American
Jose Contreras won his 13th straight decision dating to last season and Jim Thome hit a three-run homer in the first inning to lead the Chicago White Sox past the Seattle Mariners 4-1 on Thursday.
Contreras (5-0) pitched effectively into the eighth, becoming the American League's first five-game winner. The first-place White Sox swept the two-game series and won their 10th consecutive home game, tying a franchise record. They have won 19 of 23 overall. Seattle has lost three straight.
Contreras got his 40th career win, giving up one run, four hits and three walks in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out four. Bobby Jenks earned his ninth save in nine chances.
PHOTO: AP
Thome is the fastest White Sox player to reach 11 homers, doing it in 28 games. He came through again in the third when he doubled with two outs and scored on Paul Konerko's single.
Felix Hernandez (1-4) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.
Athletics 12, Indians 4
PHOTO: AP
At Oakland, California, Nick Swisher drove in three runs with two doubles and Oakland scored five times in the first inning, beating Cleveland to split a two-game series.
Eric Chavez also had three RBIs and Adam Melhuse hit a two-run double for the Athletics, whose big day on offense helped fill-in starter Kirk Saarloos (1-0). Bobby Crosby hit a two-run double as well, and Swisher reached base in all five plate appearances.
Indians slugger Travis Hafner homered leading off the ninth for his fourth homer in four games.
Chad Gaudin pitched four innings for his first major league save.
Oakland chased Jason Johnson (2-2) after two innings. He gave up seven runs and six hits.
Angels 7, Tigers 2
At Detroit, Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Napoli and Casey Kotchman homered, and Los Angeles stopped its longest losing streak since 2002 at six games with a victory over Detroit.
Napoli, a 24-year-old catcher brought up from Triple-A on Wednesday, became the 92nd player to homer in his first major league at-bat, connecting off Justin Verlander (3-3) leading off the third inning.
Kevin Gregg (2-0) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, stopping Detroit's six-game winning streak, the Tigers' longest since June 2004.
Guerrero had a three-run homer and four hits for the Angels, who outhit Detroit 15-4.
Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 4
At Boston, Matt Clement held Toronto to two hits over six innings and Kevin Youkilis had a two-run homer as Boston roughed up Josh Towers again and beat the Blue Jays.
Clement (3-2) did not allow a runner past first base until there were two outs in the sixth, when Lyle Overbay doubled to score Troy Glaus.
Keith Foulke worked a scoreless seventh before Rudy Seanez gave up Glaus' two-run homer in the eighth. Julian Tavarez allowed a solo homer to Eric Hinske and a single to Aaron Hill in the ninth before being relieved by Jonathan Papelbon, who got two outs for his 11th save in 11 chances.
The rookie struck out Russ Adams, who hit a go-ahead double on Wednesday off Papelbon. With two on, Vernon Wells hit a comebacker to end it.
Towers (0-6) became the first six-game loser in the majors, allowing five runs in the first inning.
Yankees 10, Devil Rays 5
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Randy Johnson became the third pitcher in major league history with 4,400 strikeouts and Johnny Damon hit a grand slam, leading New York over Tampa Bay.
With owner George Steinbrenner watching part of the game from his suite at Tropicana Field, the Yankees rallied three times to help Johnson end a three-game losing streak against the Devil Rays -- the Big Unit's third-longest skid against an opponent.
Alex Rodriguez drove in the go-ahead run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh. That came one pitch after Chad Orvella (1-2) forced in the tying run by walking Jason Giambi.
Damon hit his fifth career slam in the eighth. Hideki Matsui hit a solo homer off Tampa Bay starter Doug Waechter in the second.
Johnson (5-2) became the third pitcher to reach the 4,400-strikeout plateau when he fanned Nick Green in the fourth inning. He trails Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Roger Clemens (4,502) on the career list.
The left-hander allowed five runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings, including Ty Wigginton's two-run homer that gave Tampa Bay a 5-4 lead in the fifth. Johnson struck out four to beat the Devil Rays for the first time since he was with Seattle in 1998.
Rangers 8, Orioles 2
At Arlington, Texas, Kevin Millwood pitched a four-hitter for Texas' first complete game this season, and the Rangers got home runs from Mark Teixeira and Kevin Mench to beat Baltimore and win their sixth straight.
Millwood (3-2) struck out one and walked two in his best performance with his new team. He threw 69 of his 99 pitches for strikes.
Teixeira hit a two-run homer and Mench a solo shot. Every starter had at least one hit for the AL West-leading Rangers, who won for the 11th time in 14 games but lost Brad Wilkerson to a mild concussion after he crashed into the outfield wall.
Texas starters haven't lost in the last 17 games, going 7-0. Baltimore has lost nine of 12.
Royals 1, Twins 0
At Minneapolis, backup catcher Paul Bako's second-inning RBI single kept Kansas City from tying a dubious record and helped the Royals end a 13-game road losing streak with a victory over Minnesota.
Kansas City's Jeremy Affeldt (2-2) got through five shaky innings against a Minnesota team that turned in its third straight quality start -- only to watch the offense stay dormant.
Joel Peralta tossed a scoreless sixth, Elmer Dessens did the same in the seventh and eighth and Ambiorix Burgos worked a perfect ninth for his third save to finish the five-hitter.
Minnesota wasted seven strong innings by Carlos Silva (1-5), one of the many Twins pitchers who stumbled through the season's first month.
The Royals (6-20), who also stopped a six-game losing skid overall, were beaten in their last road game of 2005 and their first 12 away from home this year. Only the 1969 Houston Astros and 1988 Baltimore Orioles, with 13 each, have started a season with more consecutive losses on the road.
National League
Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins homered, Prince Fielder knocked catcher Todd Greene out of the game in a jarring home-plate collision, and the Milwaukee Brewers held on to beat the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Thursday.
The game ended with Barry Bonds on deck, hoping for a chance to pinch-hit as the potential tying run. But as the crowd booed Bonds, Pedro Feliz hit a routine fly for the final out.
Bonds didn't play, getting a day off to save his knees because of the quick turnaround from night game to day game.
He has 712 homers, two shy of catching Babe Ruth for second place on the career list.
The Giants go on to Philadelphia, where they have a weekend series with the Phillies. Alou said Bonds will play all three games.
Doug Davis (2-2) won at home for the first time in four starts this year. Derrick Turnbow pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 10 chances.
Brad Hennessey (2-1) was tagged him for three runs in the first inning by Milwaukee.
Mets 6, Pirates 0
At New York, Tom Glavine baffled young Pittsburgh with a variety of off-speed pitches and Xavier Nady hit a three-run homer, leading New York.
Nady drove in four runs and David Wright had four hits, one night after ending an 0-for-17 skid.
The National League East-leading Mets (19-9) swept the two-game series and won for the seventh time in nine games. They are 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2000 season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. New York won the NL pennant that year.
Glavine (4-2) fanned 10, his second double-digit strikeout game in seven starts this year. He allowed three hits in seven innings for his 279th win and lowered his ERA to 1.94.
Nady also drew a bases loaded walk against Paul Maholm (1-4) to start the scoring.
Marlins 11, Nationals 3
At Washington, a day after Major League Baseball picked a buyer for the Nationals, and hours after the ceremonial groundbreaking for a new ballpark, Washington lost for the 10th time in 12 games.
Miguel Cabrera paced Florida's 12-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, three runs and five RBIs. Rookies Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla each scored three times.
Nationals starter Livan Hernandez (1-4) allowed seven runs on six hits over five innings. He again struggled in the first inning, allowing three runs.
Perhaps more exasperating, the burly right-hander was the only member of Washington's lineup with a hit through the first six innings, a two-run double off Josh Johnson (2-2) in the second. That was the only scoring off Johnson, who went five innings.
Phillies 6, Braves 3
At Philadelphia, Ryan Howard drove in three runs with a solo homer and two sacrifice flies, helping Philadelphia win its fifth straight.
Cory Lidle (3-3) pitched six efficient innings, Jimmy Rollins homered and the Phillies evened their record (14-14) for the first time this season.
Andruw Jones had two RBIs for Atlanta, which has lost seven of its last 10 games. Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, counting a hit in the final game last season.
Arthur Rhodes finished for his first save in his first opportunity.
John Thomson (0-2) gave up five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in six innings to remain winless in five starts.
Astros 4, Cardinals 3
At Houston, Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer and Willy Taveras had a go-ahead single to lead Houston over St. Louis and Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter.
The Astros are 19-9 through 28 games, the best start in franchise history, while the Cardinals have lost four straight, their longest losing streak since 2004.
Andy Pettitte (2-4), who had lost three straight decisions, allowed seven hits and three runs in 6 2-3 innings.
Carpenter (3-2) was 4-0 in five starts against Houston last year, with two complete games and one shutout. This time, the right-hander gave up six hits and four runs in six innings.
Brad Lidge put two on in the ninth but worked out of the jam by getting pinch-hitter Gary Bennett on a grounder. Lidge has 11 saves in 13 opportunities.
Reds 7, Rockies 1
At Denver, Adam Dunn and Jason LaRue homered, and Aaron Harang won for the fifth straight time in Cincinnati's victory over Colorado.
Harang (5-1) struck out a career-high 12, scattered seven hits and walked two in 8 1-3 innings. He also singled twice but broke his lucky bat with a grounder in the eighth.
LaRue's three-run shot was his first homer of the season and came during a four-run second inning. Dunn led off the fifth with his 11th homer. Both came off Josh Fogg (2-2), who allowed five earned runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Diamondbacks 6, Cubs 0
At Phoenix, Chad Tracy homered for the third straight game, Damion Easley drove in three runs and Arizona beat Chicago to move into a first-place tie with its fifth victory in a row.
Former Cubs pitcher Juan Cruz (1-0), who opened the season in the bullpen, went five strong innings in his second start.
Rookie Rich Hill (0-1) lost his first start for the Cubs, who have dropped three straight games and have been shut out three times in its last five games.
Easley had an RBI grounder in the second, a 452-foot homer to left leading off the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Johnny Estrada also had a sacrifice fly and Eric Byrnes added an RBI double.
Padres 3, Dodgers 0
At Los Angeles, Khalil Greene hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lead San Diego over Los Angeles for its fifth straight win.
Padres starter Clay Hensley was hit in the back of the head by a broken bat in the second inning but stayed in the game and pitched two-hit ball over six scoreless innings.
Takashi Saito (2-2) entered the game after seven innings of five-hit ball by Dodgers starter Brett Tomko, surrendering a walk to Brian Giles and a single by Mike Piazza. Greene then drove a 2-2 pitch into the left field bullpen with two out for his fifth home run and first since April 11.
Alan Embree (1-0) pitched a perfect seventh inning for the Padres, who have rebounded after an 8-15 start. Trevor Hoffman got three outs for his fifth save in as many attempts and 441st of his career, 37 behind Lee Smith's major league record.
The Boston Red Sox optioned South Korean first baseman Choi Hee-seop to Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday after activating him from the disabled list.
Choi went on the 15-day DL on April 1, retroactive to March 29, with a left hamstring strain and was sent to Pawtucket on 20-day rehabilitation assignment on April 14. He batted .313 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 19 games at Pawtucket.
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