Athletics Light Up a Hot Wells

David Wells placed the blame on his failed bid for 20 wins on home plate umpire Mark Wegner.

Mike Stanley went five for five with five RBIs and Oakland scored seven runs in the first two innings Monday to knock out Wells in a 10-0 win over the Blue Jays at Toronto.

“He just had one miserable day,” Wells said of the second-year umpire. “He threw me off my game.”

Wells (19-6) had pitched 19 scoreless innings before Oakland scored five runs in the first on Stanley’s two-run double, Ben Grieve’s two-run homer and Miguel Tejada’s solo shot.

Cleveland 5, Tampa Bay 1--Kenny Lofton’s record run-scoring streak ended but Dave Burba pitched 7 2/3 strong innings to help the Indians maintain their two-game AL wild card lead with a victory over the Devil Rays at Cleveland.

Lofton failed to score a run for the first time in 19 games. Lofton went one for five and remained tied with Red Rolfe of the 1939 New York Yankees for the major league record for scoring in 18 consecutive games.

Boston 5, Seattle 1--Pedro Martinez struck out 11 without hitting a batter and Nomar Garciaparra snapped a 15-game RBI slump as the Red Sox celebrated Carlton Fisk day by beating the Mariners at Boston.

Making his first start since sparking last Tuesday’s brawl with Tampa Bay by hitting the first batter of the game, Martinez (16-4) gave up six hits and one walk in eight innings.

Texas 5, Chicago 4--Gabe Kapler hit a solo homer and Ricky Ledee hit a tiebreaking single to help the Rangers end the White Sox’s winning streak at five at Chicago.

New York 4, Kansas City 3--Jorge Posada went three for four with two doubles and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning in leading the Yankees at Kansas City, Mo.

Baltimore 3, Minnesota 2--Jose Mercedes won for the eighth time in nine decisions since the All-Star break, leading the Orioles at Minneapolis.