A Singular Performance by Weaver

Jeff Weaver accepted pats on the back and high-fives from his teammates after pitching a one-hitter, then smacked his hand into his glove with a bit of disappointment, thinking about how close he came.

Weaver took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, leading the Tigers over the Cleveland Indians, 2-0, Wednesday night at Detroit.

“No-hitters are hard to come by so when you take one that deep in the game, you’re hoping for the best,” Weaver said.

Weaver held the Indians hitless until Chris Magruder, making his debut with the Indians, doubled off the right-field wall past a lunging Craig Paquette with two out in the eighth.

Magruder and Weaver were roommates on Team USA in the 1997 Intercontinental Cup and played against each other in college.

“Hopefully, I won him a spot in center field,” Weaver joked.

Paquette, who was starting in the outfield for the first time this year after playing mostly at third base, was not disappointed by his effort on Magruder’s hit.

“I gave it my best shot,” Paquette said. “It was about two feet from going over the fence, so I was just glad it wasn’t a home run.”

Weaver (4-5) struck out a season-high 11, walked two and hit two batters in his second complete game of the season.

Weaver hasn’t given up a homer in 71 innings this season for the majors’ longest streak since Heathcliff Slocumb went 721/3 innings to start the 1994 season.

A Detroit pitcher hasn’t gone that long without yielding a home run since Mark “The Bird” Fidrych went 66 innings before giving up a home run in 1977.

Tampa Bay 3, Seattle 2--Rookie Jason Smith hit his first home run, and Ryan Rupe pitched six solid innings at Seattle as the Devil Rays won their season-high fourth in a row.

The AL West-leading Mariners dropped their fourth in a row, their first four-game losing streak since September.

Rupe (4-5), beating Seattle for the first time in five career decisions, broke a streak of four straight losing starts with his first win since April 24.

Chicago 2, Boston 0--Jon Garland allowed just one baserunner over the first eight innings and Keith Foulke rescued him in the ninth at Boston.

Despite a 30-13 record that is one of the best starts in franchise history, the Red Sox open a four-game series against the Yankees today only a game ahead of New York in the AL East.

Oakland 7, Baltimore 6--Larry Sutton hit a three-run homer at Oakland as the A’s held off the Orioles to end a four-game losing streak.

Sutton started for the A’s in left field after the team traded Jeremy Giambi to the Philadelphia Phillies for utility man John Mabry.

Texas 6, Minnesota 5--Mike Lamb, a late addition to the lineup, hit a three-run homer and scored three times at Minneapolis.

Lamb was playing in place of Rafael Palmeiro, out with a strained right calf.

Toronto 8, New York 3--Carlos Delgado’s bases-loaded double drove in three runs and Eric Hinske and Raul Mondesi hit home runs at New York as the Blue Jays ended the Yankees’ six-game win streak.

Blue Jay starter Roy Halladay (5-1) overcame early trouble, leaving five Yankees on base in the first two innings to earn his fourth straight victory.