AL | Sheffield, Tigers complete a sweep of Orioles

DETROIT - Gary Sheffield went 4 for 4 with a home run and an RBI single, and Craig Monroe hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles yesterday.

The Tigers earned their first sweep of the year and have won a season-high four straight. Baltimore has lost four in a row and nine of 10.

Nate Robertson (3-1) gave up two runs and seven hits over 62/3 innings. His 2.48 ERA ranks among the AL leaders.

Jason Grilli replaced Robertson and struck out Jay Payton with a runner on second. Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless eighth and Todd Jones worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 12 opportunities.

Steve Trachsel (1-3) gave up three runs and eight hits over seven innings, losing for the third time in four starts.

Red Sox 6, Athletics 4

BOSTON - Josh Beckett had enough left to escape a seventh-inning jam and become the first Boston pitcher to win his first six starts since Roger Clemens in 1991.

The tiring righthander struck out Mark Ellis with runners at first and second and two outs, and Boston went on to beat Oakland.

In seven innings, Beckett allowed three runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. It was only the second time this season he had allowed more than two runs.

Hideki Okajima, the AL rookie of the month for April, pitched the eighth, his 14th consecutive scoreless inning in 14 games. Mike Timlin pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.

Indians 7, Blue Jays 6

CLEVELAND - Travis Hafner dribbled an RBI double down the third-base line, out of the reach of Toronto's overshifted infield, and Cleveland beat the Blue Jays in 11 innings for its ninth victory in 10 games.

It wasn't a typical RBI for Hafner, but the Indians will take it on a day when they lost a protest as well as starting pitcher Jake Westbrook. The right-hander was forced out in the second inning with tightness in his abdominal muscle and could be headed to the disabled list.

Devil Rays 4, Twins 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro drove in the winning run with a grounder in the 10th inning, and Tampa Bay Devil rallied past Minnesota.

The Devil Rays tied it with two runs in the ninth off Twins closer Joe Nathan. Elijah Dukes pulled Tampa Bay to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single before Ty Wigginton's run-scoring single tied it.

Mariners 3, White Sox 2

SEATTLE - Yuniesky Betancourt hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and Miguel Batista pitched surging Seattle to a victory over Chicago.

Jose Guillen also homered and Raul Ibanez had an RBI double for the Mariners, who won for the seventh time in eight games and sent Chicago to its fourth consecutive loss.

Betancourt hit a 1-0 fastball into Seattle's bullpen beyond left field off rookie John Danks, who looked to Safeco Field's closed roof in exasperation. Danks (0-4) allowed six hits and two walks in 62/3 innings.

Royals 3, Angels 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Light-hitting Esteban German hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to lead Kansas City over Los Angeles.

German had only three major-league home runs in 441 at-bats before coming up with one out and runners on first and second in the seventh.

ARLINGTON, Texas - The scheduled game between the New York Yankees and the Rangers was postponed by rain.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader today beginning at 3:35 p.m.