American League
Once the duel between fortysomethings Roger Clemens and Jamie Moyer dissolved, the Seattle Mariners walked off with a win.
John Olerud drew a bases-loaded walk from Antonio Osuna that broke an eighth-inning tie and the Mariners roughed up New York's struggling relievers, beating the Yankees 8-6 Sunday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Bret Boone, Randy Winn and Ichiro Suzuki got the big hits after Seattle chased Clemens in a five-run seventh that made it 6-4.
After the Yankees tied it against Arthur Rhodes in the bottom half, Olerud took four straight balls from Osuna (2-4) with two outs the next inning.
Clemens and Moyer attracted all the early attention in the majors' first matchup of starting pitchers over 40 years old in more than a decade. The last time it happened was when Frank Tanana started for the New York Mets against Charlie Hough of the Florida Marlins on July 29, 1993.
Orioles 5, Red Sox 3
In Boston, Jack Cust had a two-run homer and an RBI double, and Jason Johnson pitched six strong innings as Baltimore continued to dent Boston's playoff hopes. Long out of the pennant race, the Orioles took 3-of-4 from Boston over the weekend -- sweeping a doubleheader on Friday -- to drop the Red Sox three games behind the Yankees in the AL East.
Johnson (10-5) allowed two runs -- one earned on six hits and two walks. Jorge Julio earned his 29th save despite walking the bases loaded in the ninth. He struck out Nomar Garciaparra to end it.
Jay Gibbons had a pair of run-scoring extra-base hits for the Orioles.
Jeff Suppan (0-1) gave up five runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four in his second start since being acquired from Pittsburgh at the trading deadline.
White Sox 5, Athletics 1
In Chicago, Esteban Loaiza allowed four hits over eight innings and Paul Konerko homered as Chicago defeated for its 17th win in 22 games.
Loaiza (15-5) retired 17 of 18 batters between the second and seventh inning before giving up a double to Scott Hatteberg.
Damaso Marte pitched the ninth to finish the four-hitter.
Loaiza's AL-leading ERA dropped from 2.30 to 2.24. He allowed Adam Melhuse's homer in the eighth, while striking out six in winning his fourth straight decision.
Harden (3-1) failed to go six innings for the first time in five big league starts. In five innings, he allowed two runs on six hits and left after throwing 109 pitches. He struck out eight, including the side in the first, and walked one.
Indians 3, Angels 1
In Cleveland, rookie Jody Gerut drove in two runs, and C.C. Sabathia pitched out of trouble early as Cleveland defeated Anaheim.
The Angels lost for the sixth time in seven games, fell to 5-20 since the All-Star break and had another key player from last year's championship team injured.
Outfielder Tim Salmon fouled a ball off his left shin during batting practice and was taken for tests.
The Angels already have center fielder Darin Erstad, third baseman Troy Glaus and designated hitter Brad Fullmer on the disabled list.
Cleveland won its third in a row as Sabathia (10-7) allowed one run and four hits over 5 2-3 innings, twice getting out of early jams.
Cleveland scored three unearned runs on one hit in the third against John Lackey (7-11).
Royals 7, Devil Rays 3
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Julius Matos homered and drove in three runs as AL Central-leading Kansas City beat Tampa Bay.
Matos had a two-run single during the Royals' five-run first inning and hit his second homer of the season in the fourth. Kansas City has won two straight following a four-game losing streak.
Runelvys Hernandez (7-4) gave up three runs and five hits over seven innings for the Royals.
Tampa Bay pitcher Jesus Colome and Kansas City's Aaron Guiel were ejected in the ninth after Colome's first pitch went behind the right fielder's back.
Guiel then started walking toward the mound and both dugouts emptied. There was pushing and shoving before order was restored.
Aubrey Huff drove in three runs for the Devil Rays, who are 13-11 since the All-Star break.
Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4
In Toronto, Alex Rodriguez homered for the seventh time in the past 10 games and Texas beat Toronto.
Rodriguez's recent tear started a day after he indicated he was so frustrated by losing that he would consider a trade.
Todd Greene homered and Rafael Palmeiro hit an RBI triple for the Rangers, who have won eight of 11 since Rodriguez's comment. It was Palmeiro's first triple since he had three in the 2000 season.
Texas starter Colby Lewis (5-7) won for the first time since May 27. Lewis allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking one in five innings.
Twins 4, Tigers 3
In Detroit, Corey Koskie and Dustan Mohr each drove in a pair of first-inning runs, helping Minnesota again beat Detroit.
The win was Minnesota's 20th in their last 21 games against Detroit, including an 11-1 record this year. The Tigers are now 5-18 since the All-Star break and a season-worst 55 games under .500.
Kenny Rogers (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out seven.
Nate Cornejo (5-11) lost his third straight start. He pitched his first complete game since April 27, 2002, giving up four runs on nine hits and three walks.
National League
Sammy Sosa hit two mammoth home runs off Kevin Brown, and Mark Prior outpitched the Dodgers ace with a five-hitter as the Chicago Cubs beat Los Angeles 3-1 Sunday.
Sosa's homers off the NL ERA leader traveled a combined estimated distance of 913 feet, helping Chicago avoid a three-game sweep.
Sosa hit a two-run shot in the first inning and a solo drive in the fourth. He has 28 homers this season and 527 in his career.
It was the 61st multihomer game of Sosa's career, and third this season.
Brown (11-6) allowed three runs and five hits over seven innings. He struck out seven as his ERA increased from 2.13 to 2.21. The six-time All-Star had not allowed a home run in 80 1-3 innings since May 20.
Sosa, who also singled in the sixth, is 11-for-35 lifetime against Brown with four homers and eight RBIs.
Prior (10-5) struck out nine and walked one en route to his second complete game of the season and third in 40 career starts.
He threw 116 pitches in a game that lasted just 2 hours, 14 minutes, lowering his ERA to 2.76.
Diamondbacks 7, Mets 4
In Phoenix, Randy Johnson lasted eight innings and won his second straight start for the first time this season in Arizona's victory over New York.
Errors by Vance Wilson and Jason Phillips cleared the way for two unearned runs for the Diamondbacks, who finished their homestand 5-1 to move within two games of Philadelphia and Florida in the NL wild-card race.
Luis Gonzalez tripled in the go-ahead run off Al Leiter (11-6) with two outs in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Alex Cintron had a two-run triple in the eighth.
Johnson (3-4) scattered 10 hits, struck out five and walked none. He allowed four runs -- three earned. Matt Mantei struck out the side in the ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances.
Giants 5, Phillies 2
In San Francisco, emergency starter Kevin Correia pitched six strong innings for his first major league victory, and Yorvit Torrealba hit a two-run single as San Francisco beat Philadelphia.
The injury-plagued NL West leaders kept winning with a surprisingly effective performance by Correia (1-0), the last-minute replacement for Jason Schmidt. San Francisco's ace was scratched to rest the right elbow tendinitis that's bothered him since the All-Star break, when he was the NL starter. Torrealba's hit capped a five-run third against Brett Myers (11-7), who lost for the first time since June 11.
Astros 8, Expos 2
In Houston, Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman hit two of Houston's four home runs, backing starter Ron Villone in a victory over Montreal.
Richard Hidalgo and Brad Ausmus also connected for the NL Central-leading Astros. Jeff Bagwell hit a two-run double in the first inning off Scott Downs (0-1).
Villone (4-2) gave up consecutive homers to Orlando Cabrera and Wil Cordero in the seventh but allowed just four hits and a walk in 6 1-3 innings. He struck out five, sending the Expos to their 13th loss in 15 road games. Houston reliever Brad Lidge struck out four batters in 1 2-3 hitless innings.
Pirates 5, Rockies 3
In Denver, Nelson Figueroa threw six strong innings, and Randall Simon hit a two-run homer as Pittsburgh beat Colorado.
Figueroa (1-0), called up from Triple-A Nashville earlier in the day, allowed two runs and seven hits. He had been 0-6 in nine starts since his last major league win with Milwaukee on April 30, 2002, against Atlanta.
Mike Lincoln pitched the ninth, allowing a solo homer to Charles Johnson before finishing for his fifth save.
Shawn Chacon (11-7) gave up three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in seven innings, losing his fourth straight decision.
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