Rodriguez Gets Aggressive and Rangers Win

For Ivan Rodriguez, patience is not a virtue.

Rodriguez drove in three runs and Darren Oliver avenged two early-season losses to Toronto as the Texas Rangers ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Blue Jays, 9-6, Wednesday night at Toronto.

Rodriguez went two for four with a double, triple and a walk. After Chris Carpenter (6-5) loaded the bases with three walks in the third inning, Rodriguez cleared the bases to put the Rangers ahead for good, 4-3.

“I’m an aggressive hitter,” Rodriguez said. “I got a good pitch to hit and I hit away.”

Oliver (6-7) gave up two earned runs and six hits. He walked four and had two strikeouts.

“I went out there and gave them some innings and I kept us in the game and the offense was able to come through,” Oliver said.

John Wetteland pitched the ninth for his 28th save.

After Rodriguez gave Texas a 4-3 lead, the Rangers added four runs in the fourth. Luis Alicea hit an RBI ground-rule double, Rusty Greer followed with a two-run double over the head of center fielder Shannon Stewart and Roberto Kelly singled to drive in Stewart.

Baltimore 14, Detroit 2--Chris Hoiles hit a pair of two-run homers and drove in six runs for the Orioles, who are 16-3 since the All-Star break.

Hoiles homered in the fifth and sixth innings and just missed a grand slam in the seventh when he hit a bases-loaded, ground-rule double. It was the third time he has had six RBIs in a game.

Mike Mussina (9-5) got his third consecutive win, yielding a run and six hits in six innings. Doug Johns pitched the last three innings for his first save. Mussina is 13-2 against Detroit, including a 6-1 record at Tiger Stadium.

Minnesota 5, Kansas City 3--Eric Milton took a no-hitter into the sixth inning at Kansas City as the Twins picked up their fifth consecutive victory.

Milton (6-7) had a no-hitter until Terry Pendleton singled with one out in the sixth. Mike Sweeney then hit a three-run homer to chase Milton, who had walked Dean Palmer to lead off the inning.

Run-scoring singles by Matt Lawton and Ron Coomer gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Twins made it 5-0 in the fifth on RBI singles by Paul Molitor and David Ortiz and Coomer’s double-play grounder.

Milton struck out three and walked five. Rick Aguilera pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save.

Tampa Bay 7, Chicago 2--Bubba Trammell had three hits, including a solo homer, and Randy Winn hit his first major league homer as the Devil Rays won for the sixth time in seven games.

Tony Saunders (3-9) won his second consecutive start, giving up two runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He also issued six walks.

Jim Parque (2-4) took the loss, giving up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Albert Belle, who has 15 homers in July and 32 this season, was hitless in four at-bats.

Cleveland 8, Seattle 7--Jim Thome broke a 7-7 tie in the top of the eighth inning with a two-out homer to right field, his 29th of the season, to give the Indians their sixth victory in seven games against the Mariners.