Tigers Get Rare Victory

The Detroit Tigers gave themselves and their fans a chance to forget about a miserable season for one afternoon.

Eric Munson hit a three-run homer and the Tigers kept Barry Zito winless in more than a month with a 3-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at Detroit.

The Tigers have won only 30 games -- while every other team in baseball has more than 40 -- and are on pace to threaten the modern major league record of 120 losses set by the 1962 New York Mets.

But none of that stopped the crowd of 19,664 from giving the Tigers a standing ovation when they ran off the field in the eighth, and after the game.

“This is definitely a baseball town, but we’ve got to give them something to cheer about,” said Jeremy Bonderman, who gave up one earned run and improved to 5-15.

Zito (8-10) has gone seven starts without a win and his victory on July 3 against Seattle is his only win in 12 starts.

Bonderman avoided being the only 16-game loser in baseball with his third victory in five starts. Bonderman gave up two runs -- one earned -- and three hits and a career-high six walks over five-plus innings while striking out three.

*

Cleveland 3, Seattle 0 -- Billy Traber pitched five-hit ball for seven innings, and fellow rookies Jody Gerut and Travis Hafner hit solo homers at Cleveland.

The Indians took two of three from the Mariners, who remained three games ahead of Oakland atop the AL West.

Traber (6-6) rebounded from his worst start, stopping Seattle with a variety of slow breaking pitches. The 23-year-old left-hander struck out five and walked two.

Seattle starter Freddy Garcia (9-12) is 0-6 with a 7.11 earned-run average in his last seven outings.

*

New York 7, Texas 5 -- Enrique Wilson rallied the Yankees with his third career grand slam and Jorge Posada delivered a bases-loaded single, breaking a seventh-inning tie at New York.

Wilson connected in the second inning, wiping out a 3-0 Texas lead against Mike Mussina (12-6), who continued to have first-inning problems. Mussina gave up singles to Michael Young and Hank Blalock, and Rafael Palmeiro followed with his 28th homer for the quick Ranger lead.

It was the fifth time in six starts that Mussina has given up first-inning runs.

*

Baltimore 5, Minnesota 3 -- Jack Cust hit his first AL homer, a three-run shot off Rick Reed that carried the Orioles to the victory at Baltimore.

Rodrigo Lopez (5-6) gave up three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Orioles, who salvaged a split of the four-game series.

Torii Hunter homered for the Twins, who were denied their bid to move two games over .500 for the first time since July 5.

*

Tampa Bay 3, Kansas City 2 -- Pinch-hitter Al Martin hit a two-run triple and Julio Lugo followed with a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Royals have a half-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. Kansas City, which is 9-12 since the All-Star break, was coming off consecutive losses at Chicago.

Closer Mike MacDougal (3-5) gave up a leadoff single in the ninth to Toby Hall. Travis Lee reached when second baseman Carlos Febles misplayed his grounder for an error.

After a sacrifice by Damian Rolls, Martin lined a triple that went to the wall in right-center field.

Lugo then hit the next pitch to right to drive in Martin.