12-Run Inning Propels Royals Past Twins, 14-7

Once the Kansas City Royals started hitting, there was no stopping them.

The host Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins, 14-7, Tuesday night behind a team-record 12-run inning that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 13-3 lead.

“A lot of people think there’s not any momentum in baseball, but that inning just carried over,” said Ken Harvey, who had two hits and drove in three runs in the 12-run sixth inning. “It’s like it became infectious. You want to do the same thing the guy in front of you did, keep it going, not be the one to make it stop.”

The outburst surpassed the team record of 11 runs in an inning, which the Royals had accomplished three times in their 34-year history. Kansas City pulled to within two games of the first-place Twins in the American League Central.

J.C. Romero, one of four Twin pitchers used in the sixth, was ejected along with Manager Ron Gardenhire after Aaron Guiel was plunked following the inning’s sixth run.

“Ugly ballgame. Got away from us,” said Gardenhire, who has been ejected five times this season. “We had a lead. We were cruising, it looked like. Kenny Rogers had only given up two hits.... It was a snowball effect. We just couldn’t stop them.”

Harvey finished with four hits, including three doubles, and five runs batted in. Raul Ibanez and Mike Sweeney each had two RBIs in the record-breaking inning that included a team record-tying 16 plate appearances.

Oakland 4, Texas 3 -- Miguel Tejada homered while playing in his 500th consecutive game, and Mark Ellis and Scott Hatteberg also homered at Oakland to help the Athletics win their fourth in a row.

Tejada’s is the longest active streak in the majors. The 2002 AL most valuable player became the 34th player in major league history to reach the mark.

Since Cal Ripken Jr. began his record streak of 2,632 games on May 30, 1982, only two others have had streaks of more than 500 games -- Dale Murphy (740) and Joe Carter (507).

Boston 7, Chicago 4 -- Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer, and John Burkett recovered from a shaky start to lift the Red Sox at Chicago.

Burkett (5-3) gave up four doubles in a row to start the game and was in a 3-0 hole before recording an out. Afterward, he was almost unhittable, retiring 18 consecutive batters at one point.

He gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out a season-high nine and walked one. Burkett threw a lot of off-speed pitches, and the White Sox were baffled -- striking out looking eight times.

They were also frustrated by the umpiring. Frank Thomas broke his bat on the plate in the sixth inning after he was called out for a second time on an inside pitch. He was ejected when he argued with plate umpire Eric Cooper as he took the field for the top of the seventh inning.

Cleveland 7, Detroit 4 -- Ben Broussard, Casey Blake and Matt Lawton homered in a five-run fourth inning at Detroit and the Indians ended a four-game skid while sending the Tigers to their 10th loss in 11 games.

The Tigers led, 2-1, after three innings, but Adam Bernero (1-9) fell apart in the fourth. Milton Bradley led off with a single, and Broussard followed with a homer into the right-field bullpen.

Five pitches later, Blake homered to put the Indians ahead, 4-2. After Josh Bard singled, Bernero retired the next two batters, but Lawton chased him with a two-run homer.

Toronto at Baltimore -- The game involving the Blue Jays and Orioles was postponed because of rain and will be made up July 3.