Blake’s Homer Defeats A’s, 1-0

Casey Blake hit the third pitch by reliever Jim Mecir in the bottom of the ninth inning into the left-field bleachers to give the Cleveland Indians a 1-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Cleveland.

Blake lined a 1-1 pitch from Mecir (0-4) for his sixth homer -- and second game-winning shot this season at Jacobs Field -- to end a struggle in futility by both teams.

Oakland starter Barry Zito pitched eight solid innings, giving up three hits. The only Indians to reach second base in the first seven innings did so on a botched pickoff, a wild pitch and a balk. Victor Martinez, with 28 runs batted in in his previous 21 games, struck out on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth.

The teams were a combined one for 15 with runners in scoring position.

Oakland left 14 runners stranded, including the bases loaded in the seventh when reliever Rafael Betancourt struck out Jermaine Dye looking. Jose Jimenez (1-3) got Scott Hatteberg to foul out with runners on first and third in the ninth.

New York 7, Tampa Bay 5 -- At St. Petersburg, Fla., Mariano Rivera became the 18th pitcher to record 300 saves. He worked a scoreless ninth for his league-leading 17th.

Rivera is the first Yankee to get 300 and is the fourth pitcher to get 300 with one team, joining Trevor Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley and Jeff Montgomery.

Boston 8, Seattle 4 -- David Ortiz’s grand slam capped a five-run fifth inning at Fenway Park, enabling Pedro Martinez to remain undefeated against the Mariners. Martinez (5-3) has won 13 games against Seattle, including one in relief.

Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 -- Tony Graffanino beat out an infield single to deep short with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Wilton Guerrero from third base.

Juan Rincon (6-3) walked Ken Harvey and Joe Randa with one out. The runners moved up on an infield out. Graffanino, recalled earlier in the day off the disabled list, slid head-first into first ahead of the throw from Cristian Guzman.

Toronto 5, Texas 4 -- Carlos Delgado hit a two-run homer in a four-run first at Toronto, and Ted Lilly (2-5) won for the first time in five starts.

Baltimore 7, Detroit 5 -- Miguel Tejada and Luis Matos homered at Detroit to help the Orioles end a seven-game losing streak.