Wakefield Wins Despite Power Surge

Tim Wakefield won a game and ended up in the record book.

He enjoyed one feat much more than the other.

Wakefield gave up six homers, matching a modern major league record last set 64 years ago, but he wound up with the victory when his Boston Red Sox outslugged the Tigers, 11-9, Sunday at Detroit.

“I’m glad we won, but that’s just because the offense scored more runs than I gave up,” Wakefield said. “I’d rather just forget about the whole thing.”

David Ortiz’s three-run shot capped a six-run fourth inning, and Kevin Youkilis homered twice to help the Red Sox overcome seven Detroit home runs.

The teams combined for 10 homers, the most in Comerica Park’s five-year history.

Wakefield (8-6) gave up two homers to Ivan Rodriguez and one each to Eric Munson, Craig Monroe, Carlos Pena and Dmitri Young. Yet the knuckleballer left after five innings with a 10-7 lead.

Brooklyn’s Hollis Thurston was the last pitcher to give up six homers and win the game, beating the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on Aug. 13, 1932.

Oakland 6, Minnesota 5 -- Jermaine Dye hit a tiebreaking single in a three-run 18th inning as the A’s finally held on to win at Minneapolis.

It was the second-longest game in the 23-year history of the Metrodome. Cleveland and Minnesota played 22 innings on Aug. 31, 1993.

After starting pitchers Mark Mulder and Carlos Silva each gave up three runs, the bullpens took over and kept the score tied, 3-3, until the 18th.

The A’s broke through against Terry Mulholland (3-5), who was scheduled to start Tuesday at Seattle but had to be summoned in relief after the Twins had exhausted all but one reliever. That was Juan Rincon, who had pitched three innings over the last two games.

New York 8, Toronto 2 -- At New York, Bernie Williams hit the 10th grand slam of his career, leading the Yankees to their fifth straight win.

Williams connected in the first inning against Miguel Batista (9-7), who gave up infield hits to Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui and hit Alex Rodriguez with a pitch to load the bases.

Williams took over fourth place on the Yankees’ career grand slam list, one ahead of Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, trailing only Lou Gehrig (23), Joe DiMaggio (13) and Babe Ruth (12).

Chicago 3, Cleveland 2 -- Timo Perez scored all the way from first on Ben Davis’ long single in the ninth at Chicago.

Davis lined a two-out hit to right center off Cleveland reliever Rafael Betancourt (5-6) after Perez had singled. Grady Sizemore cut off Davis’ hit before it could get to the wall, but Perez never hesitated, racing home and sliding in under catcher Victor Martinez’s tag.

Baltimore 11, Texas 5 -- Melvin Mora went three for five with a homer and four RBIs to back a strong pitching performance by Sidney Ponson at Baltimore as the Orioles won their season-high sixth straight game.

Tampa Bay 5, Seattle 1 -- Rookie B.J. Upton hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth for his first major league RBI, and Rob Bell gave up one unearned run in seven innings at St. Petersburg, Fla.