OAKLAND, California: Coco Crisp homered, hit an RBI double and scored three runs, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 on Wednesday for their second straight winning series. Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning that held up for Tommy Milone, and Crisp also singled and stole his 28th base to give the A’s a much-needed boost only a couple of hours after right-hander Bartolo Colon received a 50-game suspension for a positive testosterone test a day before he had been scheduled to start the opener of a series at Tampa Bay. Milone (10-9) allowed one run and two hits, struck out five and walked one in eight impressive innings to end a five-start winless stretch. Minnesota starter Liam Hendriks (0-6) is still searching for his first major league win after 13 career starts, and nine this season.
Mariners 3 Indians 1: In Seattle, Eric Thames hit a tiebreaking, two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Mariners beat Cleveland for their eighth straight win.
Seattle completed a three-game sweep and is on its longest winning streak since taking eight in a row from June 23 to July 1, 2007. The Mariners have won 15 of their last 16 home games.
Cleveland has lost eight in a row.
Vinnie Pestano (3-1) was the loser.
Stephen Pryor (3-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning of hitless relief, and Tom Wilhelmsen threw a hitless ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances. Rays 5 Royals 3: In St. Petersburg, Florida, James Shields took a three-hitter into the eighth inning, leading Tampa Bay over the Royals for the Rays’ 16th win in 21 games. Shields (12-7) retired 12 in a row after Alcides Escobar’s two-out single in the third and allowed three runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one, improving to 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his last five starts. Escobar ended Shields’ day with a two-out RBI triple in the eighth. Luis Mendoza (7-9) gave up two runs, five hits and four walks in 4 1-3 innings. He also hit a batter and balked.
