Orioles Finally Break Through, Beat Blue Jays

The law of averages finally caught up to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Albert Belle and Harold Baines each had two runs batted in during a six-run third inning, and Pat Rapp earned his first win in a month as the Baltimore Orioles ended a 13-game losing streak against Toronto with an 8-3 victory Friday night at Baltimore.

Will Clark homered and Delino DeShields drove in two runs for the Orioles, who have won three of four after a nine-game skid. It was Baltimore’s first win against the Blue Jays since April 10, 1999.

“We just didn’t play very well today,” Toronto Manager Jim Fregosi said. “But we’re still in first place, are we not?”

Despite the loss, first-place Toronto maintained its three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.

In the process of beating the Blue Jays for the first time in 14 months, the Orioles also ended their run of frustration against Toronto starter Roy Halladay, who was 2-0 with 15 shutout innings against Baltimore.

The Oriole starting lineup had a collective .103 batting average against the right-hander.

But Halladay (3-5) yielded seven runs, four hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest stint as a starter this season.

Tony Batista hit his 21st homer for the Blue Jays, but Carlos Delgado went 0 for 4, ending his 22-game hitting streak.

Tampa Bay 6, New York 4--The Devil Rays finished the best month in franchise history with a victory over the struggling Yankees, who closed out their first losing month since August 1996.

Russ Johnson, who hit a two-run single and walked four times, got the game-winning RBI when Jeff Nelson (6-2) walked him on four pitches with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth at St. Petersburg, Fla.

It was the third walk of the inning issued by Nelson, and the 10th by a New York pitcher.

The Yankees lost for the sixth time in eight games, closing June with a 10-15 mark that ended a streak of 23 consecutive non-losing months--second longest in team history and the longest in the majors since Baltimore went 25 straight non-losing months from 1969 to 1972.

Texas 13, Seattle 3--Rafael Palmeiro and Royce Clayton homered, leading Kenny Rogers and the Rangers at Arlington, Texas.

Palmeiro had three hits, including his 382nd homer. His solo homer in the fifth inning moved him into a tie for 39th on the career list with Frank Howard and Jim Rice.

Clayton drove in three runs to help the Rangers win for the fourth time in five games. Chad Curtis, Mike Lamb and Rusty Greer all drove in two runs for Texas.

Greer hit a two-run double in a seven-run seventh that broke open the game. Seattle lost for the second time in 10 games.

Rogers (8-5) won his fifth consecutive decision, giving up three runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Chicago 10, Boston 4--Frank Thomas and Brook Fordyce each hit two home runs for the White Sox at Chicago.

Thomas hit a solo homer in the fifth inning off Bryce Florie and added another solo drive, his 22nd, an inning later off Rheal Cormier.

Thomas now has 12 homers in June, tying his personal best for one month. He also has three multi-homer games in the last nine days.

Fordyce hit a solo shot in the fifth and a two-run shot in the eighth, giving him three for the season.

Carlos Lee also homered for Chicago, which improved its AL Central lead to 9 1/2 games.

Detroit 3, Kansas City 1--Jeff Weaver took his shutout bid into the ninth inning while leading the Tigers at Kansas City, Mo.

After giving up only four hits over eight innings, Weaver (5-6) gave up consecutive singles to Johnny Damon and pinch-hitter Mark Quinn in the ninth.

Weaver walked none and struck out four.

Todd Jones relieved and gave up an RBI single to Mike Sweeney, but got three out for his league-leading 21st save in 22 opportunities.

Minnesota 7, Cleveland 2--Matt Lawton hit two home runs at Cleveland and the Twins sent the Indians to their third straight loss.

Midre Cummings, who also homered, Corey Koskie and Lawton each had three of the Twins’ 16 hits.

Ricky Ledee, in his Cleveland debut after being acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade for David Justice on Thursday night, started in left field and went one for three with a walk.