Lima (4-0) Keeps Pitching In for Royals

Jose Lima kept up his incredible comeback, giving up only two hits over seven innings Sunday to lead the Kansas City Royals past the Detroit Tigers, 5-3, at Kansas City, Mo.

Since Kansas City scouts spotted him pitching for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, the former All-Star has gone 4-0 with a 3.06 earned-run average -- a vast improvement over the 7.77 ERA he had when the Tigers released him after 20 appearances last year.

Lima gave up two runs and five walks in seven innings and struck out five for the Central Division-leading Royals, who won three of four against the Tigers and went 6-5 on the homestand.

New York 7, Boston 1 -- Andy Pettitte shut down baseball’s top-hitting team to help the Yankees end a three-game losing streak and move three games ahead of the second-place Red Sox in the East Division.

After watching David Wells and Roger Clemens get hammered for eight runs apiece in the first two games of the four-game series at Yankee Stadium, Pettitte (10-6) got New York back on track.

It looked as if the Yankees would be in for another long day when Bill Mueller homered with one out in the first inning -- Boston’s 11th of the series.

But after a leadoff single by Kevin Millar in the second, Pettitte retired 16 batters in a row until Manny Ramirez singled with one out in the seventh.

Texas 5, Seattle 1 -- Rafael Palmeiro hit his 510th homer and Ismael Valdes pitched six strong innings at Arlington, Texas.

Valdes (7-5) was the beneficiary of early run support and ended his three-game losing streak, giving up one run and four hits. He had a 16.05 ERA in those three starts.

Palmeiro made the score 4-0 in the third inning with his 20th homer this season. He is 18th on the career home run list, one behind Mel Ott.

The Mariners have a major league-best 31-15 road record but finished the trip with a 3-4 record, their first losing trip this season.

Toronto 5, Baltimore 3 -- Eric Hinske hit two homers and Chris Woodward singled in the tiebreaking run with two out in the 10th inning to help the Blue Jays avert a four-game sweep at Baltimore and win for only the second time in nine games.

Toronto trailed, 3-1, in the ninth before Greg Myers led off with a home run against closer Jorge Julio.

One out later, Hinske tied the score with a drive to center field that glanced off the glove of a leaping Luis Matos before landing in the Baltimore bullpen.

Cleveland 5, Minnesota 3 -- Shane Spencer hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 10th inning at Minneapolis after Matt Lawton, who had hit a score-tying homer against LaTroy Hawkins in the eighth inning, singled with one out against Eddie Guardado (1-4).

Chicago 11, Tampa Bay 3 -- Jose Valentin and Joe Crede homered and drove in three runs apiece to back the pitching of Mark Buehrle (7-10) at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Buehrle gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings to win for the fifth consecutive time since ending a nine-game losing streak June 16.