Piazza guides Mets past Brewers

MILWAUKEE -- Mike Piazza hit his 327th home run as a catcher, tying Johnny Bench for second-most at the position, and the New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 Tuesday night to stop a five-game losing streak.

Pedro Astacio (11-4) pitched a three-hitter for his third complete game in 22 starts this season and the 30th in his career. He struck out a season-high 10 and walked three.

Piazza's two-run homer in the first inning was his 23rd of the season. The only player to hit more career home runs as a catcher was Carlton Fisk (351).

Astros 2, Marlins 0

HOUSTON -- Dave Mlicki won for the first time in eight starts, and Lance Berkman drove in two runs for Houston.

Mlicki (4-7), placed on the disabled list May 26 with a strained muscle in his left rib cage, hadn't won since April 27 in Atlanta. He was making his third start since being activated July 25.

American League

Tigers 8, Rangers 2

DETROIT -- Steve Sparks struck out eight in his third complete game of the season, and Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer as Detroit won.

Shane Halter added a solo shot for the Tigers, who won for only the second time in 10 games and snapped a three-game losing streak.

Indians 4, Devil Rays 2

CLEVELAND -- Charles Nagy won at Jacobs Field for the first time in more than a year, and Jim Thome hit his 33rd home run.

Nagy (1-2), who has pitched the past two years without any cartilage in his right elbow, allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings for his first home win since July 21 of last season.

Orioles 9, Twins 2

BALTIMORE -- Luis Lopez's second career grand slam highlighted a six-run seventh inning that carried Baltimore past Minnesota.

After Marty Cordova gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead with a sixth-inning homer off emergency starter Johan Santana (6-3), Baltimore sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh to turn the game into a rout.

Royals 6, Yankees 2

NEW YORK -- Raul Ibanez went 4-for-5 with two RBIs to break his hitless stretch at 15 at-bats, and Kansas City pounded Mike Mussina for a career-worst 14 hits.

Kansas City leadoff hitter Chuck Knoblauch had two hits and sparked a three-run third inning in his first game back at Yankee Stadium since leaving New York.

Athletics 9, Red Sox 1

BOSTON -- Ramon Hernandez hit a three-run homer, and Olmedo Saenz added a two-run shot in support of Mark Mulder.

Miguel Tejada's hitting streak ended at 24 games, but the A's won for the fifth time in six tries to move within one game of the Red Sox in the AL wild-card race. Anaheim began the day a half-game ahead of Boston.

Blue Jays 14, Mariners 12

TORONTO -- Rookie Orlando Hudson homered and had a career-high four hits as Toronto built an 11-run lead, then hung on to beat Seattle.

Hudson went 4-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who had a 20 hits, their most since getting 20 at Minnesota on Aug. 13, 2000.

Angels 11, White Sox 2

CHICAGO -- Anaheim's Tim Salmon drove in five runs, four with a grand slam during a six-run fourth inning.

Anaheim closed within 1 1/2 games of AL West-leading Seattle.

-- From wire reports