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David Ortiz smacks around Indians

David Ortiz homered twice and drove in four runs, and Bronson Arroyo scattered four hits to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians 9-2 on Tuesday.

Ortiz's fourth multihomer game this season helped Boston to its third straight win and eighth in nine games. He leads the American League with 62 RBIs for Boston, 40-30 and a season-high 10 games over .500.

"Ortiz never stops -- home run after home run," Arroyo said. "All my wins come off Ortiz's offense."

Manny Ramirez added a two-run homer. He has six RBIs in two games against his former team.

"There are days when Manny and David really pack some punch," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "That's why they're there."

Arroyo (6-3) won his second straight start, allowing one run over seven innings while striking out four and walking one. Cleveland's Kevin Millwood (2-5) allowed six runs and seven hits in his second start since coming off the disabled list.

Orioles 9, Blue Jays 5

At Toronto, Geronimo Gil homered twice, and Eli Marrero homered and drove in three runs as Baltimore won for the sixth time in eight games.

The first-place Orioles scored five unearned runs off Gustavo Chacin (6-5) in the first inning after shortstop Russ Adams allowed Brian Roberts to reach on an error.

Rodrigo Lopez (7-2) won his fifth straight decision despite allowing four runs and four hits in five innings. Russ Adams and Alex Rios homered for the Blue Jays.

White Sox 5, Royals 1

At Chicago, Jon Garland allowed four hits in 8 1-3 innings and became the major leagues' first 12-game winner as Chicago cruised past Kansas City.

Scott Podsednik went 3-for-4 with one RBI for the White Sox, who have won six straight games.

Garland (12-2) struck out two and walked one in his fourth straight win. Terrence Long led off the ninth with his third homer to knock out Garland.

Zack Greinke (1-8) struck out a career-high eight for the Royals, but gave up five runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Yankees 20, Devil Rays 11

At New York, Bernie Williams put the New York ahead with a bases-loaded triple to cap a 13-run eighth inning that allowed the Yankees to overcome an early eight-run deficit and defeat Tampa Bay.

Gary Sheffield had his second three-run homer of the game for the Yankees and Derek Jeter tied a career high with five hits and scored a career-best five runs.

Sheffield had seven RBIs and Williams drove in five runs for New York, which trailed 10-2 after four innings. Randy Johnson lasted just three innings for the Yankees -- his shortest outing in nearly five years. He allowed seven runs.

Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui hit consecutive homers in the eighth, and Jorge Posada also connected for the Yankees in the inning, who had a 13-run second inning during a 19-8 victory over Tampa Bay on April 18.

Reliever Buddy Groom (1-0) worked 1 1-3 innings. Travis Harper (1-6) took the loss.

Athletics 4, Mariners 2

At Seattle, Dan Johnson hit his first major league home run and Rich Harden pitched five strong innings to lead surging Oakland over Seattle.

The Athletics won their fourth straight -- matching a season high -- and eighth in their last 11.

Harden (3-3), who had not pitched since straining his left oblique muscle May 13, allowed just two hits for his first win since April 21. Justin Duchscherer got his third straight save.

Johnson, the most valuable player of the Pacific Coast League last season, homered off Joel Pineiro (2-4) in the third inning.

Angels 8, Rangers 6

At Anaheim, California, Dallas McPherson drove in three runs, Darin Erstad had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 21 games, and Los Angeles roughed up Park Chan-ho and Texas.

Bartolo Colon (9-4) improved his career record against Texas to 14-5, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings to help the Angels open a 3 1/2-game lead over the Rangers in the AL West. The right-hander struck out seven, walked two and escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams en route to his fourth victory in five decisions.

Park (7-2) lost for the first time in 11 starts since Oakland beat him on April 18. He faced 13 batters -- retiring only three -- while allowing eight runs and 10 hits in the shortest of his 238 career starts.

Backup catcher Javier Valentin had a three-run homer and four RBIs to help Cincinnati to an 11-4 victory Tuesday over the St. Louis Cardinals in Jerry Narron's debut as interim manager of the Reds.

Narron, Dave Miley's bench coach since the start of the 2004 season, was promoted earlier Tuesday when Miley was fired, along with pitching coach Don Gullett, after the Reds' 27-43 start.

"We had a lot of things that didn't go well for us," the soft-spoken Narron said. "These guys are due for a good stretch."

Joe Randa hit a solo homer and Felipe Lopez doubled with the bases loaded to back Brandon Claussen (4-4), who allowed three runs in six innings. Loser Jason Marquis (8-5) gave up seven hits and 10 runs -- six earned -- in 2 1-3 innings.

Valentin said the Reds seemed more resolute.

"We can feel the difference," Valentin said. "We want to do better. We know we can do better."

Braves 5, Marlins 0

At Atlanta, John Smoltz pitched his first shutout in six years and Andruw Jones hit his 20th homer -- a two-run shot -- as Atlanta blanked Florida.

Smoltz (7-5) fanned Matt Treanor in the seventh inning to pass Jack Morris for 28th place on the career strikeout list with 2,479. The 38-year-old Smoltz, who earned 154 saves as Atlanta's closer before returning to the rotation this year, allowed just five hits in his 15th career shutout.

Smoltz struck out six, walked two and won his third straight start. A.J. Burnett (4-5) pitched six innings for the Marlins.

Mets 8, Phillies 5

At Philadelphia, Doug Mientkiewicz and Brian Daubach homered as New York downed Philadelphia.

Jose Reyes had three hits and Carlos Beltran two RBIs for the last-place Mets, who had lost three straight and nine of 11.

Kris Benson (6-2) gave up five runs -- four earned -- and nine hits in six innings. Braden Looper got his 14th save. Brett Myers (5-4) allowed six runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings.

Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer for Philadelphia, which has lost five of seven.

Pirates 11, Nationals 4

At Pittsburgh, Matt Lawton homered and had five RBIs as Pittsburgh beat Washington to win for only the second time in nine games.

Lawton's two-run shot in the seventh inning followed David Ross' double off Luis Ayala and gave the Pirates a 7-4 lead. Lawton and Daryle Ward had two-run doubles in the eighth.

Oliver Perez (6-5) shook off Brad Wilkerson's leadoff homer in the first inning and left leading 5-3 after five. Starter Ryan Drese (1-1) allowed five runs and eight hits in three-plus innings as the Nationals lost only their fifth in 22 games.

Cubs 4, Brewers 2

At Milwaukee, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez homered, and Jerome Williams beat Milwaukee to win his Chicago Cubs debut.

Williams (1-2) made his first start since being acquired from San Francisco on May 28. Williams allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings. He struck out a season-high six. Ryan Dempster got his 10th save, retiring pinch-hitter Jeff Cirillo with two on to end it.

Milwaukee's Bill Hall had his first career multihomer game, connecting in the second and fourth innings. Victor Santos (2-7) allowed just three hits in seven innings, and two of the four runs against him were unearned.

Astros 6, Rockies 5

At Houston, Lance Berkman hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning, helping Houston overcome a costly defensive mistake and beat Colorado.

Reliever Chad Qualls (2-3) faced only one batter in the win, and Brad Lidge recorded his 17th save as Houston won for the fourth time in five games.

The Astros also kept alive their unbeaten streak against Colorado starter Jamey Wright (4-7), who dropped to 0-11 in 16 appearances, including 15 starts, against Houston.

Jason Lane cost Houston a run, and eventually its lead, in the sixth. Lane caught a run-scoring fly ball by Garrett Atkins and thinking the inning was over flipped the ball into the stands. That allowed Preston Wilson to give the Rockies a 4-2 lead.

Padres 2, Dodgers 1

At San Diego, Woody Williams pitched 6 2-3 solid innings for his first victory in nearly two months, and San Diego handed Los Angeles its season-high eighth straight loss.

Williams (3-5) allowed one run and five hits with four strikeouts and one walk for his first win since April 25 against San Francisco.

Robert Fick drove in both San Diego runs with a single in the fourth inning off Derek Lowe (5-8). Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 19th save.

Los Angeles has scored just 16 runs in the losing streak and have been shut out twice in the last five games.

Brian Giles tied his San Diego franchise record when he reached base for the 11th consecutive time with a walk in the seventh inning.

Akihiro Yano's homerun followed by a two-run single helped the Hanshin Tigers beat the Chunichi Dragons 4-3 Tuesday in Japanese professional baseball.

The Central League-leading Tigers came back from being down 0-2 in the fourth inning, when Yano struck his solo homer at Osaka Dome.

Takashi Toritani followed with a one-run single in the next inning before Yano's two-run bases-loaded single put Hanshin ahead 4-2. Kei Igawa (6-3) took the win.

Pacific League

The Seibu Lions romped past the Orix Buffaloes 10-5 as Jose Fernandez and Hiroyuki Nakajima together drove in four runs.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (5-8), while allowed three runs and 10 hits over five innings, picked up the win. Jeremy Powell (6-6) took the loss.

Elsewhere, the Nippon Ham Fighters marked their fifth straight win downing the Pacific League-leading Lotte Marines 3-1 at Chiba Marine Stadium.

Eiichi Koyano homered in the third inning followed by a sacrifice fly from Yukio Tanaka in the next inning. Hiroshi Narahara hit an RBI single in the seventh.

In other games Tuesday, the Softbank Hawks beat the Rakuten Eagles 10-4 in the Pacific League. In the Central League, the Yokohama BayStars won 11-4 against the Yomiuri Giants, while the Yakult Swallows pummeled the Hiroshima Carp 11-2.

The New York Yankees recalled Scott Proctor from Triple-A Columbus to provide temporary relief for an overworked bullpen.

To make room on the roster, the Yankees optioned outfielder Bubba Crosby to Columbus even though Hideki Matsui (twisted ankle) is limited to duty as a designated hitter and Bernie Williams is playing with sore shoulders.

"He's the only guy we could send back," manager Joe Torre said.

Torre thinks it will be a while before Matsui can play the outfield again, so Proctor probably won't stay in the big leagues for long.

Proctor, who had a save for Columbus on Monday, relieved Randy Johnson to start the fourth inning on Tuesday against Tampa Bay.

Crosby has to stay in the minors for 10 days, but Torre said Andy Phillips could be called up in the meantime. Torre also said that rookie left-hander Sean Henn, who walked seven in the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Devil Rays on Monday, will get another start on Saturday against the Mets in place of injured Kevin Brown.

Miadich A GIANT

The struggling Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League have signed minor league pitcher J.B. Miadich, team officials said yesterday.

Miadich, 29, was 3-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 11 saves in 29 games this season for Florida's Triple-A affiliate, the the Albuquerque Isotopes.

The Giants sit in second last place in the Central League standings with a 28-34-4 record, eight games behind the Hanshin Tigers. The team has been looking to bolster its bullpen since releasing former Houston Astros reliever Dan Miceli in April.
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