Mulder Extends Winning Streak

Mark Mulder pitched 7 1/3 strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, and slumping Frank Menechino drove in two runs Tuesday night to lift the Oakland Athletics to a 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Oakland.

Mulder (14-6) gave up four hits and two runs in a shaky third inning, but he otherwise stifled the Red Sox. He gave up six hits, struck out five and walked none.

Mulder retired the final 12 batters he faced.

Although Mulder had thrown only 93 pitches, Manager Art Howe removed him with one out and nobody on base in the eighth. Reliever Jeff Tam then gave up singles to Mike Lansing and Trot Nixon, but he retired Manny Ramirez on a called third strike to end the inning.

Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 29 opportunities.

Oakland won for the sixth consecutive time and Boston had a four-game winning streak ended. The three-game series has implications in the American League wild-card race.

Menechino, who entered the game in a 12-for-82 (.146) drought since the All-Star game, lined a two-run single to right field in the fourth.

Cleveland 7, Minnesota 2--Rookie C.C. Sabathia helped the Indians tie the Twins for first place in the American League Central.

Sabathia (11-4) gave up two runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings at Minneapolis. He retired 11 consecutive batters from the fourth through the seventh before Brian Buchanan led off the eighth with a home run.

Juan Gonzalez hit a three-run homer for the Indians and Jim Thome added a two-run shot.

Rick Reed (1-1), acquired last week from the New York Mets, made his Minnesota home debut and gave up 10 hits and six runs in five innings.

Seattle 5, Toronto 4--Matt DeWitt walked Mike Cameron with the bases loaded, scoring Stan Javier with the winning run in the 14th inning at Seattle.

Tampa Bay 3, New York 2--Tanyon Sturtze (7-9) gave up two runs and seven hits in eight innings, and Jason Tyner knocked in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning single at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Mike Mussina (11-10) gave up three runs and nine hits in seven innings for the Yankees.

Jared Sandberg, nephew of former Chicago Cub second baseman Ryne Sandberg, had a run-scoring single in his first major league at-bat during Tampa Bay’s two-run second inning.

Baltimore 7, Kansas City 3--Baltimore’s Calvin Maduro retired the first 15 batters before the Royals scratched out a run in the sixth inning at Kansas City, Mo.

Maduro (1-3) gave up two hits, struck out two and walked none in six innings.

Detroit 7, Texas 3--Tony Clark hit a tiebreaking single in the Tigers’ four-run eighth inning at Texas.

With the score tied, 3-3, Rob Fick led off the eighth with a double against Mike Venafro (4-3), who failed to retire any of the four batters he faced.

The Tigers improved to 7-0 against the Rangers this season.

Alex Rodriguez homered in his third consecutive game for Texas.

Around the League

Cleveland Indian right-hander Dave Burba has been demoted to the bullpen after another shaky start on Sunday. . . . Detroit’s Nate Cornejo and Texas’ Joaquin Benoit will make their major league debuts today against each other. It will be the first time both starting pitchers are making their first major league starts since Minnesota’s Paul Abbott faced Jim M. Campbell of Kansas City on Aug. 21, 1990.