Garcia, White Sox Smile in Oakland

Freddy Garcia and the Chicago White Sox got rare victories in Oakland on Saturday.

Garcia won for the third time in four starts since his trade to the White Sox, leading Chicago over the Athletics, 5-2, Saturday.

Paul Konerko, Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand homered for the White Sox, who won for only the second time in their last 17 games at Oakland. Garcia had not won at Oakland since June 3, 2002.

“We finally won a game here,” White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said. “We’ll do anything we can to score runs, especially against a pitching staff like Oakland’s. A one-run lead is not easy against them.”

Garcia (7-8) is 3-1 with a 3.95 earned-run average since Seattle dealt him to the White Sox on June 27, and he improved to 5-0 in six day games this season. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- and two hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out six and walked two.

“He’s been great in his four starts here,” said Chicago catcher Ben Davis, who also came over in the trade. “He’s doing the job they’ve asked of him. He wants the big games. He likes that pressure.”

Damaso Marte pitched 1 1/3 innings, and Shingo Takatsu finished the four-hitter to remain perfect in six save chances.

The game ended when Takatsu snared Adam Melhuse’s liner at chest level.

“That was the only place I could reach it,” Takatsu said through an interpreter. “I was fortunate he hit it where it was and I responded quickly. It looked like the size of a bowling ball.”

New York 5, Detroit 3 -- Orlando Hernandez won his second straight start since getting called up from the minors, and the Yankees beat the Tigers at Detroit for their sixth victory in seven games.

Gary Sheffield homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees. The Tigers, who matched their win total for 2003 on Friday, lost for only the third time in nine games.

In front of 41,857, the third-largest crowd in Comerica Park’s five-year history, Hernandez (2-0) gave up three runs and six hits in five innings. He beat Tampa Bay, 10-3, last weekend, his first game in the majors since 2002.

Texas 4, Toronto 0 -- Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer and Ricardo Rodriguez combined with three relievers on an eight-hitter to lead the Rangers at Arlington, Texas.

Rodriguez (3-0), coming off a three-hit shutout of Cleveland on July 8, gave up eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. Brian Shouse, Frank Francisco and Ron Mahay finished Texas’ fifth shutout of the season. The AL West-leading Rangers (51-37) matched the 1996 team for the best record after 88 games in club history.

Baltimore 3, Tampa Bay 2 -- Miguel Tejada had three hits and an RBI, leading Rodrigo Lopez and the Orioles at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Lopez (7-5) gave up only one run despite walking five in 5 1/3 innings. He got help from four relievers, and Jorge Julio worked the ninth for his 14th save in 16 opportunities. Julio gave up a solo homer to Aubrey Huff.

Minnesota 4, Kansas City 1 -- Johan Santana gave up one hit in eight innings, and Lew Ford and Justin Morneau hit consecutive home runs to lead the Twins at Kansas City, Mo.

Santana (8-6) improved 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA in his last eight starts, allowing only a leadoff double to Angel Berroa in the second inning as the Twins ended a five-game losing streak.

Cleveland 6, Seattle 5 -- Ben Broussard hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and drove in three runs, sending C.C. Sabathia and the Indians to a victory at Seattle. The Mariners have lost 11 of their last 12.