AMERICAN LEAGUE Tigers get rare win, power past K.C.

Tampa Bay earned its first three-game win streak under Lou Piniella.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dmitri Young and Kevin Witt hit solo home runs and Alex Sanchez drove in three runs with his first homer in 307 at-bats, powering Detroit past Kansas City 9-5 Saturday night.
The Tigers, whose 21-64 record is the worst in the major leagues, have hit seven home runs in their last two games and 12 in their last seven.
Sanchez's shot in the fourth inning was the second of his career and put the Tigers on top 6-0 in the fourth.
Mike Maroth (4-12) gave up four runs and eight hits in 72/3 innings, with two strikeouts and three walks and won for the third time in four decisions.
Until Raul Ibanez homered with two outs in the eighth, Maroth had retired 13 of 14 batters while pitching the Tigers to their first victory in eight meetings with the Royals. He also avoided joining teammate Jeremy Bonderman as the major's only 13-game losers.
DETROITKANSAS CITY
abrhbiabrhbi
ASnchz cf4123Tucker rf5111
WMoris 2b5120Febles 2b4000
DYong lf4211Beltran cf4000
Witt dh5132Harvey 1b4111
CPena 1b4110Ibanez lf4131
Munson 3b3001Berroa ss4130
Monroe rf5220DFelice c1100
Hinch c2112Mayne c2000
RStiago ss3000JPtrsn dh3000
Matos 3b4012
Totals359129Totals35595
Detroit111310002--9
Kansas City000300011--5
E--Tucker (2). LOB--Detroit 7, Kansas City 6. 2B--Witt (5), Monroe 2 (9), Berroa (18). HR--ASanchez (1), DYoung (17), Witt (6), Tucker (12), Harvey (9), Ibanez (11). SB--Berroa (7). CS--ASanchez (9). S--RSantiago. SF--Munson, Hinch.
IPHRERBBSO
Detroit
Maroth W,4-127 2-384432
JWalker S,21 1-311100
Kansas City
Voyles L,0-2486625
KWilson321011
Grimsley100001
Carrasco122211
HBP--by Carrasco (DYoung). Umpires--Home, Randy Marsh; First, Sam Holbrook; Second, Paul Schrieber; Third, Angel Hernandez. T--2:43. A--19,030.
Devil Rays 3, White Sox 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Javier Valentin hit a solo homer and Jorge Sosa won for the first time since April as Tampa Bay beat Chicago for their first three-game winning streak under manager Lou Piniella.
Piniella pledged last month to dye his hair if his young team won three in a row at any point this season.
It didn't come easy. Lance Carter nearly blew a three-run lead in the ninth, allowing a solo homer to pinch-hitter Magglio Ordonez and a one-out RBI double to Frank Thomas.
Carter recovered to strike out Brian Daubach and retire Carl Everett on a flyout for his 14th save in 20 opportunities.
Valentin, the younger brother of White Sox shortstop Jose Valentin, snapped a scoreless tie with his fifth-inning homer off Esteban Loaiza (11-4).
Sosa (2-6) pitched 51/3 innings to win for the first time since beating Baltimore on April 19.
CHICAGOTAMPA BAY
abrhbiabrhbi
RAlmr 2b5120Crwfrd lf2000
WHarrs cf4020Baldelli cf3011
Thmas 1b4021Huff rf2010
Rwand pr0000Tyner rf0000
Dubach rf4010Grieve dh4000
CEvrtt dh4020TLee 1b4010
Lee lf3000Rolls 3b4120
Vlentin ss4000MAndn 2b3100
Grffnno 3b4010Vlentin c3111
Olivo c2000Lugo ss3021
MOrdz ph1111
Totals352112Totals28383
Chicago000000002--2
Tampa Bay00001020x--3
E--Thomas (1). DP--Chicago 1, Tampa Bay 1. LOB--Chicago 12, Tampa Bay 7. 2B--RAlomar (1), Thomas 2 (22), CEverett (14), Rolls (6). HR--MOrdonez (15), Valentin (2). CS--CEverett (2), Crawford (4), Huff (3), Lugo (2). S--WHarris, MAnderson. SF--Baldelli.
IPHRERBBSO
Chicago
Loaiza L,11-4783345
Sanders100000
Tampa Bay
JoSosa W,2-65 1-360055
Backe2-300002
Levine120001
Harper100000
LCarter S,14132201
Umpires--Home, Larry Young; First, Jim Wolf; Second, Mike Everitt; Third, Hunter Wendelstedt. T--2:48. A--13,365.
Orioles 9, Blue Jays 2
BALTIMORE -- Jeff Conine hit two homers and drove in five runs, and Sidney Ponson pitched eight strong innings to earn his 11th win as Baltimore breezed past slumping Toronto.
Brook Fordyce also homered, and AL batting leader Melvin Mora had four hits to help the Orioles extend their winning streak to four -- tying a season high.
Today, Baltimore will seek its first four-game sweep of Toronto since 1979. The Orioles are 5-4 against the Blue Jays after going 4-15 last year.
Greg Myers and Shannon Stewart homered for the Blue Jays, who have lost seven of eight.
Conine's first homer, a three-run shot, put Baltimore up 3-0 in the third. He added a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 7-0.
Both home runs were against Cory Lidle (10-7), who allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 32/3 innings. Conine is 11-for-16 with three homers and eight RBIs lifetime against Lidle.
TORONTOBALTIMORE
abrhbiabrhbi
ShStwrt lf4121BRbrts 2b4220
Ctlnotto rf4020Morban 2b1000
Wells cf3000Matos cf4230
Jhnson cf1000Mora lf4242
CDlgdo dh3000Conine 1b4235
JPhlps ph1000Mendez 1b0000
GMyrs c4111Gbbons rf4000
Hinske 3b4010TBtsta 3b4000
TWilsn 1b3000Surhoff dh4000
Clark 2b3000DCruz ss4010
Bordick ss3010Frdyce c3111
Totals33272Totals369148
Toronto000000110--2
Baltimore00340200x--9
E--Wells (3). DP--Toronto 2, Baltimore 1. LOB--Toronto 4, Baltimore 5. 2B--Hinske (21). HR--ShStewart (6), GMyers (9), Conine 2 (12), Fordyce (2). SB--BRoberts (13).
IPHRERBBSO
Toronto
Lidle L,10-73 2-3107720
Service1 1-342200
Kershner100001
Tam100001
JuAcevedo100002
Baltimore
Ponson W,11-5872204
BRyan100002
Service pitched to 4 batters in the 6th. Umpires--Home, Mike DiMuro; First, Mike Fichter; Second, Andy Fletcher; Third, Joe Brinkman. T--2:29. A--29,859.