Dye Plays Long Ball and A’s Beat Rangers

After Jermaine Dye’s two home runs, David Justice told his teammate to make sure he keeps swinging that way for another month.

“If Jermaine is hot, he can carry a ballclub,” said Justice, whose locker is next to Dye’s in the Oakland clubhouse.

Dye showed signs of it Sunday. He homered twice, including a shot that first was ruled foul, as the Athletics beat the Texas Rangers, 7-5, at Oakland to increase their lead to three games over the Angels in the AL West.

Scott Hatteberg also had a two-run homer for the Athletics.

Oakland plays three games in Seattle and three in Texas to finish the season. The Angels are at Texas for three then home for three with the Mariners.

“We have the edge,” Oakland Manager Art Howe said. “Every game we take off the schedule they’re going to run out of time.”

Mark Mulder (18-7) pitched six strong innings to win his fifth consecutive decision as the Athletics won their fifth in a row and eighth of 10. Ricardo Rincon retired the side in the eighth and Billy Koch worked the ninth for his 43rd save in 49 chances.

Boston 13, Baltimore 2--Pedro Martinez (20-4) joined Derek Lowe (21-7) to give the Red Sox their first pair of 20-game winners since 1949, when Mel Parnell (25-7) and Ellis Kinder (23-6) accomplished the feat.

After giving up two runs and four hits in the first inning at Baltimore, Martinez blanked the Orioles on three hits over the next five innings before leaving with an 8-2 lead. He struck out six and walked one. Trot Nixon provided all the support he needed with a grand slam.

Martinez has won three Cy Young Awards, but this is only his second 20-win season. It comes after an injury-plagued season in which he won only seven games while battling a sore shoulder.

New York 4, Detroit 3--A crowd of 23,930 showed up at Comerica Park for the last home game of retiring Tiger radio announcer Ernie Harwell, but the Tigers lost their fifth in a row and their 101st of the season.

The Yankees, playing a makeshift lineup the day after clinching the AL East, swept the three-game series and won eight of nine against the Tigers this season

Rondell White hit three doubles and drove in two runs for the Yankees. David Wells (18-7) won for the sixth time in his last seven starts, giving up three runs and seven hits.

Toronto 12, Tampa Bay 6--Orlando Hudson homered and drove in a career-high five runs to help the Blue Jays avoid a three-game sweep at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Hudson had four hits in six at-bats and came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. He hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning. He had run-scoring singles in the first and sixth innings and doubled home a run in the fourth.

Ben Grieve hit a three-run homer for the Devil Rays, who were trying to equal a season-high four-game winning streak. Since losing their 100th game on Sept. 14, they’ve gone 5-2.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 5--Karim Garcia hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer with one out in the eighth inning and the Indians went on to win at Kansas City.

Angel Berroa hit a run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth. Raul Ibanez tried to score the tying run on the hit, but was thrown out at the plate on a relay from second baseman Brandon Phillips. Omar Vizquel hit a solo home run in the ninth to give the Indians a 6-4 lead.

Kansas City’s Mike Sweeney had three hits and took over the league batting lead at .347.

Chicago 8, Minnesota 2--Frank Thomas and D’Angelo Jimenez each homered and drove in three runs as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the AL Central champions at Chicago. The White Sox (79-77) moved two games over .500 for the first time since May 31.