Mariners Handed Second Loss in Row

The Seattle Mariners lost consecutive games for the first time in a month as Frank Menechino drove in two runs to lead the Athletics to a 4-3 victory Monday night at Oakland.

The Mariners, who have the majors’ best record at 52-16, had not lost two in a row since May 18-19 to the New York Yankees.

Barry Zito (4-6) ended his five-game losing skid and stopped the A’s four-game losing streak by giving up three runs in seven innings.

He won for the first time since April 24 at Chicago, a span of 11 starts, and improved to 4-1 with a 3.50 earned-run average in night games.

Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 17 opportunities.

Jeremy Giambi’s infield single tied the score at 3-3 in the seventh inning, and Johnny Damon’s infield grounder scored the go-ahead run against Norm Charlton (2-1). Miguel Tejada singled and Eric Chavez walked to start the rally.

David Bell’s two-run double in the top of the seventh put the Mariners ahead, 3-2. Bell hit a sinking line drive that skipped under Jeremy Giambi in right field and rolled to the fence to score Bret Boone and Mike Cameron.

Mariner starter Jamie Moyer gave up two runs and two hits in six innings, but got a no-decision when the A’s rallied in the seventh.

Menechino’s two-run double in the third gave Oakland the early lead. Giambi doubled and Damon drew a walk ahead of Menechino, who is hitting .338 (23 for 68) over his last 18 games.

Seattle got a run back in the fourth on Cameron’s sacrifice fly.

New York 10, Detroit 1--Roger Clemens became the American League’s first nine-game winner and Alfonso Soriano scored three runs and drove in four at Detroit.

Bernie Williams capped New York’s five-run fourth with a two-run homer. Williams, who was two for five, has 15 hits in his last 30 at-bats.

Clemens (9-1) won his fifth consecutive start, giving up an unearned run and seven hits. The right-hander struck out six during his seven-inning stint that gave the weary Yankee bullpen a rest.

Clemens earned his 269th victory to move past Jim Palmer into 29th place on the all-time list.

Baltimore 3, Toronto 2--Brian Roberts tripled and scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning and fellow rookie Jay Gibbons hit his second homer in two games at Baltimore.

David Segui had two hits and drove in a run for the Orioles, who moved past the Blue Jays into third place in the American League East.

Gibbons, selected from the Blue Jays in the December major league draft, went three for four.

Chicago 5, Kansas City 4--Magglio Ordonez homered at Chicago, his sixth in seven games, and Mark Buehrle won his fifth consecutive start.

Jeff Liefer hit a two-run shot for the White Sox, who have won 17 of 23 games despite getting swept over the weekend by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ordonez went two for two against Chad Durbin, making him seven for seven against him in his career, and is hitting .429 with 15 RBIs in June.

The Yankees appear close to making a trade that would bolster their thin bullpen by adding closer Ugueth Urbina of the Montreal Expos.

The Yankees would not comment on the proposed trade, which would send minor leaguers D’Angelo Jimenez and Brandon Knight to Montreal.