Offerman’s Red Sox Sweep Royals

Jose Offerman insists he has no ill feelings toward his old team. He sure doesn’t play like it.

Offerman, who bolted Kansas City last year when Boston dangled a $26-million contract, drove in one run and scored another while an under-the-weather Tim Wakefield pitched 6 1/3 strong innings as the Red Sox defeat the Royals, 4-1, to start the season with a three-game sweep on the road.

Offerman was eight for 15 with four doubles, a triple and five runs scored as the Red Sox won their first three games for the first time since 1995. Insisting that he feels no animosity toward his old team, he had two doubles Thursday night.

“There’s no revenge,” said Offerman, who has had a few cross words for Royal manager Tony Muser. “I have nothing against them. I got a lot of respect for them. I have a lot of friends there. It’s just me doing my job.”

Wakefield has been battling the same head and chest cold that afflicted Bret Saberhagen on Wednesday before he pitched the Red Sox to a 6-0 victory.

In the three games, Boston had 27 strikeouts against the Royals, who led the major leagues with a 22-9 spring training record but now have started 0-3 for the fifth time since 1992.

Tampa Bay 6, Baltimore 3--It was more of the same for the Devil Rays and the Orioles at Baltimore: Dave Martinez had a big game, Cal Ripken took the night off and the Devil Rays recorded a victory.

Martinez drove in three runs, giving him seven RBIs in two games, as the Devils Rays won their second in a row from the Orioles after dropping the season opener.

Ripken, meanwhile, missed a second consecutive game for the first time since 1981. The third baseman, who has been bothered by a stiff back, hopes to be back in the Orioles’ lineup tonight.

Scott Erickson (0-1) gave up five runs and nine hits in seven innings. Baltimore starters have an 8.80 ERA this season, the main reason why the Devil Rays scored 21 runs in the three-game series.

Minnesota 11, Toronto 9--Rookie Corey Koskie drove in five runs and Marty Cordova matched a career high with four hits in the Twins’ victory over the Blue Jays at Minneapolis.

Koskie, who played 11 games with the Twins at the end of last season, drove in a run in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth as he went three for four batting ninth.

The five RBIs were the most by a Minnesota player since Orlando Merced had five on April 9, 1998, also against Toronto.

Led by Koskie, the bottom four hitters in Minnesota’s lineup--three of them rookies--had six hits, seven RBIs and seven runs. Cordova, the cleanup hitter, was four for four with a walk and two RBIs.