Twins shut White Sox out 6-0

<br>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Eric Milton pitched his fourth career shutout and Michael Cuddyer hit his first career grand slam as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-0 Thursday. <br><br>Milton (13-7),

Friday, August 2nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Eric Milton pitched his fourth career shutout and Michael Cuddyer hit his first career grand slam as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-0 Thursday.

Milton (13-7), who gave up six runs off 11 hits in his last outing against the White Sox, held Chicago to three hits, striking out 11 and walking none in Minnesota's first complete game shutout of the season.

White Sox starter Dan Wright (7-9) found himself in trouble in the third, giving up an RBI single to Corey Koskie before Cuddyer's slam put the Twins ahead 5-0.

Orioles 4, Devil Rays 3

In St. Petersburg, Florida, Chris Richard hit another homer and Sidney Ponson won for the second time in 12 starts as Baltimore beat Tampa Bay.

Richard hit his second homer in as many major league games this season _ a two-run shot in the fifth. He went deep on the first pitch he saw Wednesday night after he was activated from the 60-day disabled list following offseason left shoulder surgery.

Ponson (5-5) allowed two runs over 6 2-3 innings, giving up four hits. The right-hander is 2-2 in his last 12 starts.

Rookie Jorge Sosa (1-4) allowed four runs and four hits _ including two homers _ over 5 2-3 innings. He struck out one and walked five. Jorge Julio had a streak of 23 1-3 scoreless snapped, but earned his 29th save.

Blue Jays 3, Royals 2

IN Kansas City Missouri, Roy Halladay won his eighth consecutive road decision and Jose Cruz Jr. singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lead Toronto past Kansas City.

Halladay (13-4) allowed both runs _ one unearned _ and five hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking two. All of the hits he conceded were singles.

Cliff Politte and Kelvim Escobar finished with hitless relief, with Escobar getting three outs for his 20th save in 25 chances.

Rangers 19, Red Sox 7

In Arlington, Texas, Carl Everett hit a grand slam and a three-run homer against the team that traded him last December as Texas routed Boston.

Rafael Palmeiro hit his 467th career home run in the eighth inning to pass Willie Stargell and Stan Musial for 20th place on the career list.

Todd Hollandsworth added a three-run homer for his first American League home run, and drove in four runs in his first game for Texas since being acquired from Colorado in a deadline deal Wednesday.

The Rangers set a season-high for runs and homers (six) a day after they had a season-best 21 hits in a 17-6 pounding of the New York Yankees. Texas scored six runs in the first and second innings, and had a four-run third, and a total of 20 hits in its first meeting with Boston this season.

South Korean Chan Ho Park (4-5) picked up his first victory since June 23. John Burkett (10-4) gave up eight runs in 1 1-3 innings.

Mariners 10, Indians 6

In Seattle, Ben Davis' three-run homer capped a six-run sixth inning as first-place Seattle overcame a five-run deficit to beat Cleveland.

The Mariners came from behind to win their fourth straight game.

Seattle's Carlos Guillen singled, while Bret Boone hit his 16th homer and second in two games. Edgar Martinez doubled and scored on Ruben Sierra's single.

Sean DePaula (1-1) came in and walked Mike Cameron before Davis homered 135 meters (405 feet) to center field to give him a career-tying four RBIs and put the Mariners ahead 7-6. It was only his second homer of the season.

Jeff Nelson (2-2) got the victory with 1 1-3 innings of scoreless relief of Joel Pineiro.

Angels 2, Yankees 1

In Anaheim, California, Jarrod Washburn won for the 13th time in 14 decisions as Anaheim regained the lead in the AL wild card race with win over New York.

Brad Fullmer homered for the first time in more than a month, helping the Angels take a one-game lead over Boston. The Yankees remained four games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East.

Washburn (13-3) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked three.

Troy Percival pitched a perfect ninth for his 25th save in 27 attempts.

Jeff Weaver (7-10) allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings in his fifth start since joining the Yankees on July 5 from Detroit. He walked three and struck out two, including Tim Salmon to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Athletics 5, Tigers 3

In Oakland, California, Eric Chavez homered twice as Oakland beat Detroit.

Miguel Tejada also homered to extend his hitting streak to 21 games _ best in the AL this season. Ray Durham also homered and Chavez drove in three runs as the A's won for just the third time in nine games.

Tejada tied Montreal's Jose Vidro for the second-longest hitting streak in the major leagues this year behind Luis Castillo's 35-game run for the Florida Marlins.

Micah Bowie (1-0) got the final two outs in the fifth inning for his first AL victory and his first big league win since Sept. 23, 1999 with the Chicago Cubs.

Billy Koch got the final four outs for his 27th save in 32 opportunities.

Steve Sparks (5-11) allowed four runs _ three earned _ on six hits over six innings. He is 2-6 over his last 11 starts.