Erickson Regains His Shutout Touch
American League
Scott Erickson pitched a five-hitter for his first shutout since 1995, and the Baltimore Orioles got three-run homers from Geronimo Berroa and B.J. Surhoff in a 9-0 win Sunday over the Minnesota Twins.
Erickson (13-5) set a season-high with nine strikeouts and walked none. It was his 10th career shutout and first since blanking Toronto on Sept.
27, 1995.
With his first complete game this season, the right-hander improved to 3-0 in three starts against his former team this year.
The Orioles have won five of six and now lead the second-place New York Yankees by 5 games in the A.L. East.
Brewers 11, Tigers 7
Detroit
Dave Nilsson went 4 for 5 with a two-run homer and a two-run double as Milwaukee swept a three-game series.
Nilsson’s 17th homer, off Mike Myers in the ninth, matched his career high of last season. His four hits also matched a career high and the four RBIs is a season high. Nilsson has homered six times in eight games.
Red Sox 6, Angels 5
Boston
Wilfredo Cordero’s RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth capped a three-run rally.
Cordero grounded into a double play in the same situation in the seventh, and had hit just .221 since missing the last 11 games before the All-Star break in connection with his arrest on a domestic abuse charge. He was 0 for 4 Sunday before his single to left through a drawn-in infield off Mike James (4-3) in the ninth.
Rangers 5, White Sox 4
Chicago
Mark McLemore drove in two runs and scored the tie-breaking run on a wild pitch in the seventh inning.
Will Clark led off the eighth with his 11th homer to give the Rangers a 5-3 lead, helping them withstand a homer by Frank Thomas in the bottom half, his 24th.
Royals 3, Blue Jays 2
Toronto
Johnny Damon’s tie-breaking RBI single in the ninth inning won it for Kansas City.
The Royals’ Yamil Benitez had tied it 2-2 in the eighth inning with his second homer. In the ninth, Chili Davis broke an 0-for-17 slump with a leadoff single off Paul Quantrill (4-3) and Dean Palmer singled. One out later, Damon’s single to right scored pinch-runner David Howard without a throw.
Indians 4, Athletics 2
Cleveland
Jason Jacome pitched five strong innings and Omar Vizquel put on a spectacular show at shortstop.
Vizquel twice robbed Jose Canseco of hits with outstanding plays and added two more highlight-reel efforts that earned him a standing ovation from the crowd of 42,885 - the 181st consecutive sellout.
Clearing the bases
Cal Ripken’s RBI double in the first was the 1,430th of his career, tying him for 43rd all-time with Yogi Berra. The hit was his 2,660th, tying him for 55th with Harry Heilman and George Davis. … Minnesota’s Paul Molitor played in his 2,503rd game, tying him with Babe Ruth for 35th all-time.