Gload Responds Well in a Pinch

Ross Gload’s pinch-hit single drove in pinch-runner Willie Harris from second base in the bottom of the ninth inning and the White Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics, 5-4, Wednesday night at Chicago.

“I threw a 3-and-2 curveball where I shouldn’t have,” Justin Duchscherer (5-5) said of the pitch to Gload. “I thought the curveball was my best option. If I walk him, I walk him. But if I don’t, it’s less hittable than a fastball.”

Oakland’s eight-game winning streak ended but the first-place Athletics maintained a three-game lead in the American League West over the Angels, who lost at Boston.

Scott Hatteberg and Mark McLemore each had three hits for the A’s. Left-hander Barry Zito gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Minnesota 4, Texas 2 -- Terry Tiffee hit a go-ahead two-run double in his major league debut to cap an eighth-inning rally at Minneapolis and help the Twins deal the Rangers their third consecutive loss.

The Rangers dropped five games behind Boston in the AL wild-card race.

Shannon Stewart homered for the Twins, who extended to eight games their lead over Cleveland in the AL Central.

New York 5, Cleveland 3 -- Orlando Hernandez limited the Indians to three hits in seven innings and Jorge Posada hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium.

Hernandez (6-0) was only the second Yankee starter to win in 17 games since Aug. 13.

The Yankees rebounded from a 22-0 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday, their most lopsided loss ever, to keep a 3 1/2 -game lead over Boston in the AL East.

Baltimore 8, Tampa Bay 0 -- Javy Lopez drove in four runs at St. Petersburg, Fla., and Daniel Cabrera (10-7) gave up two hits in 6 1/3 innings to become the first rookie to win 10 games this season.

Tampa Bay’s Rocco Baldelli had a first-inning double and became the 13th active player to reach 300 hits before turning 23.

Toronto 4, Seattle 2 -- Frank Menechino hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and David Bush (3-3) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings at Toronto.

Kansas City 1, Detroit 0 -- Rookie Zack Greinke (7-9) retired the first 15 batters and gave up three hits in seven innings, and rookie Abraham Nunez drove in Joe Randa with a single in the fourth inning at Kansas City, Mo.