A’s Win Again and Lead the West

Barry Zito has a carefully planned pregame routine, and nothing messes it up more than a rain delay.

Friday night, though, it didn’t seem to bother him.

Zito waited out a delay of 2 hours 26 minutes at Detroit, then pitched seven shutout innings as the Oakland Athletics beat the Tigers, 9-1, for their 10th consecutive win.

“It is tough, but as long as I can get 30 minutes, I’ll be OK,” he said. “I usually take 50, but you can’t ask for that on a night where it is raining.”

The victory moved the Athletics into sole possession of first place in the AL West, breaking a tie with Seattle.

“That feels good,” said Manager Art Howe. “These guys have worked really hard to get here.”

Starting pitchers have won every game for Oakland during its streak. The last team to win 10 straight games, all by starting pitchers, was Baltimore from Aug. 29-Sept. 7, 1974.

“I’m barely old enough to remember that,” said Howe with a smile. “But that shows you how impressive this has been. And I don’t see any reason that it wouldn’t continue.”

Zito (18-5) gave up four hits and two walks and struck out five. He moved into the American League lead in wins.

“That’s great, I guess,” Zito said. “But mainly, that just means I’m getting run support. It won’t help me win my next start.”

John Mabry homered twice for the second time in his career, both against Detroit. The first came on April 28, 1999, with Seattle. Mabry had started only one of Oakland’s previous 11 games.

Cleveland 4, Seattle 2--Josh Bard capped his major league debut with a game-winning, two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Bard, recalled from triple-A Buffalo earlier in the day when catcher Einar Diaz went on the 15-day disabled list, hit a towering shot to right off James Baldwin (7-10) to help the Indians end a five-game losing streak.

Seattle fell one game behind Oakland in the AL West, the Mariners’ biggest deficit since April 9 when they also trailed the Athletics by a game.

Baldwin, making only his second relief appearance since June 9, 2001, walked Greg LaRocca on four pitches with one out in the ninth. He then went to 3-1 before Bard, who had his first hit in the fifth, connected for his homer.

As he rounded first base, Bard jumped and pumped his fist as the Indians came out of the dugout to meet him.

The teams were scoreless after six innings when rain moved into Jacobs Field and caused a rain delay of 2 hours 10 minutes.

Texas 6, New York 2--Chan Ho Park (5-6), activated from the disabled list earlier in the day, gave up seven hits in six innings, and the Rangers hit four homers, including two by Rafael Palmeiro, at Yankee Stadium.

The right-hander left his last start on Aug. 6 after only three innings with a blister and was put on the 15-day disabled list the next day.

Park, pitching like the No. 1 starter the Rangers had hoped he would be when they signed the former Dodger to a $65-million, five-year free agent contract in the off-season, struck out six while walking only one.

Texas has 177 homers this season, second in the majors to the Yankees’ 188.

Minnesota 9, Kansas City 2--Cristian Guzman extended his hitting streak to 21 games and A.J. Pierzynski drove in three runs to lead the Twins at Kansas City. The AL Central leaders have won five of six.

Guzman had two hits in four at-bats and scored twice. He has the longest current hitting streak in the majors and the Twins’ best since Shane Mack hit in 22 straight in 1992.

Rick Reed (12-6), given a 5-0 lead after two innings, won for the sixth time in seven decisions. He gave up six hits and one earned run in seven innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk anyone--the 14th time in 26 starts he hasn’t walked a batter.

Tampa Bay 8, Chicago 2--Tanyon Sturtze took a shutout into the ninth inning at Comiskey Park as he won consecutive starts for the first time this season.

Toby Hall homered and drove in three runs for the Devil Rays, who ended a three-game losing streak. The White Sox lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Sturtze (3-13) took an 8-0 lead into the ninth before giving up homers in succession to Jeff Liefer and Joe Crede to lead off the inning. Sturtze pitched an 11-hitter for the third complete game of his career, walking one and striking out six.

Baltimore 11, Toronto 7--The victory at Camden Yards put the Orioles at .500 (63-63) for the first time since May 11.

Jay Gibbons hit the first of four home runs as the Orioles rallied from a six-run deficit to win their fourth in a row and match their 2001 victory total. Geronimo Gil, Melvin Mora and Tony Batista also homered for the Orioles.

Josh Phelps homered and drove in four runs for the Blue Jays.