AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP A's beat error-plagued Royals on Byrnes ninth-inning homer

He also extended his hitting streak to 21 straight games.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No matter how far his hitting streak goes, Eric Byrnes will never forget game No. 21.
With two outs and two on in the ninth and Oakland still going because of shortstop Angel Berroa's second error, Byrnes hit a three-run home run off closer Mike MacDougal.
It stretched his career-long streak to 21 straight games and led the Athletics to a 7-6 victory over error-plagued Kansas City.
"This was one of the most exciting moments in my baseball career, for sure," said Byrnes, who was 0-for-4 until the ninth.
"At that point, the streak is not even crossing my mind. I'm just trying to figure out a way to get the runners in so we could take the lead."
Costly error
Berroa, whose fielding error had allowed an unearned run earlier in the game, fumbled a potential double-play grounder with one out in the ninth and the Royals ahead 5-4.
Berroa insisted he got the force out at second before he dropped the ball. But the runner was called safe.
"This is tough, but it's not too tough because I know I got the out," he said.
MacDougal (1-3) has blown four of 16 save chances. He struck out Billy McMillon for the second out in the ninth before Byrnes came to the plate.
"I threw the ball pretty well, but Byrnes just got me today," MacDougal said. "It was a fastball and he connected."
Berroa's troubles were highlighted even more when Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada made a great diving catch for the final out with the tying run at third. Tejada also had a three-run home run.
"With young players, you have to be patient," said Royals manager Tony Pena. "I will tell Angel that he was my shortstop today and he will be my shortstop tomorrow. The kid has been playing well but he had a tough day today."
Jim Mecir (1-0) pitched one inning of hitless relief for the win. Keith Foulke pitched the ninth and got his 13th save despite allowing a triple and two singles, including Joe Randa's RBI single.
Mendy Lopez, making a rare start in left field as Raul Ibanez got a day off, pulled off just the sixth straight steal of home in Royals' history, giving Kansas City a 4-0 lead in the fourth.
With runners at the corners, Ted Lilly made an easy pickoff throw with Michael Tucker at first. Lopez took off and came sliding home under catcher Ramon Hernandez's sweeping tag.
After the A's tied it 4-all with four runs in the sixth, Carlos Beltran scored the go-ahead run in the bottom half on Tucker's sacrifice fly.
An outstanding play by Tucker and catcher Brent Mayne helped the Royals get away with a blunder and keep their one-run lead in the eighth.
Scott Hatteberg reached second when center fielder Beltran collided with Lopez on a fly ball. With two outs, Hatteberg tried to score on Ramon Hernandez's single, but was out after a violent collision at the plate with Mayne, who took Tucker's two-hop throw from right field.
Lilly had retired eight straight batters and not allowed a hit until Mike Sweeney, Harvey and Beltran grounded singles through the infield to load the bases in the fourth.
Runs came home on an RBI single by Lopez and an infield single by Tucker and Berroa's sacrifice fly. Lopez then stole home.
Frank Menechino led off the Oakland sixth with his first home run of the year and Byrnes reached on Berroa's first fielding error.
Hatteberg walked before Tejada unloaded a three-run homer that barely cleared the fence in right field.
OAKLANDKANSAS CITY
abrhbiabrhbi
Byrnes cf5213Abrnth 2b4000
Httberg 1b4110Rlaford ph1110
Tejada ss4113Randa 3b4011
Durazo dh3000MiSwy 1b4120
RaHrdz c4010Harvey dh5110
MEllis 2b4000Beltran cf4220
Piatt lf2010MLopez lf4121
Snglton cf2110Guiel lf0000
Long rf4100Tucker rf3012
Mnchno 3b3111Berroa ss2001
McMln ph1000Mayne c4000
EChavz 3b0000
Totals36777Totals356105
Oakland000004003--7
Kansas City000401001--6
E--Menechino (2), Beltran (1), Berroa 2 (15). DP--Oakland 1. LOB--Oakland 4, Kansas City 7. 3B--Relaford (2). HR--Byrnes (4), Tejada (10), Menechino (1). SB--Beltran (8), MLopez (2). SF--Tucker, Berroa.
IPHRERBBSO
Oakland
Lilly765433
Mecir W,1-0110003
Foulke S,13131101
Kansas City
May644313
Grimsley100000
SLowe110010
MacDougal L,1-3123001
Umpires--Home, Tim Timmons; First, Matt Hollowell; Second, Bill Hohn; Third, Eric Cooper. T--2:39. A--31,650.
Blue Jays 10, Red Sox 7
TORONTO -- Dave Berg homered and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays set a franchise record for victories in any month by beating the slumping Boston Red Sox.
Mike Bordick hit a two-run homer in a five-run sixth inning for the Blue Jays, who went 21-8 in May. Toronto had twice won 20 games in a month.
Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar homered for the Red Sox, who lost their season-high fourth in a row.
Tanyon Sturtze (5-4) got the last out of the sixth for the win. Cliff Politte pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances.
Casey Fossum (4-4) allowed a career-high nine runs on nine hits in 51/3 innings.
BOSTONTORONTO
abrhbiabrhbi
Mueller 3b5010Jhnson rf4100
TWalkr 2b4110Ctlnotto lf4012
Grcprr ss5221Wells cf4000
MRmrz lf5332CDlgdo 1b3000
Millar 1b5122TWilsn c4330
Varitek dh5010JPhlps dh4221
Nixon rf2011Bordick 3b3212
Mrbelli c4021Berg 2b4124
Damon cf3010Wdwrd ss3111
Totals387147Totals33101010
Boston010230100--7
Toronto02030500x--10
DP--Toronto 2. LOB--Boston 8, Toronto 4. 2B--TWalker (10), Millar (13), Catalanotto (18), TWilson (11), Berg (5). 3B--Garciaparra (5). HR--MRamirez (8), Millar (7), Bordick (1), Berg (3). SF--Nixon, Woodward.
IPHRERBBSO
Boston
Fossum L,4-45 1-399925
Timlin1 2-311114
Embree100000
Toronto
Hendrickson4 1-3106610
TreMiller1 1-310011
Sturtze W,5-4 1-300000
Tam121100
Lopez110010
Politte S,9100000
HBP--by Timlin (Johnson). Umpires--Home, Marvin Hudson; First, Greg Gibson; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Dana DeMuth. T--3:02. A--28,809.
Mariners 5, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS -- Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki hit solo home runs, leading Ryan Franklin and the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins for their fifth straight victory.
Franklin (4-3) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 13 chances.
Suzuki homered, doubled, singled and scored twice as the Mariners won for the 12th time in 15 games.
Martinez's home run came in the fifth inning off Rick Reed (3-6) and made it 4-0. Suzuki homered in the seventh for a 5-1 lead.
Reed, who entered the game with a 1.82 career ERA against Seattle, allowed nine hits and five earned runs over seven innings.
SEATTLEMINNESOTA
abrhbiabrhbi
ISuzuki rf5231JJones lf4000
CGillen ss5000CGzmn ss4010
BBoone 2b5121Koskie 3b3010
EMrtnz dh4111Kielty dh4000
Olerud 1b3020THnter cf4110
Cmeron cf4110Mntkw 1b4020
Winn lf4011Mohr rf3122
Cirillo 3b4011Prince c2000
BDavis c4000Gomez 2b3000
Totals385115Totals31272
Seattle000220100--5
Minnesota000010100--2
DP--Seattle 2. LOB--Seattle 7, Minnesota 4. 2B--Olerud (16). 3B--ISuzuki (1). HR--ISuzuki (5), EMartinez (13), Mohr (7). SB--Koskie (5). CS--CGuzman (3). S--Prince.
IPHRERBBSO
Seattle
RFranklin W,4-3772213
Rhodes100001
Sasaki S,9100001
Minnesota
RReed L,3-6795514
Hawkins120002
Santana100001
Umpires--Home, Jim Joyce; First, Laz Diaz; Second, Dan Iassogna; Third, Jim Reynolds. T--2:25. A--22,995.
Tigers 4, Yankees 2
DETROIT -- Dmitri Young hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning to lead the Detroit Tigers over the New York Yankees.
The loss was New York's second in its last 11 games against the Tigers and ended its three-game winning streak.
Adam Bernero (1-6) ended his team-record 17-start winless streak, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in seven innings. He matched a career high with seven strikeouts in his first win since beating Montreal on June 10, 2002.
Franklyn German pitched the ninth for his third save.
Jeff Weaver (3-4) faced the Tigers for the first time since going from Detroit to the Yankees in a three-way trade last July. He allowed three runs on 10 hits and a walk in seven innings.
NEW YORKDETROIT
abrhbiabrhbi
Jeter ss4011ASnchz cf4010
Matsui cf4000RStiago 2b3121
ASrano 2b4000Hggnsn rf4000
JaGbi dh3000DYong dh4132
Posada c3010Witt 1b4000
Vntura 3b3000Munson 3b4130
Gipson pr0000Halter ss3000
Mndesi rf4111Wlbeck c4020
JRivra lf4000Inge c0100
Zeile 1b2100Kngsle lf3011
Totals31232Totals334124
New York000020000--2
Detroit00011011x--4
E--Zeile (6), Halter (4). LOB--New York 6, Detroit 11. 2B--RSantiago (6). 3B--Jeter (2). HR--Mondesi (10), DYoung (9). S--RSantiago, Halter, Kingsale.
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Weaver L,3-47103312
CHammond121100
Detroit
Bernero W,1-6732227
Spurling100000
German S,3100022
HBP--by Weaver (RSantiago), by Weaver (ASanchez). WP--German 2. Umpires--Home, Mike Winters; First, Chris Guccione; Second, Doug Eddings; Third, Ron Kulpa. T--2:17. A--24,959.