Mora, Tejada Lift Streaking Orioles

Melvin Mora hit two home runs, Miguel Tejada homered for the fourth consecutive game and the Baltimore Orioles won their eighth game in a row, beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 7-4, Sunday at Baltimore.

Bruce Chen (3-1) gave up three runs in six-plus innings and struck out a season-high seven, and the Orioles matched their longest winning streak of last year. Baltimore has not won nine in a row since a 13-game streak Sept. 7-22, 1999.

“We came out of camp knowing that we had a pretty good offensive team,” Manager Lee Mazzilli said. “But how good? You never know until you get into the season.”

Dewon Brazelton’s career-opening road losing streak reached 14 games as Tampa Bay dropped its seventh game in a row.

Brazelton (1-5) is 0-3 in three road starts this year, the longest skid on the road for a pitcher at the start of his big league career since Cincinnati’s Kent Peterson lost his first 18 decisions from 1947 to 1949.

Chicago 8, Detroit 0 -- Jon Garland (5-0) pitched his second consecutive four-hit shutout and became the first five-game winner in the American League.

Garland struck out six and walked one at Chicago, extending his scoreless streak to 23 innings and lowering his earned-run average to 1.38. It was his third shutout and fourth complete game in 132 career starts.

Oakland 3, Seattle 2 -- Barry Zito (1-4) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings at Oakland and ended an eight-start winless streak.

Zito had lost five decisions in a row since Sept. 12, matching his career worst.

Erubiel Durazo hit a two-run double in the sixth inning against Joel Pineiro (2-2).

Toronto 8, New York 6 -- Frank Menechino drove in three runs and Eric Hinske doubled in the seventh inning against Mike Stanton (0-1) to break a 6-6 tie at New York.

Gary Sheffield homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees, who dropped 7 1/2 games behind Baltimore in the East, their largest deficit since September 1997.

Boston 6, Texas 5 -- Trot Nixon had a key two-run double for the Red Sox, who went ahead, 4-3, on Kevin Youkilis’ run-scoring single in the fifth inning and won a series at Arlington, Texas, for the first time since 2000.

Matt Clement (3-0) gave up three runs, four hits and four walks in six innings. He escaped two bases-loaded jams without giving up runs.

Kansas City 6, Cleveland 5 -- Jose Lima took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning at Cleveland, and Mike Sweeney homered twice, including a tiebreaking drive in the eighth against Rafael Betancourt (1-1) to help the Royals win for only the third time in 15 games.