Streaking Red Sox Shut Down A’s Again

Boston’s Derek Lowe kept silencing hitters and Oakland Manager Art Howe decided it was time to talk to his struggling team.

Lowe gave up six hits in eight innings and took over the AL lead with a 2.16 earned-run average as the Red Sox won, 8-2, Wednesday night at Boston, handing the Athletics their 10th loss in 12 games.

“I feel like every day I’m going to go out there I’m going to win,” Lowe said in his first start at Fenway Park since pitching the first no-hitter there since 1965. “I’ve prepared all off-season to have a good year.”

Lowe (6-1), who struggled as a closer last year, beat Oakland for the second time in six days. In his previous start, he retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced.

“He wasn’t as sharp this time.” Howe said. “I thought in all our other losses we battled. This one we didn’t.”

So he held a team meeting after the game.

It had “been a long time coming,” Eric Chavez said. “I don’t think any of us were shocked.”

Boston is 10-2 in its last 12 games, 3-0 without injured slugger Manny Ramirez, and has the best record in the majors, 27-9.

Tampa Bay 10, New York 7--Chris Gomez hit a three-run homer to cap Tampa Bay’s biggest opening inning ever, a six-run first against Orlando Hernandez, and the Devil Rays hung on at New York.

Steve Cox added two homers as Tampa Bay took a 9-0 lead in the fourth inning and survived New York’s comeback attempt. The Devil Rays snapped the Yankees’ seven-game winning streak and their eight-game losing streak against New York.

Tampa Bay had lost 16 of 18 games and been outscored, 40-10, in its last eight games against the Yankees.

Seattle 8, Toronto 6--Bret Boone hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning at Toronto.

John Olerud homered and had three RBIs for the Mariners, who overcame a 5-0 deficit. Seattle is a major-league best 15-3 on the road.

Eric Hinske, Felipe Lopez and Jose Cruz Jr. homered for the Blue Jays, who have lost eight of their last 10 at SkyDome.

Cleveland 3, Baltimore 1--Bartolo Colon pitched eight strong innings at Cleveland.

Russ Branyan hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning off Rick Bauer (1-1) when the Indians ended a 1-1 tie.

Cleveland loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Branyan, who had been 0 for 6 with the bases loaded and had left 14 runners in scoring position in those spots this season, hit his sacrifice fly to deep center.

Minnesota 8, Kansas City 6--Jacque Jones homered twice and drove in four runs at Kansas City, Mo., ruining Tony Pena’s debut as the Royal manager.

The former NL All-Star catcher, hired earlier in the day off the staff of the Houston Astros, saw one of his first managerial moves fall apart.

With the score 4-4 in the sixth and two runners on base, he summoned rookie Brian Shouse to face Jones, who hit a 2-and-0 pitch over the wall in right.

Texas 5, Chicago 2--Michael Young homered and Ismael Valdes combined with two relievers on a two-hitter at Chicago.

Alex Rodriguez was ejected in the seventh inning for bumping an umpire after a close call at first base. The contact appeared to be accidental, but first-base umpire Mike DiMuro wasn’t budging no matter how much Rodriguez protested.

With or without Rodriguez, though, the Rangers had little trouble getting their 12th victory in the last 16 games.