alrdp 7/20/02

DETROIT -- Corey Koskie and David Ortiz homered on the first two pitches of the fourth inning to back Kyle Lohse's solid pitching as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 Friday night.

Doug Mientkiewicz added a home run as the Twins handed the Tigers their fourth straight defeat and took a 12-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central.

Lohse (9-5) gave up one run on six hits in six innings. Johan Santana pitched three innings for his first major league save.

Detroit's Brian Moehler (1-1) gave up four runs -- including the homers.

Orioles 10, White Sox 4

BALTIMORE -- Rodrigo Lopez pitched seven strong innings to earn his 10th win, and Baltimore used a six-run fourth to pull away.

Gary Matthews Jr. homered and drove in two runs for the Orioles, who also got two RBIs apiece from Chris Singleton, Jay Gibbons and Geronimo Gil.

Lopez (10-3) allowed three runs and six hits to become the first rookie to win 10 games for Baltimore since Rocky Coppinger in 1996. The right-hander had a career-high eight strikeouts and walked one.

Chicago's Jon Garland (8-7) allowed for eight runs in three-plus innings.

Blue Jays 11, Devil Rays 8

TORONTO -- Tom Wilson hit a three-run homer as Toronto sent Tampa Bay to a team-record 12th consecutive road loss.

Wilson homered in the sixth inning off Doug Creek (2-1).

Tampa Bay, with the worst record in the majors at 29-65, has lost six straight overall and 14 of 15. The Devil Rays have the major leagues' longest road skid since Philadelphia lost 12 straight in 1999.

Royals 8, Indians 5

KANSAS CITY Mo. -- The Royals won their eighth straight game, their best streak since 1994, as Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer.

Chuck Finley, scratched from his start for the Indians, was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league outfielder Luis Garcia and a player to be named.

Scott Mullen (2-2) relieved in the sixth, and Roberto Hernandez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save. Heath Murray (0-1) was the loser.

-- From wire reports