AROUND THE HORN | Wednesday's other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE
White Sox 4, Royals 3
CHICAGO -- Bartolo Colon scattered three hits over eight shutout innings, and Roberto Alomar and Carlos Lee homered for the White Sox, who won two of three in the series and pulled to within one game of first place in the A.L. Central. Tom Gordon gave up a three-run homer to Carlos Beltran in the ninth, but Damaso Marte got two outs for his ninth save.
Blue Jays 7, Devil Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Roy Halladay became the first 16-game winner in the majors, pitching his third complete game of the season. Halladay (16-3) gave up nine hits, struck out six and walked none. Dave Berg and Bobby Kielty each hit two-run homers for the Blue Jays, who avoided a three-game sweep.
Red Sox 4, Angels 2
BOSTON -- Pedro Martinez extended his unbeaten streak to nearly three months with his second complete game of the season. Martinez struck out 11, walked one and allowed 10 hits. Boston won its third straight after losing four in a row. Aaron Sele (6-9) took the loss for Anaheim, which dropped to 2-10 in its last 12 with its fourth straight loss.
Rangers 5, Yankees 4
NEW YORK -- Reliever Mariano Rivera threw away a bunt that set up pinch-hitter Hank Blalock's two-run single in the ninth inning. Texas had been 0-59 this season when trailing going into the ninth. But Rivera (5-2) walked pinch-hitter Rafael Palmeiro to start the inning. Donnie Sadler followed with a sacrifice bunt and Rivera's high throw sailed into foul territory, with the error putting runners at second and third. Blalock batted for Todd Greene and followed with a single that scored pinch-runner Laynce Nix and Sadler. Rivera has blown three of his last five save tries.
Athletics 9, Tigers 3
DETROIT -- Eric Chavez homered twice, doubled and drove in five runs, and Tim Hudson (10-4) pitched the Athletics to their 10th win in 13 games. Detroit has lost eight of nine and clinched its 10th straight losing season.
Twins 7, Orioles 3
BALTIMORE -- Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer and Shannon Stewart had a solo shot in a five-run fourth inning for Minnesota. Kyle Lohse (8-9) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings for the Twins.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Marlins 7, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Dontrelle Willis pitched eight innings and Ivan Rodriguez homered. Willis (11-2) shrugged off a shaky start to tie the team record for wins by a rookie set by Brian Meadows in 1998. Willis walked Bo Hart on four pitches to start the game and gave up a two-run double to Scott Rolen later in the first, but was virtually unhittable after that. Eduardo Perez homered in the eighth off Willis, who allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Astros 11, Mets 1
HOUSTON -- Adam Everett hit the first inside-the-park home run at Minute Maid Park, and Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo each homered and drove in three runs for Houston. Wade Miller (8-10) allowed one run and six hits in six innings. Geoff Blum also homered, and Lance Berkman had four hits for the Astros. Rookie Aaron Heilman (1-5) lost his third straight, allowing six runs and seven hits in three innings.
Braves 10, Brewers 2
MILWAUKEE -- Greg Maddux won his fifth straight game, and Marcus Giles and Andruw Jones each hit a pair of home runs for Atlanta. Julio Franco also homered for Atlanta, which avoided losing three straight games since dropping the season-opening series to Montreal. Maddux (11-8) allowed six hits in six innings, and struck out five. Maddux is unbeaten in his last seven starts and has held opponents to 14 earned runs in 46 innings in those starts. Milwaukee reliever Brooks Kieschnick hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Rockies 5, Phillies 1
DENVER -- Chin-hui Tsao allowed two hits in six innings, and Todd Helton hit a three-run homer for Colorado. Tsao (2-0), the first Taiwanese pitcher in the majors, combined with three relievers on a five-hitter. Tsao struck out five and walked two and retired 10 straight during one stretch for his second win at Coors Field. Marlon Byrd got the Phillies off to a good start with his first career leadoff homer, but Philadelphia was shut out the rest of the way.
Diamondbacks 3, Expos 2
PHOENIX -- Carlos Baerga hit a tie-breaking pinch-hit single in the eighth inning. Baerga looped an opposite-field hit that dropped in front of left fielder Brad Wilkerson, and Alex Cintron scored from second base with the go-ahead run.
Dodgers 2, Reds 1
LOS ANGELES -- Odalis Perez took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and Adrian Beltre hit a tie-breaking RBI single in the seventh. Jeromy Burnitz homered in support of Perez (7-9), who allowed a run and three hits over seven innings to win for the first time in four starts. Eric Gagne got three outs for his 45th consecutive save and 37th this year.
Cubs 3, Padres 2
SAN DIEGO -- Kerry Wood struck out 10 and Sammy Sosa hit a 448-foot homer. Wood leads the majors with 192 strikeouts. He moved within nine of 1,000 lifetime in 133 big league starts. Wood (11-8) gave up Mark Loretta's homer to left-center field leading off the eighth that cut the Cubs' lead to 3-2. Joe Borowski pitched the ninth for his 21st save. Sosa hit an impressive two-run homer off Adam Eaton (6-8) in the fourth inning, his 25th of the season and 524th of his career.
-- Associated Press