Blue Jays Hold Off Mariners in Slugfest

The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t expect to eke out a victory after scoring 14 runs.

Rookie Orlando Hudson homered and had a career-high four hits, and the Blue Jays built an 11-run lead, then hung on to beat the Seattle Mariners, 14-12, Tuesday night at Toronto.

“It was a nice cushion. Maybe we got a little lackadaisical,” Toronto starter Roy Halladay said. “Fortunately, we had enough runs to win.”

Hudson went four for four with a walk and two runs batted in, and the Blue Jays had a season-high 20 hits.

Shannon Stewart and Eric Hinske each went four for five, and Stewart and Hinske hit consecutive triples in a six-run sixth. Rookie Josh Phelps homered and had three RBIs for the Blue Jays, who have won three in a row and six of eight.

“The lead was just too big,” Mariner Manager Lou Piniella said.

With the score 13-2 in the eighth, the Mariners got six runs on Jeff Cirillo’s run-scoring single, Mark McLemore’s two-run double and John Olerud’s three-run homer.

Seattle scored four runs with two out in the ninth on Charles Gipson’s two-run single and Olerud’s run-scoring single against Cliff Politte, and Edgar Martinez’s run-scoring infield single against Kelvim Escobar. With two on, Escobar struck out pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra for his 22nd save in 28 chances.

“When momentum shifts like that it’s tough to stop,” Hinske said. “They got a couple of runs, than a couple of more and all of a sudden it’s 14-11.”

Oakland 9, Boston 1--Ramon Hernandez hit a three-run homer, and Olmedo Saenz hit a two-run shot at Boston.

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 American League wild-card race.

Baltimore 9, Minnesota 2--Luis Lopez’s second career grand slam highlighted a six-run seventh inning at Baltimore.

The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning. It was Lopez’s first homer this season.

Minnesota’s David Ortiz had two hits, including a two-run homer, to extend his career-high hitting streak to 19 games.

Kansas City 6, New York 2--Raul Ibanez had four hits and two runs batted in at New York to end his hitless stretch at 15 at-bats, and the Royals pounded Mike Mussina for a career-worst 14 hits.

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

Mussina (13-6) left after giving up five runs in seven innings.

Detroit 8, Texas 2--Steve Sparks struck out eight in his third complete game this season, and Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer at Detroit.

Shane Halter hit a solo homer for the Tigers, who won for only the second time in 10 games and ended a three-game losing streak.

Sparks (6-11) gave up seven hits and walked one in his 16th career complete game. It was the second victory in three starts for the knuckleballer.

Cleveland 4, Tampa Bay 2--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 last two years without any cartilage in his right elbow, gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings for his first home victory since July 21, 2001. After giving up two runs in the first inning, Nagy used his sinker and curve to retire 18 of 21.