Hot Yanks defeat reeling Red Sox again

NEW YORK -- Andy Pettitte won for the first time in nearly a month, and Tino Martinez and Nick Johnson homered as the streaking New York Yankees beat the reeling Boston Red Sox for the seventh straight time, 7-2 Sunday.

Pettitte (15-9) was perfect through four innings and wound up allowing one run and four hits in 7 2-3 innings with seven strikeouts. He had not won since Aug. 14 against Tampa Bay and had given up 24 runs and 43 hits over 24 innings in his previous four starts.

Johnson, playing first base while Martinez got a day at designated hitter, hit a two-run homer in the second off Hideo Nomo (11-8), the first of his major league career.

New York has won four in a row and nine of 10, opening a 13-game lead over Boston in the AL East. The Red Sox have lost 13 of 14.

INDIANS 9, WHITE SOX 8

CLEVELAND -- Omar Vizquel homered off Keith Foulke (3-9) and Cleveland beat Chicago in the ninth inning for the second straight day.

Juan Gonzalez and Kenny Lofton also homered for the Indians. Jose Canseco, Magglio Ordonez and Mark Johnson connected for Chicago.

Cleveland remained seven games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central and increased its lead to nine games over the White Sox.

Bob Wickman (5-0) worked a scoreless ninth.

MARINERS 6, ORIOLES 0

SEATTLE -- Jamie Moyer (17-5) allowed two hits in seven innings to beat Baltimore for the 12th straight time.

Seattle (103-40) swept its 13th series of the season and remained on pace to match the Chicago Cubs' major league record of 116 wins set in 1906. The Mariners' magic number to clinch the AL West is three.

Bret Boone and Edgar Martinez each hit two-run homers off Josh Towers (8-10), and Dan Wilson added a solo shot in the seventh.

ATHLETICS 4, DEVIL RAYS 3 OAKLAND, CALIF. -- OLMEDO SAENZ HOMERED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 13TH INNING TO GIVE OAKLAND ITS SEVENTH STRAIGHT VICTORY.

Saenz, hitless in previous 14 at-bats, hit a 1-0 pitch from Jesus Colome (1-1) for his ninth homer of the season. Tampa Bay relievers combined to retire 18 in a row before Saenz's homer.

Luis Vizcaino (2-1) got two outs for the win as the A's remained 11 games ahead of Minnesota in the wild card race.

TWINS 3, ANGELS 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Eric Milton pitched seven strong innings and minor league callup Matt LeCroy hit his first home run of the season to lead Minnesota.

Milton (14-5) allowed four hits and struck out seven. After allowing a hit to Scott Spiezio in the second inning, Milton retired 11 of the next 12 batters. Bob Wells pitched two hitless innings for his second save.

Jarrod Washburn (11-8) pitched well but received no offensive support. In his last three starts -- two losses and a no-decision -- the Angels have scored two runs for Washburn.

RANGERS 4, ROYALS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rafael Palmeiro's second homer of the game, a one-out solo shot in the 12th inning, gave Texas the win.

Palmeiro hit a full-count pitch by Roberto Hernandez (4-6) into the Texas bullpen in right-center field. It was his 41st of the season, and 441st of his career.

Jeff Zimmerman (4-4) worked two perfect innings for the victory.

BLUE JAYS 6, TIGERS 3

DETROIT -- Homer Bush and Shannon Stewart drove in two runs apiece and Chris Carpenter (10-11) won his third straight decision for Toronto.

The game was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 8 minutes in the middle of the sixth inning. For the second day in a row, the Comerica Park grounds crew had trouble with the tarp, leaving part of the home-plate dirt unprotected by the main tarp.

After the rain began again in the ninth inning, the grounds crew took nearly 10 minutes to cover the infield, leaving it mostly under water. The game was called after an 18-minute delay.

--From wire reports