Red Sox Fall To 2-12 For Club’s Worst Start

American League

The Boston Red Sox dropped to 2-12, the worst start in the 96-year history of the franchise, losing to the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Wednesday night at Baltimore on B.J. Surhoff’s single in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Boston has lost seven straight. The Red Sox started 3-11 three times, but had never before lost 12 of their first 14. The seven-game losing streak is Boston’s longest since an 11-game skid in June 1994.

The Orioles’ 11-2 record is the best in the majors.

Twins 9, Indians 8 Minnesota

Pat Meares hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning as Minnesota overcame a five-run deficit to beat Cleveland, stopping the Indians’ five-game winning streak.

Charles Nagy, trying for his first win in six starts at the Metrodome, took a 7-2 lead in the fifth, but gave up three runs in the inning.

Marty Cordova hit a leadoff homer off Paul Shuey (0-1) in the sixth. Shuey walked two and Meares homered for a 9-7 lead.

White Sox 3, Royals 1 Kansas City, Mo.

Dave Martinez and Harold Baines homered as Alex Fernandez stayed unbeaten at Kansas City.

Fernandez (2-1) is 5-0 in Kansas City with a 1.93 ERA there in 56 career innings. He gave up eight hits, struck out six and walked three before Joe Magrane relieved starting the eighth. Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth for his third save.

Brewers 8, Yankees 4 Milwaukee

Jose Valentin matched his career high with four RBIs, and Milwaukee chased David Cone early in a sweep of a two-game series with New York.

Cone (2-1), who had surrendered just one earned run in his first 21 innings this year, gave up six earned runs in five innings and fell behind 4-0 in the first inning.

Rangers 12, Athletics 1 Arlington, Texas

Ken Hill pitched a four-hitter to increase his career April record to 16-6, and Ivan Rodriguez’s two-run double highlighted a five-run second inning as Texas defeated Oakland.