American League
Mike Mussina pitched three-hit ball for eight innings and struck out a season-high 11, leading the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Tuesday.
"If I'm going to get hot, this is the time to do it," Mussina said.
Jason Giambi went 0-for-3 with a walk and a long drive to the right-field warning track in his first start for the Yankees since July 23. Recovering from a benign tumor, intestinal parasite, strained groin and respiratory infection, the 2000 American League Most Valuable Player is hitless in his last 24 major league at-bats.
Manager Joe Torre said Giambi would be back in the lineup against Kansas City on Wednesday.
"Hopefully, it will come back quick," Giambi said. "But for the most part I took some decent at-bats tonight. It's good to be back with the guys."
Derek Jeter hit a two-run single, helping New York bounce back from a 17-8 drubbing Monday night. The Yankees, who led the AL East by 10 1/2 games in mid-August, boosted the margin over second-place Boston to four games, their biggest advantage since they were up by 4 1/2 games before play on Aug. 31.
Mussina (11-9), who snapped a career-worst five-game losing skid in his previous start, gave up just three singles. Tom Gordon stuck out two in a perfect ninth, finishing New York's fourth shutout of the season. He beat Zack Greinke (8-10).
Devil Rays 5, Red Sox 2
In Boston, rookie Scott Kazmir outpitched Pedro Martinez to lead Tampa Bay over Boston.
Boston, which leads the major leagues in runs, was shut out for a season-high 16 straight innings before pinch-hitter Trot Nixon's two-run homer in the eighth off Travis Harper.
Kazmir (2-1), a highly regarded prospect acquired from the New York Mets on July 30 for Victor Zambrano, made his fourth major league start and struck out a season-high nine, including five in a row. He allowed three hits in six innings and walked three. Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his 27th save.
Martinez (16-6) struck out 10 but walked a season-high five and allowed solo homers to Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli, leaving after six innings.
Twins 10, White Sox 2
In Minneapolis, Johan Santana turned in another dominant start with seven shutout innings, as Minnesota used a nine-run sixth to beat Chicago for its seventh straight victory.
Santana (18-6) won his 10th straight start and 11th consecutive decision, and the Twins increased their lead over the White Sox in the AL Central to a season-high 11 1/2 games with 18 to play.
Lew Ford and Henry Blanco drove in two runs apiece for the Twins.
Freddy Garcia no-hit the Twins until Jacque Jones' RBI single in the sixth. Garcia (11-11) unraveled, and allowed six runs -- five earned -- three hits and five walks in 5 1-3 innings.
Tigers 11, Indians 3
In Cleveland, Dmitri Young homered and matched his career high with five RBIs as Detroit beat Cleveland to end a four-game losing streak,
Young went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer in the fourth inning off Kyle Denney, who lost in his major league debut. It was the fourth five-RBI game of Young's career.
Staked to a 9-1 lead, Jeremy Bonderman (10-11) improved to 4-1 with 42 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA in his last five starts. Detroit had 16 hits, three by Omar Infante. Jayson Smith and Brandon Inge also homered.
Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer for Cleveland, which has lost three in a row and eight of 11.
Mariners 3, Angels 2
In Seattle, Bobby Madritsch (5-2) pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning, then allowed Garret Anderson's one-out RBI single as Seattle edged Anaheim.
Chone Figgins singled in a run in the ninth off J.J. Putz, who got his seventh save.
Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-4 and with 232 hits is 25 short of George Sisler's 84-year-old season record with 18 games left. Pinch-hitter Randy Winn hit a two-run, two-out homer in the seventh off Brendan Donnelly.
Jarrod Washburn (11-7) gave up two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings, losing for the third time in four decisions. Anaheim, which began the night two games back of AL West-leading Oakland, remained 4 1/2 games behind Boston in the wild-card race.
Rangers 12, Athletics 9
In Oakland, California, Alfonso Soriano had three hits and two RBIs as Texas responded with the bat to beat Oakland, a night after Texas reliever Frank Francisco threw a plastic chair into the stands and broke a woman's nose.
Doug Brocail (4-1) pitched two perfect innings for the win. The right-hander was one of the most visibly agitated players during the altercation Monday, screaming at fans. He was booed loudly when he came in to pitch the seventh.
Every Texas starter scored and had an RBI. The Rangers won for the fourth time in five games. They have scored 10 or more runs in four of those.
Michael Young homered in the ninth, making Texas the second team in major league history to have four infielders with 20 homers. The other was the 1940 Boston Red Sox.
Mark Redman (10-12) lasted just 3 1-3 innings, giving up seven runs and six hits.
National League
Barry Bonds went 0-for-2 in his quest for career homer No. 700 and drew two walks -- one of them intentional -- in the San Francisco Giants' 3-2 victory Tuesday night over the Milwaukee Brewers.
"That's why he's the greatest player of all time," said Brewers third base coach Rich Donnelly. "He's not just a great home run hitter."
Before the game, Brewers manager Ned Yost said he wouldn't pitch around the San Francisco slugger just to keep him from joining Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the 700-homer club.
Bonds, popped out to shortstop in the first and walked in the fourth. With the score tied at 2 and a man on second in the fifth, Bonds was intentionally walked, drawing boos from the crowd of 27,209 -- fans packed the right-field bleachers while leaving some of the ballpark's best seats empty.
"He's a complete player," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "And it doesn't surprise us that he's a very capable left fielder."
Edgardo Alfonzo hit a pitch from Doug Davis (11-11) to left for an RBI single that made it 3-2. Bonds kept the Giants ahead in the sixth when he fielded Brady Clark's single to left and threw out Bill Hall at the plate.
The Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the third when Hall doubled home a run and scored on Lyle Overbay's single, but the Giants tied it an inning later on Marquis Grissom's two-run single.
Kirk Rueter (8-11) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings, and Dustin Hermanson pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances. San Francisco remained a half-game ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card race.
Marlins 8, Expos 6
In Chicago, the Florida Marlins homered three times in a six-run third inning, and Jeff Conine drove in the winning run.
With Hurricane Ivan bearing down on Florida, Major League Baseball decided last week to move the first two games of the Marlins' series with Montreal to Chicago.
The Marlins chased Scott Downs when Alex Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera and Conine homered to make it 6-1.
Montreal's Tony Batista hit a three-run homer off Rudy Seanez (3-1) to tie the game in the seventh, but the Marlins loaded the bases against Luis Ayala (5-11) in the bottom of the inning, and took the lead when Conine walked to force in the go-ahead run.
Guillermo Mota worked the eighth and ninth to earn his fourth save.
Reds 7, Phillies 6
In Cincinnati, Felipe Lopez hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the sixth inning for Cincinnati as Philadelphia dropped six games behind San Francisco in the wild-card race.
With two outs and the score tied at 5, Lopez lofted a drive off reliever Ryan Madson (9-3) that one-hopped the wall in left-center field, scoring Jacob Cruz and Ryan Freel. Jim Thome pulled Philadelphia to 7-6 with his 41st homer in the seventh.
Reliever Ryan Wagner (3-1) allowed one hit over 1 2-3 innings. John Riedling got the last out of the seventh. Danny Graves came on for the ninth and put runners on second and third before getting Jason Michaels to fly out for his 40th save.
Mets 7, Braves 0
In New York, Kris Benson pitched a four-hitter for New York to get his second career shutout and first complete game in over four years.
David Wright, Eric Valent and Cliff Floyd homered to send the Mets to just their fourth victory in 24 games. But they have won two of three against the NL East-leading Braves since a newspaper reported that manager Art Howe will be fired after the season.
Benson (12-11) struck out seven and walked none in his fifth career complete game, beating Russ Ortiz (14-8).
Astros 7, Cardinals 5
In St. Louis, Roger Clemens (17-4) won his 327th game, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings and moving past Eddie Plank into a tie for 10th with John Clarkson on the career list as Houston beat St. Louis.
Lance Berkman matched a career high with four hits, including a three-run double that highlighted a five-run fourth. Houston, which has won 15 of 18, remained a game behind San Francisco in the wild-card race. Brad Lidge got the final out for his 23rd save.
Jeff Suppan (15-7) lost for the first time in seven starts since July 23, allowing seven runs -- two earned -- and 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings.
Marlins 8, Expos 6
In Chicago, Alex Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera and Jeff Conine homered in a six-run third inning, and Conine also drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Ayala (5-11) in the seventh to break a 6-all tie and send Florida over Montreal.
Tony Batista had hit a three-run homer off Rudy Seanez (3-1) in the top half.
Guillermo Mota got six outs for his fourth save. The Marlins, who back of the Giants, completed a two-game sweep of the Expos in games moved from Miami to US Cellular Field because of Hurricane Ivan. The reams traveled to Florida for games Wednesday and Thursday.
Cubs 3, Pirates 2
In Chicago, Corey Patterson hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth against Salomon Torres and a winning shot in the 12th off Brian Meadows (2-4) to lead Chicago past Pittsburgh.
Todd Wellemeyer (2-1) worked a scoreless 12th, completing six scoreless innings for the Chicago bullpen. Sammy Sosa made a diving catch in right field on Ty Wigginton's drive in the 11th and doubled off Daryle Ward to end the inning.
Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 3
In Phoenix, Shea Hillenbrand hit a run-scoring double off Steve Reed (3-7) in the 13th inning, his second RBI of the game, to lead Arizona over Colorado.
Randy Choate (2-3) allowed one hit in two innings for the Diamondbacks, who won for only the second time in 12 games.
Dodgers 6, Padres 3
In Los Angeles, Jose Lima (13-5) allowed three runs -- two earned -- and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings, and Jayson Werth homered for the third game in a row, as Los Angeles beat San Diego, dropping the Padres three games back in the National League wild-card race.
Eric Gagne worked the ninth for his 41st save, tying St. Louis' Jason Isringhausen and Florida's Armando Benitez for the NL lead.
Justin Germano (1-2) gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings.
Former NL Most Valuable Player Ken Caminiti has failed four drug tests since going on probation in 2002 for possession of cocaine, including one last week that landed him in jail, his probation officer said Tuesday.
Caminiti remained in the Harris County jail Tuesday after his private meeting with probation officer Tracy Burns. She has handled his case since he was sentenced to three years' deferred adjudication probation after his 2001 arrest in a Houston motel room.
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