Rogers’ Innings String Hits 30

Kenny Rogers pitched a six-hitter, running his scoreless streak to 30 innings, and the Texas Rangers defeated the Minnesota Twins, 5-0, Saturday at Minneapolis.

“Today we didn’t really have much of a chance,” Manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Kenny Rogers was the story. He dominated. He changed speeds and located the ball and I guess that’s why he’s the hottest pitcher in the game right now. He’s on one of those rolls and we couldn’t do much with him.”

Rogers (4-2) has won his last four starts and has not given up a run since the sixth inning of a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay on April 21. It is the longest streak in the majors this season and Rogers’ longest since his team-record streak of 39 consecutive innings in 1995.

The 40-year-old left-hander threw 104 pitches and did not allow a runner past first base until the ninth inning.

“He’s not even breaking a sweat,” said Texas pitching coach Orel Hershiser, who in 1988 set the major league record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

Sandy Alomar Jr.’s hit drove in Alfonso Soriano and Laynce Nix in the fifth inning, and David Dellucci and Michael Young also had run-scoring singles in the inning.

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New York 15, Oakland 6 -- Derek Jeter and Tino Martinez hit three-run homers, Alex Rodriguez hit his major league-leading 12th homer and the Yankees won their seventh in a row while handing the Athletics their seventh consecutive loss.

Martinez had three hits and drove in five runs, and Hideki Matsui matched his career high with four of the 18 hits by the Yankees, who have scored 59 runs during their longest winning streak in more than a year.

New York’s Jason Giambi was hit by a beer thrown by a spectator as he walked to the dugout after hitting a flyout in the eighth inning. Giambi was dampened but not injured and the man who threw the beer was removed by security and police.

Giambi has been booed loudly at Oakland since he left the A’s before the 2002 season to join the Yankees.

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Boston 6, Seattle 3 -- Trot Nixon, dropped from second to fifth in the batting order, hit a two-out grand slam in the seventh inning and the Red Sox rallied at Seattle.

After Seattle’s J.J. Putz struck out Manny Ramirez on a 97-mph fastball, Nixon hit an 0-and-1 pitch for his eighth grand slam, his first since Sept. 1, 2003.

The Mariners optioned starting pitcher Joel Pineiro to triple-A Tacoma, a day after he gave up six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Manager Mike Hargrove said Pineiro would work on his mechanics. The Mariners plan to recall him May 24 to pitch against Baltimore.

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Baltimore 9, Chicago 6 -- Brian Roberts had three doubles and Miguel Tejada doubled in the go-ahead run in a four-run seventh inning at Chicago.

Freddy Garcia (3-3) gave up 10 hits and seven runs in six-plus innings, becoming the first White Sox starter to lose consecutive starts this season.

Daniel Cabrera (3-2) gave up five runs, six hits and four walks in six innings, but he retired the last nine batters he faced.

The White Sox had three runners thrown out at the plate -- Paul Konerko in the first, Jermaine Dye in the third and Scott Podsednik in the fourth.

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Cleveland 3, Toronto 2 -- Jhonny Peralta hit a 2-and-2 pitch from Jason Frasor (1-3) over the right-center field wall to end a seventh-inning tie and help the host Indians win for the fourth time in five games.

Play was stopped because of rain for 28 minutes in the middle of the first inning and for 1:51 in the bottom of the third.

Arthur Rhodes (2-1), the fourth of six Cleveland pitchers, retired the three batters he faced to pick up the victory.

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Kansas City 6, Tampa Bay 5 -- Emil Brown hit a go-ahead double in the eighth inning and left fielder Terrence Long made a leaping catch with two out in the ninth to preserve the victory at Kansas City, Mo.

The Royals (10-27) are the last major league team to reach 10 victories. They improved to 2-2 under interim Manager Bob Schaefer since Tony Pena resigned Tuesday.