A Texas-Sized Win for Rangers

After pounding one of baseball’s top pitchers and setting season highs for hits and runs, the Texas Rangers had plenty to celebrate.

They also had something to ponder: What took so long?

A lineup built to bash did plenty of it Wednesday night at Arlington, Texas, roughing up Mike Mussina and routing the New York Yankees, 17-6.

Alex Rodriguez hit his major league-leading 36th home run during a second-inning burst that featured seven extra-base hits, tying a modern record last done by the Yankees in 1951.

The other six hits in the inning were all doubles, matching an American League mark last done in 1934.

Rookie Kevin Mench had four of Texas’ 21 hits and Mike Lamb scored four times.

“We were like Mike Tyson hitting an opponent,” Rafael Palmeiro said, emphasizing his words with a pretend uppercut. “Some nights you’re going to get clobbered and some nights you do the clobbering. Tonight was one of those where everything went well.”

In ending a three-game losing streak, Texas won for only the third time in the last 10 home games and only the sixth time in 25 tries against the Yankees at The Ballpark in Arlington.

“This happened so quickly, you have to shrug it off,” said Mussina, who gave up seven runs and 11 hits in three innings. “Six doubles in one inning hasn’t been done in, what, 60 years? It was their day to be playing and not ours.”

Seattle 5, Detroit 2--Bret Boone hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning as the Mariners put together their first three-game home sweep of the Tigers in 13 years.

Boone hit his 15th homer of the season on the first pitch he saw from starter Brian Powell (1-1). The two-out shot to the right-field bleachers scored Carlos Guillen, who led off with a single, and John Olerud, who walked with two out before Boone came to the plate.

Boone has three homers and 14 runs batted in since the All-Star break.

Baltimore 12, Tampa Bay 2--Rodrigo Lopez became the first Oriole pitcher in 23 years to win six consecutive decisions in a month with a victory at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Lopez (12-3) gave up one run and six hits over six innings.

Baltimore’s Chris Richard homered on the first major league pitch he saw this season to lead off the second inning.

Oakland 6, Cleveland 4--Mark Ellis singled home Terrence Long with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Athletics avoided a sweep at Oakland.

Mark Mulder (12-6) recovered from a rocky second inning to win for the 10th time in 13 starts as the A’s salvaged one victory against Cleveland after two narrow losses.

Toronto 9, Kansas City 2--Eric Hinske hit a two-run homer and Dewayne Wise drove in three runs for the Blue Jays at Kansas City, Mo.

Hinske hit his 18th homer after Shannon Stewart led off the game with a single off Shawn Sedlacek (1-2). Hinske is two homers shy of the team’s rookie record set by Fred McGriff in 1987.

Minnesota 2, Chicago 1--David Ortiz hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Twins the victory at Minneapolis.

Ortiz’s hit came after Antonio Osuna (5-2) intentionally walked Corey Koskie to load the bases.