Rays/MLB

AL: roundup

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published May 24, 2006

YANKEES 7, RED SOX 5: BOSTON - The last time Johnny Damon homered to lead off a game, he was helping the Red Sox clinch a title. This time he did it against Boston, sending New York on its way.

"I've hit some home runs in this park," he said nonchalantly. "Plan to hit more in the future."

Damon has 17 leadoff homers in his career, his most recent Aug. 29 for the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The last time he hit one on the road was in St. Louis for Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, which Boston won to end its 86-year title drought.

"Johnny is that kind of player. We've seen it against us so many times," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Damon poked one around Pesky's Pole in the first to stake Jaret Wright to an early lead, and Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run shot to put the Yankees ahead 7-1 and chase Tim Wakefield. Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer for Boston to narrow the gap before Mariano Rivera got five outs for his ninth save.

Wright pitched five shutout innings, leaving with a 3-0 lead when he tweaked his groin on a grounder back to the mound.

"He wasn't asking to go back out there, he was demanding to go out there. ... We just basically shut him down," Torre said. "We're hopeful that he won't miss any starts or anything."

Wakefield threw 10 consecutive balls in the seventh, walking Derek Jeter and Gary Sheffield with two outs before Rodriguez put one over the Green Monster. Activated from the disabled list before the game, Sheffield went 0-for-3 with two walks.

NOTABLE: Yankees manager Joe Torre earned his 1,901st victory, tying Gene Mauch for 11th on the career list.

ANGELS 7, RANGERS 6: ARLINGTON, Texas - Vladimir Guerrero homered and Tommy Murphy robbed Mark Teixeira of a potential tying homer in the ninth, helping Los Angeles end a six-game skid.

Cuban defector Kendry Morales, 22, homered and had three hits in his major-league debut for the Angels, who rallied from 6-5 in the eighth.

Francisco Cordero walked Mike Napoli leading off and Murphy, who entered as a pinch-runner, went to third on Adam Kennedy's single.

Chone Figgins walked to load the bases, and Murphy scored on Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly, with Kennedy moving to third.

Guerrero hit a grounder to third baseman Hank Blalock, who threw to second, but umpire Tim Tschida ruled second baseman Mark DeRosa's foot was off the bag. Kennedy crossed with the go-ahead run.

NOTABLE: Los Angeles has won nine of its past 11 meetings with Texas.

TWINS 6, INDIANS 5 (10): MINNEAPOLIS - Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly in the 10th lifted Minnesota to its first win over its Central rival in seven meetings.

After Guillermo Mota got Joe Mauer to fly out to start the inning, Torii Hunter walked for the third time in the game. He advanced to third on Michael Cuddyer's single and scored when Morneau lifted a lazy fly ball to fairly deep center.

Grady Sizemore had no chance to throw out the speedy Hunter, who touched off a spirited celebration for the reeling Twins when he reached home. Minnesota had lost six of eight to fall 11 games behind Central-leading Detroit.

The Indians bullpen failed to hold a 5-4 lead. The Twins tied it in the sixth when Morneau scored from third on Tony Batista's double-play grounder off Fernando Cabrera.

NOTABLE: Cuddyer reached base for the 21st straight game with his homer in the third.

TIGERS 8, ROYALS 5: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Curtis Granderson's double keyed Detroit's four-run eighth as the Royals lost their 11th straight.

Mark Grudzielanek had two of the four home runs from the normally light-hitting Royals, who took a 5-3 lead into the eighth. Ambiorix Burgos struck out the first two in the inning but walked Craig Monroe, bringing in reliever Elmer Dessens.

Omar Infante and Brandon Inge singled, making it 5-4. Granderson then delivered the two-run double into center that Aaron Guiel almost made a shoestring catch on.

Placido Polanco followed with a run-scoring single, taking starter Kenny Rogers, who gave up all four homers, off the hook and giving the Tigers their 11th victory in 12 games.

It's the second 11-game losing streak for the Royals, who fell to a major league-worst 10-33 and triggered a rain of boos from the modest crowd when they blew the lead in the eighth.

NOTABLE: Granderson is error-free in his first 97 games as a major-league outfielder.

WHITE SOX 9, ATHLETICS 3: CHICAGO - Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye hit consecutive homers in the first inning, and Jim Thome also connected to power Chicago to victory over Oakland.

Javier Vazquez pitched six effective innings, overcoming wildness to earn the win.

Konerko's two-run shot, his 12th, made it 3-0. Dye's homer was also his 12th. Thome added a solo shot off Kirk Saarloos in the second to give Chicago a 5-0 lead.

Playing against Frank Thomas, the man he replaced as Chicago's designated hitter, Thome thrilled the sellout crowd with three hits and three runs. His 18 homers lead the AL, and he added a run-scoring double to give him 43 RBIs.

Vazquez (5-3) gave up three runs and six hits, walking four, and threw a wild pitch. Vazquez had lost consecutive starts after winning four straight.

NOTABLE: Konerko's home run gave him sole possession of third place on the team's career list with 215. He passed Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk.

ORIOLES 14, MARINERS 4: SEATTLE - Ramon Hernandez hit a grand slam and a three-run homer, and Baltimore broke loose for nine runs in the ninth inning to end a nine-game road losing streak.

Corey Patterson also homered and doubled twice to back emergency starter John Halama, who filled in after rookie Hayden Penn had an appendectomy.

Halama allowed four hits and two runs over five innings in his first start since Sept. 7. The 34-year-old left-hander, a former Mariner, earned his first win as a starter since Oct. 3, 2004, with Tampa Bay at Detroit.

Seattle's season-high four- game winning streak was snapped.

NOTABLE: It was Hernandez's fourth career slam and first since Sept. 27, 2005, with San Diego against San Francisco. He had seven RBIs in that game, as well as on Aug. 9, 2003, with Oakland at the Chicago White Sox.

[Last modified May 24, 2006, 02:45:18]