NEW YORK, 7 September 2004 — Curt Schilling won his major league leading 18th game and David Ortiz hit his 35th home run as the Boston Red Sox edged the Texas Rangers 6-5 in American League at Fenway Park on Sunday.
The Red Sox survived a four-run Texas rally in the ninth inning to win for the 17th time in the last 19 games, a day after seeing their 10-game winning streak snapped by the Rangers.
Boston still trails the New York Yankees by 2 1/2 games in the AL East after the Yankees rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 at Yankee Stadium.
Schilling (18-6) allowed three runs on five hits over 8 1?3 innings, striking out 10 and walking none, to win his fifth straight start. He is 10-1 at Fenway this season. Keith Foulke came on in the ninth and allowed two runs but finally retired the Rangers by getting the last two outs.
Ryan Drese (11-8) was the loser, allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings for Texas. Gabe Kapler drove in a pair of runs for the Red Sox.
Michael Young hit two home runs for Texas, including one in the ninth that chased Schilling, and drove in three runs.
In other games, Jorge Posada drew a bases-loaded walk off Jorge Julio in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Derek Jeter scored three runs for the Yankees. Mariano Rivera (4-1) recovered from a bad performance a day earlier to pitch out of a two on, none out jam in the ninth to record the win.
Rafael Palmeiro hit a three-run homer for the Orioles in the first. Julio (2-3) took the loss, snapping a six-game Baltimore win streak.
In Toronto, rookie Gabe Gross hit his first career grand slam home run as the Toronto Blue Jays mauled the Oakland Athletics 13-5.
Russ Adams hit his first career homer and Carlos Delgado also went deep for the Blue Jays, who avoided a three-game sweep. Ryan Glynn (1-0) allowed two runs on four hits over five innings for his first win since 2001.
Bobby Crosby and Nick Swisher both homered for the A’s. Canadian Rich Harden (9-6) allowed seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings and took the loss.
Jimmy Gobble pitched a complete-game six-hitter to guide the Kansas City Royals to a 12-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Gobble (7-8) allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Joe Randa homered and had four hits and David DeJesus also homered for the Royals, who won at the Metrodome for the first time in games this season.
Kyle Lohse (7-11) gave up six runs — three earned — on seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings to take the loss.
In Chicago, Joe Borchard and Paul Konerko both hit two-run homers as the White Sox eased past the Seattle Mariners 6-2. Felix Diaz (2-4) allowed one run on five hits in six innings for the win.
Carlos Lee had two hits and scored two runs for Chicago.
Ichiro Suzuki had one hit, giving him 224 on the season, and Jolbert Cabrera homered for the Mariners. Jamie Moyer (6-10) allowed five runs in seven innings to take the loss.
In Cleveland, John Lackey allowed just two hits over 7 1/3 innings as the Anaheim Angels edged the Indians 2-1.
Lackey (12-11) allowed one run while striking out five and walking three before Francisco Rodriguez got five outs for his 11th save. Troy Glaus homered for Anaheim.
Jake Westbrook (12-7) allowed two runs on six hits over eight innings to take the loss, striking out three and walking one.
