Tejada’s Homer Sparks Orioles

Miguel Tejada needed eight games to hit his first homer for Baltimore and it sparked the Orioles to another extra-inning win over Boston.

His leadoff shot into the left-field seats at Fenway Park started a five-run 11th inning that carried the Orioles to a 12-7 win Thursday over the Red Sox one week after they beat Boston, 3-2, in 15 innings at Baltimore.

“We’ve been winning some good games and that’s all I worry about,” said Tejada, who had at least 27 homers and 106 runs batted in in each of the last four seasons with Oakland. “I really wanted to hit one out for this team.”

He waited until the 4-hour, 28-minute game was almost over. It nearly ended in the bottom of the 10th, but center fielder Luis Matos made a running backhand catch against the left-center field fence on a ball hit by Bill Mueller with the bases loaded and two out.

Starters Pedro Martinez and Sidney Ponson struggled and Boston led, 7-4, after four innings. Then David Segui tied the game with a three-run homer off Martinez in the fifth.

The three-game series was reduced to one by rainouts Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Texas 7, Oakland 2 -- Kenny Rogers pitched seven solid innings, Alfonso Soriano had three hits and the host Rangers avoided a three-game sweep.

Rogers (2-0) gave up one unearned run and five hits in his 38th victory at The Ballpark in Arlington, breaking a tie with Rick Helling for the most wins at the stadium.

Chicago 6, Kansas City 5 -- Magglio Ordonez hit a one-out home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the White Sox a three-game series sweep.

Frank Thomas had a two-run homer and Aaron Rowand hit his first homer of the year for Chicago, which beat the Royals in its final at bat for the second straight game.

Minnesota 3, Cleveland 0 -- Brad Radke pitched eight shutout innings for the visiting Twins. Radke (2-0) gave up four singles, struck out five and walked one to help Minnesota take two of three games in the series.

Joe Nathan pitched the ninth for his first save since 1999 for San Francisco.

Toronto 11, Detroit 0 -- Cy Young winner Roy Halladay pitched a shutout for his first win of the season, leading the visiting Blue Jays over the Tigers.

Halladay (1-2) gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out five.