions this season.
Kyle Lohse (2-5) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings.
White Sox 11, Indians 9
In Chicago, Jose Valentin hit a game-ending, two-run homer and drove in five runs, and Frank Thomas hit a three-run homer to lead Chicago over Cleveland.
Jose Jimenez (1-5) hit Thomas to lead off the 10th inning and one out later, Valentin homered to right.
Chicago reliever Shingo Takatsu (4-0) pitched the last two innings and retired the first five batters he faced. Ronnie Belliard singled in the 10th to end Takatsu's streak of batters retired at 29, and Ben Broussard walked before Takatsu struck out Coco Crisp to end it.
Belliard hit a three-run homer, Matt Lawton hit a two-run homer and Crisp hit a tiebreaking solo homer for Cleveland.
Angels 6, Athletics 1
In Anaheim, California, Bartolo Colon took a shutout into the eighth inning and five of his teammates drove in runs against Tim Hudson as Anaheim trounced Oakland.
The win, coupled with Texas' 10-2 triumph over Seattle, left the Angels a half-game behind the Rangers in the AL West and dropped Oakland a game off the pace. The Athletics have lost seven of eight games following an eight-game winning streak.
Colon (5-6) allowed a run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked none.
RSS