Devil Rays’ Streak Ends at 12 Games

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ team-record winning streak ended at 12 games when Reed Johnson hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning Wednesday night at Toronto to lead the Blue Jays to a 2-1 victory.

Manager Lou Piniella says his team will keep on benefiting from the streak.

“It should give us confidence for the rest of our schedule. We turned our season around,” Piniella said. “I’m proud of the way this team played. You can’t keep something like this going forever.”

The Devil Rays had not lost since the San Francisco Giants beat them, 7-3, on June 8. It was the longest winning streak in the major leagues since Arizona won 12 in a row from June 18-30 last season. A win would have put the Devil Rays (33-35) at .500.

“The streak showed that we can compete in the American League,” Tampa Bay starter Victor Zambrano said. “We’re going to keep showing we can win a lot of games.”

Minnesota 4, Boston 2 -- Torii Hunter had a home run and three RBIs at Boston to lead the Twins over the Red Sox, who added Pokey Reese to their long injury list.

The second baseman sprained his left thumb diving for Luis Rivas’ ground-ball single in the second. Reese left the game and X-rays taken at Fenway Park were negative. He then went to a hospital for an MRI exam.

Kansas City 7, Detroit 3 -- Dee Brown hit a two-run single that capped a four-run first inning at Kansas City, and Darrell May won his third straight decision. Detroit lost its fifth straight game, a season high, and made two errors in a three-run eighth inning that raised its major league-leading total to 65.

Texas 6, Seattle 3 -- Nick Bierbrodt pitched six strong innings at Arlington, Texas, to win for the first time in more than two years.

The Rangers (39-29) are 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1999 season, when they last went to the playoffs.

Cleveland 9, Chicago 5 -- Pinch-hitter Ben Broussard had a grand slam in the eighth inning at Chicago and Ronnie Belliard homered in his third straight game for the Indians.

Paul Konerko homered twice for Chicago, which has lost six of eight.

Baltimore 13, New York 2 -- David Newhan set career highs with four hits and three RBIs at Baltimore. Newhan, signed as a free agent Friday after being released by Texas, is nine for 16 in his five games with the Orioles.