ROUNDUP : Beck Is Just in Time to Save One for Boston

Rod Beck didn’t have much time to get to know his new teammates. But he was around long enough to preserve a one-run victory for them.

The new Red Sox closer arrived at Fenway Park just before game time on Wednesday, met his manager in the dugout in the fourth inning and his catcher on the mound in the ninth, then earned his first AL save in Boston’s 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

“He probably hadn’t even met all those guys on the field when he was out there pitching. I still really haven’t had a chance to talk to him,” Manager Jimy Williams said. “But he helped us get a ‘W.’ ”

Kent Mercker pitched six innings of two-hit ball as the Red Sox extended their winning streak to a season-high six games and maintained a two-game lead over Oakland in the AL wild-card race.

For Beck, who was acquired from the last-place Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, it was a nice way to get back in the race.

“Obviously, at this time of year, you always want to be playing in a game that means something,” he said. “Over there, we hadn’t played in a game that meant something since June.”

Beck said his six-hour flight from San Diego landed in Boston around 6 p.m. EDT, and he caught a cab from the airport to the ballpark. With the combination of game traffic and rush hour, the 10-mile trip took him about 45 minutes.

He did an abbreviated stretching routine in the clubhouse, made a quick pass through the dugout and headed to the bullpen to the cheers of the capacity crowd. As usual, the bigger cheers came after he pitched. “If I’d blown that save, I’m sure I would have heard about it,” he said.

Seattle 3, Chicago 2--Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner hit consecutive home runs in the seventh inning to lead the Mariners’ victory, completing a four-game sweep at Chicago.

Rookie Gil Meche (5-4), who did not get any run support in his last two starts, gave up two runs and six hits and walked eight over six-plus innings for his third win in his last five starts.

Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for his 31st save in 35 opportunities.

Mike Sirotka (8-12) gave up three runs and nine hits over seven innings, and fell to 1-4 since the All-Star break.

Texas 14, Detroit 7--Juan Gonzalez, Luis Alicea and Gregg Zaun homered to help Rick Helling stretch his winning streak to six as the Rangers defeated the Tigers at Detroit.

Helling (12-7) was in trouble early, falling behind, 5-1, after three innings. But he gave up only two hits over the next four innings, retiring the Tigers in order in the fifth and sixth. Over his seven-plus innings, Helling gave up six runs and eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Tom Goodwin’s triple broke a tie, driving in Royce Clayton for a 6-5 Texas lead in the sixth.

Alicea hit a solo homer off Doug Brocail and McLemore had an RBI single to make it 8-5 in the eighth.

Toronto 4, Minnesota 0--Pat Borders hit a two-run homer in his first game back with his former team, and Kelvim Escobar pitched seven scoreless innings as the Blue Jays defeated the Twins at Toronto.

Borders, who was one for three, signed as a free agent on Wednesday after Cleveland released him earlier in the day. The 1992 World Series MVP received a loud ovation in his first at-bat. He gave Toronto a 4-0 lead in the seventh with his first homer since Sept. 11, 1997.

Escobar (11-9), filling in for the injured Chris Carpenter, gave up only four hits, while striking out one and walking two.

Baltimore 3, Tampa Bay 1--Albert Belle reached the 30-home run mark for the eighth consecutive season, hitting a two-run shot to lift the Orioles past the Devil Rays at Baltimore.

Belle’s homer gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. He also singled, stole second and scored in the seventh to make it 3-1. Baltimore’s Cal Ripken, activated off the disabled list before the game, went 0 for 3 and remained one home run shy of 400 for his career. He was at 399 when placed on the disabled list in early August with nerve irritation in his lower back.