Mussina Loses No-No But Flattens Brews

Mike Mussina’s stomach doesn’t flutter even when he’s flirting with no-hitters.

“I certainly don’t consider myself somebody who has no-hitter-type stuff, so it’s kind of fun to come within a few outs of a couple,” Mussina said after settling for a three-hitter in visiting Baltimore’s 9-1 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Mussina lost the no-hitter in the eighth inning when Jose Valentin broke his bat on a high changeup, lining the ball into right field.

Mussina (9-2) struck out a season-high 12 and walked one. The right-hander held Cleveland without a hit for 8-1/3 innings on May 30.

Red Sox 13, Blue Jays 12 Toronto

Nomar Garciaparra hit Pat Hentgen’s first pitch for a homer - one of five homers off Hentgen - and Boston outlasted Toronto to sweep a three-game series.

Rangers 5, Angels 4 Arlington, Texas

Mark McLemore’s bases-loaded RBI single with one out in the ninth helped Texas beat Anaheim and snap a seven-game losing streak. The Angels had won six straight.

Yankees 3, Tigers 1 Detroit

Charlie Hayes hit a two-run homer in the ninth to give New York a three-game sweep of Detroit.

New York’s Tino Martinez hit his 26th homer, a solo shot in the seventh.

Chisox 8, Royals 7 (10) Chicago

With five runs in the eighth, and rookie Mario Valdes’ RBI single in the 10th, Chicago beat Kansas City to reach .500 for the first time since April 2.

Twins at Indians, ppd. Cleveland

Rain postponed Minnesota’s road game. No makeup date was announced.

Seefried fries Irabu

Hideki Irabu, New York’s hard-throwing Japanese pitcher playing for Double-A Norwich (Conn.), was rocked for five earned runs and nine hits in five innings by the Binghamton (N.Y.) Mets and took his first loss.

Tate Seefried, formerly of Central Valley High, singled three times, scored twice and drove in a run against Irabu.

Clearing the bases

The Walt Disney Co.-owned Angels filed a lawsuit in Santa Ana, Calif., seeking to break a broadcast agreement with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Sports West. The lawsuit alleges that Fox pays more to televise Los Angeles Dodgers games than it does for rights to Angels telecasts. … New York outfielder Darryl Strawberry will be out 4 to 6 more weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Cal Eldred, who threw 85 pitches in three innings, had the shortest start by a Milwaukee pitcher since Sept. 25, 1996. … Luis Alicea’s fifth-inning steal gave Anaheim 53 stolen bases, matching last season’s total. … Starter Tim Belcher of Kansas City was not involved in a decision for the first time in 20 consecutive starts, dating to last year.