Indians Run Into Good Pitching in Toronto

The Cleveland Indians were shut out for the first time in 72 games by rookie Roy Halladay and two relievers in a 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays at Toronto on Thursday.

The Indians, averaging a major league-high 6.7 runs, were held under four runs for the second time in three games by the Blue Jays--the only two times in 15 games they have failed to score at least four. Manny Ramirez, who leads the major leagues in runs batted in, wasn’t in the Indian lineup for the fourth consecutive game because of a bruised finger.

Halladay (5-3) gave up all three hits and walked six in six innings. Graeme Lloyd and Billy Koch finished, with Koch getting his eighth save. The Blue Jays have a 2.50 earned-run average in the last 10 games, of which they’ve won eight.

Carlos Delgado broke out of a one-for-29 slump with two hits, including a home run--his 17th--off Dave Burba (7-3). Shawn Green hit his 19th home run.

New York 7, Tampa Bay 3--Chuck Knoblauch broke a seventh-inning tie with a sacrifice fly off Bryan Rekar (5-3) as the Yankees completed a three-game sweep at St. Petersburg, Fla. The win was the Yankees’ fifth in six games, and it gave them a 14-1 record against the Devil Rays over two seasons.

Andy Pettitte (5-5) gave up seven hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings to win consecutive starts for the first time since last July 9 and 14.

Boston 2, Baltimore 1--Mark Portugal outpitched Mike Mussina at Baltimore to earn his first victory since May 9.

Portugal (4-6) gave up six hits and one run in seven innings, giving up a second-inning homer to Albert Belle, his 15th. Tim Wakefield got four outs for his seventh save.

Mussina (9-4) gave up seven hits--including Troy O’Leary’s 16th home run--in his third complete game, striking out a season-high 10 and walking none.

Chicago 5, Minnesota 3--Frank Thomas got the 1,500th hit of his career and went three for four, and rookie Jeff Liefer had career highs of three hits and three RBIs at Chicago.

Jaime Navarro (6-5) yielded 12 hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings in winning for the fourth time in five decisions. Bob Howry pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

Detroit 6, Kansas City 4--Gabe Kapler hit a three-run homer in the sixth and Brad Ausmus drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh as the Tigers rallied from a 4-0 deficit at Kansas City, Mo.

Kapler’s 12 home runs lead American League rookies. He has six homers and 13 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Winning pitcher Nelson Cruz (2-1) yielded 11 hits and four runs in six innings. Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

Texas 5, Oakland 2--Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez had two-run singles at Arlington, Texas, and John Burkett got his first victory of the season after being reinserted into the starting rotation.

Burkett (1-3) pitched five scoreless innings before giving up a two-run home run to John Jaha in the sixth. He had been sent to the bullpen after six ineffective starts.

John Wetteland, the Rangers’ fourth pitcher, got three consecutive outs for his 25th save in 28 chances.