Rangers Beat Mariners in 18 Innings

If Texas goes on to make the playoffs, the Rangers might look back at their 18-inning, 9-7 victory over Seattle as a key point in their season. <br/><br/>Alfonso Soriano finished off the longest major

Monday, June 21st 2004, 6:12 am

By: News On 6

If Texas goes on to make the playoffs, the Rangers might look back at their 18-inning, 9-7 victory over Seattle as a key point in their season.

Alfonso Soriano finished off the longest major league game in more than a year on the 552nd pitch Thursday, hitting a two-run homer to end the contest that took 5 hours, 47 minutes _ 43 minutes longer than the first two games of the series combined.

``It was important to win this game. It's an amazing win,'' said Soriano, who connected off Jamie Moyer (6-3).

Texas, which has won a season-high six straight, overcame a 5-1 deficit and tied it at 7 on Mark Teixeira's RBI single in the ninth. The Rangers, who last made the playoffs in 1999, lead the AL West by one game over Oakland and 2 1/2 games over Anaheim.

In other American League games, it was Tampa Bay 19, Toronto 13; Detroit 12, Kansas City 3; Oakland 2, Anaheim 1; New York 5, Baltimore 2; Minnesota 4, Boston 3 in 10 innings; and Chicago 7, Cleveland 1.

At Texas, the teams played the longest major league game since St. Louis beat Florida 7-6 in 20 innings on April 27 last year. It also matched the longest game in Rangers history.

``Wins like that are a huge boost to the morale,'' said Brian Shouse (1-0), who got two outs for his first victory in 112 career games.

Devil Rays 19, Blue Jays 13

At Toronto, a day after their club-record 12-game winning streak ended, Tampa Bay set team records for runs and hits (24) and won for the 16th time in 19 games.

Jose Cruz. Jr., Carl Crawford and Geoff Blum homered for the Devil Rays, who had never topped 15 runs. Julio Lugo went 5-for-7 to set a team record for hits, and Tampa Bay tied its record with 11 walks.

John Halama (4-1) won despite allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings. Toronto's Ted Lilly (6-4) gave up six runs and nine hits in three-plus innings.

Tigers 12, Royals 3

At Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City lost its final game with Carlos Beltran, traded to Houston later in the day as part of a three-way deal that sent three prospects to the Royals and reliever Octavio Dotel from the Astros to Oakland.

Ivan Rodriguez, hitting a league-leading .373, had three doubles, a single and four RBIs to help Detroit stop a five-game losing streak.

Nate Robertson (6-3) combined with two relievers on a four-hitter, winning his fourth straight decision.

Beltran and Mike Sweeney hit solo homers. Chris George (1-1) allowed nine runs and 10 hits in three-plus innings.

Athletics 2, Angels 1

At Anaheim, Calif., Mark Mulder (9-2) pitched a four-hitter for his major league-high fourth complete game and matched his career best by winning his seventh straight decision.

Jermaine Dye hit a two-run homer for visiting Oakland.

The home run was Dye's 14th this season and only the second allowed by reliever Scot Shields (5-1) in 46 2-3 innings.

Yankees 5, Orioles 2

At Baltimore, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter homered to back Javier Vazquez (8-5), who allowed two runs in the first inning, then blanked the Orioles over the next six.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning to tie the game, and Jeter gave the Yankees the lead for good with a two-run drive off in the fifth off Sidney Ponson (3-10), who lost his seventh straight decision.

Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 28th save in 29 chances. New York opened a 5 1/2-game lead in the AL East over the second-place Boston, matching its season high.

Twins 4, Red Sox 3

At Boston, Lew Ford hit a sacrifice fly following a two-base error by Nomar Garciaparra in the 10th.

Leading off the inning, Garciaparra fielded Cristian Guzman's grounder up the middle and fired the ball into the Boston dugout.

Guzman took third on Jose Offerman's sacrifice, then scored on Ford's fly to left fielder Manny Ramirez.

Grant Balfour (2-0) won, and Joe Nathan got his 21st save in 22 chances. Keith Foulke (2-1) took the loss, Boston's fourth in five games.

White Sox 7, Indians 1

At Chicago, Jose Valentin hit a three-run homer in the first, and the White Sox tacked on four runs in the eighth.

Chicago's fifth starters had been 0-8 this season before Jon Rauch (1-1) limited the Indians to one run and six hits in five innings. Jake Westbrook (6-4) pitched six innings, allowing just four hits and no earned runs with two walks.