Homer Streak at Home Ends for Blue Jays

Boston’s Pete Schourek wasn’t intimidated about facing the Toronto Blue Jays in the SkyDome, where they had homered in 21 consecutive games.

Schourek gave up four hits in eight innings and kept the Blue Jays without a home run at home for the first time this season as the Red Sox won their sixth game in a row, 8-1, Monday night.

Toronto had been averaging seven runs per game at home.

“We knew the stats,” Schourek said. “I was a tad worried, but I have confidence in my ability.”

The one run he gave up was unearned. The Blue Jays scored in the third inning on third baseman Wilton Veras’ throwing error.

After Marty Cordova singled to left in the fourth inning, Schourek (2-3) retired the final 13 batters he faced.

He struck out five and walked two. Rich Garces pitched the ninth inning to complete the six-hitter.

Schourek, who was released by Pittsburgh on April 1 and signed by Boston on April 2, has pitched at least six innings in five of his last seven starts. The Red Sox are paying only $200,000 of his $2-million contract.

“I was shocked to read in the paper that [Pittsburgh General Manager] Cam Bonifay was given the go ahead to eat my salary,” Schourek said. “The Pirates did me a favor. I got on a better team.”

The first-place Red Sox moved a game ahead of the idle New York Yankees in the AL East.

“You probably don’t call home and say, ‘Mom, I’m facing Pete Schourek tonight,’ ” Toronto’s Carlos Delgado said. “Names and stats don’t do it. You have to do it on the field.”

The Red Sox scored three runs in the fifth off Frank Castillo (1-3) on Donnie Sadler’s run-scoring infield single, Darrin Lewis’ RBI single and Trot Nixon’s run-scoring groundout.

Seattle 14, Minnesota 0--Edgar Martinez hit two homers and drove in five runs, and Aaron Sele pitched seven strong innings for the Mariners at Seattle.

The Mariners’ 14 runs were the most they’ve scored at Safeco Field, the $517.6-million stadium that they moved into last July 15. They had 16 hits, 10 for extra bases.

Alex Rodriguez also homered for the Mariners, who returned from a 2-5 trip that knocked them out of first place in the AL West.

Sele (3-2) gave up two singles, walked two and struck out two before being replaced by Kazuhiro Sasaki at the start of the eighth. Sele earned his first victory for the Mariners in Seattle, and his first win at Safeco.

Texas 6, Tampa Bay 5--Ivan Rodriguez’s three-run homer in the seventh inning was decisive at Arlington, Texas.

Darren Oliver (1-2) gave up four runs, five hits, struck out four and walked two in seven strong innings for his first win in eight starts this season.

John Wetteland pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Jose Canseco, Jose Guillen and Gerald Williams homered for the Devil Rays, who have lost eight in a row against left-handed starters.

Canseco’s two-run homer tied the score, 3-3, in the top of the seventh, but the Rangers scored three times in the bottom of the inning.

Oakland 6, Kansas City 3--Randy Velarde, Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez homered in a five-run sixth inning to back the strong pitching of Mark Mulder at Oakland.

Ben Grieve also homered for the Athletics, who won for the sixth time in seven games to maintain their hold on first place in the West.

Mulder (2-0) went six-plus innings and gave up three runs--one earned--and six hits to end a streak of no decisions at four since beating Cleveland in his major league debut April 18. He struck out two and walked none.