Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
MINNEAPOLIS - Solid pitching, a little power and fast feet helped Minnesota send a message to Kansas City about the Central race.
Pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth after Shannon Stewart's hustle on a bunt forced a key misplay, leading the Twins past the Royals 6-2 on Thursday afternoon.
"We're not going to go away," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I think Kansas City maybe thought if we lost today, we were going to go away. But we don't want to go away."
Jacque Jones homered and drove in three, Torii Hunter homered and Brad Radke was sharp in a no-decision for Minnesota, which salvaged a split of the two-game series and pulled within 51/2 of the Royals. The White Sox are in second place.
The Twins, who improved to 4-8 against the Royals and are 6-2 since the All-Star break after losing 22 of 28, admitted this was a game they had to have.
"It was huge," Jones said. "We don't want to get too far back toward the pack."
Raul Ibanez homered and had a run-scoring triple for Kansas City, which tied it at 2 on Ibanez's homer off Radke in the seventh but watched Jason Grimsley give up four runs in the eighth.
"Nobody's going to give it to us," Royals manager Tony Pena said. "We are in first place with two great ballclubs behind us. They're going to be there. Nobody's running away."
LaTroy Hawkins pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory. Denny Hocking led off the bottom of the inning with a single, and Stewart moved him over with a sacrifice bunt that first baseman Ken Harvey fielded.
But Stewart avoided the tag by twisting his torso away from Harvey, almost leaving the baseline, and took second when Harvey's throw sailed past second baseman Carlos Febles, who was covering.
"I was assuming he was out, and I shouldn't have," Harvey said. "Then I rushed it. That play totally changed the game, and it was my fault."
Pierzynski's single made it 3-2, and Stewart came home on Grimsley's wild pitch. Doug Mientkiewicz walked and Jones doubled in two runs to put Minnesota up 6-2.
A'S 3, MARINERS 0: Mark Mulder had a season-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings and Eric Chavez homered for visiting Oakland.
Mulder missed a career high by one strikeout. He was strong all night, allowing seven hits, all singles. He walked one before turning it over to Ricardo Rincon in the eighth.
Billy McMillon had a big two-run single as the A's scored three in the seventh. Chavez started it with a first-pitch homer off Gil Meche, who lost his fourth straight start.
ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 3: The softer Sidney Ponson throws, the better he does.
Ponson, watched closely by teams in the trade market, tied for the major-league lead with his 14th win as he led visiting Baltimore over Roger Clemens and New York.
"If it happens, it happens," Ponson said of a possible deal. "I just pack my bags and I'm gone."
Baltimore called his agent, Barry Praver, on Saturday and offered a $15-million, three-year contract extension to Ponson, eligible for free agency after the season. The sides have talked several times, and it's not clear if the Orioles would deal him by Thursday's trade deadline if he doesn't agree to an extension.
Ponson says he has put the talks out of his mind.
"It just shows you how much Sidney has grown, to be able to separate the two," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said.
Ponson tied Toronto's Roy Halladay and Atlanta's Russ Ortiz for the majors' victory lead by winning his fourth straight start since a June 30 loss to the Yankees.
WHITE SOX 4, BLUE JAYS 3 (13): Frank Thomas hit a go-ahead single in the 13th as visiting Chicago won its season-high seventh straight game.
With Toronto up 2-0 in the sixth, Carl Everett hit a run-scoring double into the rightfield corner. Paul Konerko followed with a grounder that tied it at 2.
ANGELS 10, RANGERS 6: Kevin Appier beat Texas for the first time in over seven years and David Eckstein had four hits for visiting Anaheim. Appier had lost 10 straight decisions to the Rangers.
TIGERS 7, INDIANS 4: Craig Monroe homered as visiting Detroit Tigers roughed up C.C. Sabathia to end a six-game skid.