TORONTO, 31 August 2005 — Nick Swisher and Mark Ellis belted home runs to key a five-run 12th inning as the Oakland Athletics downed Baltimore Orioles 10-5 at Camden Yards on Monday, stretching their winning run to six games.
Dan Johnson clubbed a three-run homer and Jay Payton added a two-run shot as the Athletics moved one game clear of the idle Los Angeles Angels at the top of the American League West standings.
The Athletics will meet the Angels in a three game showdown starting on Tuesday that could go a long way to deciding the division standings.
Oakland scored all their runs with the long ball, Payton giving the Athletics a 2-0 first inning lead with his two-run, two-out blast to deep left.
Baltimore scored three runs in the fifth to ease in front 3-2 but the Athletics answered with three of their own in the top of the sixth on Johnson’s two-out three run homer to regain control.
A sixth inning solo home run from Jay Gibbons and an RBI double by B.J Surhoff in the seventh pulled the Orioles level at 5-5, sending the game into extra-innings.
Swisher sparked Oakland’s 12th-inning rally with his 17th a homer of the season — a two-run shot — while Ellis followed with a three-run blast.
Kiko Calero (3-1) pitched two innings of relief to take credit for the win, while Jorge Julio (3-4) was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs — four earned — on four hits in just one inning of work.
The four-game sweep was the first for Oakland in Baltimore since the A’s moved from Kansas City in 1968.
In Boston, David Ortiz belted a pair of solo homers and Johnny Damon added a solo shot powering the Red Sox to a 10-6 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Earlier in the day, the Red Sox learned they would be without David Wells for six games after the veteran pitcher was suspended for six contests for making contact with two umpires during a game with the Toronto Blue Jays in July.
After learning his appeal had been rejected Wells, launched a stinging attack on MLB commissioner Bud Selig but the Red Sox refused to be distracted, brushing past the Devil Rays to stay 1 12 games in front of the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Matt Clement (12-3) tossed five sharp innings to pick up the win, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out three and walking a pair.
“It was a satisfying win to us,” Clement said.
“We just have to keep playing well.” The Red Sox starter got plenty of support as Boston pounded out 13 hits with John Olerud contributing three to total along with an RBI and a run scored.
Ortiz and Damon both homered in the first inning to push the Red Sox in front 2-0 before rain swept across Fenway Park during the second, delaying play for nearly two hours.
The delay did little to cool off the Red Sox, who returned to add a run in the bottom of the second and then put the contest out of reach with a four-run burst in the fifth.
Tampa starter Seth McClung (5-8) took the loss allowing a two runs on two hits — both homers — in just one inning of work.
In Seattle, Jason Giambi belted a pair of homers for the second consecutive game and drove in four runs as the New Yankees rallied to beat the Mariners 7-4, their fifth straight win.
Alex Rodriguez also homered for New York, connecting for his league leading 39th of the season in the eighth inning.
In Cleveland, Jhonny Peralta, Coco Crisp and Ben Broussard each drove in a pair of runs as the rampaging Indians rallied past the Detroit Tigers 10-8 for their fourth win in five games.
In Arlington, Mark DeRosa had a solo homer and drove in two runs and Mark Teixeira also had a pair of RBIs as the Texas Rangers eased past the Chicago White Sox 7-5.
In Kansas City, Nick Punto belted a 10th inning two-run double, sending the Minnesota Twins to a 3-1 win over Royals.
Carpenter Nails 19th Win as Cards Hammer Marlins
In Miami, David Eckstein drove in three runs and Chris Carpenter underlined his Cy Young credentials in the St Louis Cardinals’s 6-1 victory over the Florida Marlins on Monday.
In another dazzling display on the mound, Carpenter (19-4) allowed just one run while scattering seven hits over 7 2/3 innings of work to collect his 11th straight decision and become the major league’s first 19-game winner this season.
Carpenter will try to become the first 20-winner on Saturday when he is scheduled to pitch against the Houston Astros.
The defeat was a bad one for the Marlins, who dropped their second consecutive game to fall a game back of the idle Philadelphia Phillies in the National League wild card race.
Eckstein had a big night at the plate for the Cardinals going four-for-five while Larry Walker contributed a solo home run, his 12th of the season, to lead off the third inning.
Leading 2-0, the Cardinals took command with a three-run burst in the fourth, keyed by Eckstein’s two-run triple to right.
Jeff Conine’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning scored Carlos Delgado for Florida’s only run, but the Cardinals got that back in the fifth on Yadier Molina’s RBI single to left.
Marlins starter A.J. Burnett (12-8) was tagged with the loss rocked for six runs — five earned — in five innings of work.
In Chicago, Jeff Kent drove in four runs and Jayson Werth homered as the Los Angeles Dodgers registered their third straight win, taming the Cubs 9-6.
In San Francisco, Matt Holliday homered and Byung-Hyun Kim allowed one run in seven solid innings as the Colorado Rockies slipped past the Giants 2-1.
In San Diego, Kelly Stinnett hit an inside-the-park home run and Troy Glaus, Chad Tracy and Shawn Green also homered as the Arizona Diamondbacks powered past the Padres 7-5 for their third straight win.
Two games were postponed on Monday night due to heavy rain.
The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals in Atlanta was rescheduled as part of doubleheader on Wednesday, while a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park will be played as part of doubleheader on Sept. 16.
