MINNEAPOLIS, 23 August 2003 — Shannon Stewart hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and added an RBI single in the seventh to rally the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals in American League play on Thursday.
The loss was a costly one for the Royals, who were knocked into third place in the AL Central as a result. The Chicago White Sox now leads the division by half a game over the Twins with the Royals a full game behind the Sox in third.
Kansas City has lost four in a row and seven of its past nine games while the Twins have three straight wins and the teams meet another three times in this series over the weekend. Kenny Rogers (11-6) allowed three runs and nine hits in seven innings to pick up the win and Eddie Guardado worked a perfect ninth inning for his 29th save.
Reliever Al Levine (3-6) gave up the winning run in the sixth inning after starter Paul Abbott allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings after taking a no-hitter into the sixth.
Brent Mayne hit a solo homer in the third inning for the Royals.
White Sox 7 Rangers 3
In Chicago, Joe Crede had three hits, including a home run in the sixth inning and a two-run triple in the seventh, to give the White Sox a 7-3 win over the Texas Rangers. Frank Thomas added a solo homer in the third inning. Bartolo Colon (11-11) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings and Tom Gordon struck out the final two batters for his eighth save.
Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning. It was the fifth straight game that Rodriguez has homered. Colby Lewis (6-8) gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Angels 10 Tigers 7
In Detroit, Bengie Molina belted a two-run double in the ninth inning that gave the Anaheim Angels a 10-7 win over the Tigers. Jeff DaVanon homered in the third inning and Garret Anderson added a pair of hits, including a run-scoring double in the fifth inning. Aaron Sele (7-9) allowed five runs and six hits in six innings for his first win in eight starts.
Red Sox 14 Athletics 5
In Boston, David Ortiz blasted a three-run homer in the first inning to pace the Red Sox to a 14-5 win over the Oakland A’s. Ortiz scored three times and Manny Ramirez added three hits, including a third inning homer in the win. Casey Fossum (6-5) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings and Rich Harden (3-3) dropped his third straight start after giving up eight runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Blue Jays 7 Mariners 3
In Toronto, Bobby Kielty had three hits, including a seventh inning double that brought in the deciding run that gave the Blue Jays a 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. Mark Hendrickson (8-9) won for the second time in three starts after allowing a pair of runs and four hits in seven innings.
Orioles 5 Devil Rays 4
In Baltimore, Tony Batista crushed a solo home run in the 10th inning to give the Orioles a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. B.J. Ryan (4-1) tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win after starter Jason Johnson allowed four runs in seven innings.
Astros Tame Cubs to Retain NL Central Lead
In Houston, Craig Biggio hit a two-run homer as the Houston Astros pounded out 16 hits to defeat the Chicago Cubs 9-3 and keep the Central Division lead in National League play on Thursday.
Cardinals 6 Pirates 3
In St. Louis, Jim Edmonds crushed a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Cardinals a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Edmonds also homered in the fifth inning and Miguel Cairo added a solo drive in the seventh.
Rockies 5 Marlins 4
In Denver, Todd Helton homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Rockies to a 5-4 win over the Florida Marlins. Preston Wilson and Chris Stynes also homered for Colorado and Justin Speier (3-1) gave up one run and a pair of hits in one inning of relief.
Brewers 5 Phillies 2
In Milwaukee, Keith Ginter blasted a game-winning home run in the sixth inning to give the Brewers a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Jason Conti added a two-run home run in the eighth inning and Geoff Jenkins clubbed a pair of hits, including an RBI triple in the first.
Dodgers 2 Expos 1
In Los Angeles, Cesar Izturis belted a pair of doubles and drove in the winning run in the eighth inning to lift the Dodgers to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Expos.
Odalis Perez (10-9) struck out six batters and held the Expos to one run and nine hits in eight innings and Eric Gagne struck out a pair of batters in a scoreless ninth inning for his 42nd save.
Mets 5 Padres 1
In San Diego, Ty Wigginton smacked a three-run home run in the first inning to pace the New York Mets to a 5-1 win over the Padres. Roger Cedeno added a two-run blast in the second inning. Jae Seo (7-8) allowed one run and six hits through six innings for his second straight win.
Giants 4 Braves 3
In San Francisco, Barry Bonds hit his second 10th inning walk-off home run in three nights as the Giants completed a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with a 4-3 victory. Bonds belted his 39th homer of the season and 652nd of his career to give the Giants their third straight last at-bat win over the Braves.
Diamondbacks 9 Reds 3
In Phoenix, Junior Spivey hit a three-run homer to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Cincinnati Reds 9-3. Shea Hillenbrand added a two-run homer for the D-Backs. Elmer Dessens (7-7) went 5 2/3 innings for the win, allowing three runs on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
