Chicago ? Oliver Perez figured out something at Triple-A.

Perez pitched 62/3 scoreless innings and Rod Beck closed for his first save since 2001, helping the San Diego Padres defeat the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, Sunday.

For the fourth straight series, the Padres faced being swept. And for the fourth straight series, they salvaged the last game, with Mark Loretta’s single driving in the only run.

Perez (2-3), making his first appearance since being promoted back to the majors, allowed five hits in his longest outing of the season. He struck out six and walked two.

Perez made eight starts for Triple-A Portland before returning to the Padres. Perez was sent down after struggling with an 8.23 ERA in first six starts of the season.

“I worked on my mechanics and worked out some kinks in Portland,” said Perez. “When I got in some tight spots, the defense made some good catches.”

After Luther Hackman got four outs, Beck took over to start the ninth. He worked around a leadoff walk for his first save since Sept. 20, 2001, when he pitched for Boston and faced Tampa Bay.

Beck was able to get Aaron Rowand to pop out on a bunt attempt for the first out and got Armando Rios to ground into a double-play.

“Beck got it down, kept his composure after the leadoff walk and lucked out with the bunt,” Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. “You have to be excited for him. It’s been a long road back.”

San Diego center fielder Mark Kotsay makes a leaping catch. The Padres beat the White Sox, 1-0, Sunday in Chicago.

Jon Garland (4-6) took the hard-luck loss, allowing three hits in eight innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Garland didn’t allow a hit after the third inning.

The Padres scored in the third when Loretta drove in Gary Matthews Jr.

The White Sox finished with seven hits and stranded nine runners, five in scoring position.

“We had some opportunities. We just really executed poorly today, offensively,” said White Sox manager Jerry Manuel.

Yankees 5, Cardinals 2

New York — Mike Mussina pitched eight sharp innings and Robin Ventura hit a two-run double that sent the New York Yankees over the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game sweep in their first meeting since the 1964 World Series.

Albert Pujols homered for the Cardinals.

Mussina (9-4) retired his final 13 batters and allowed four hits, winning his second start in a row after losing four consecutive decisions. He walked one and struck out five, giving him 99 this season and passing Roger Clemens for the AL lead.

Woody Williams (8-2) entered second in the NL with a 2.33 ERA but struggled against the streaking Yankees. He walked six, matching his career high. The right-hander had issued only 16 free passes all season coming in.

Dodgers 4, Indians 3

Cleveland — Hideo Nomo pitched two-hit ball for seven innings and Shawn Green drove in three runs as Los Angeles beat Cleveland.

Nomo (7-6) allowed one run, struck out eight and walked one. He won for the first time in four outings since May 24.

Eric Gagne pitched the ninth for his 26th save and 34th straight dating to last season.

Blue Jays 5, Cubs 4,

10 innings

Toronto — Rookie Reed Johnson led off the bottom of the first and 10th innings with home runs, lifting Toronto over the Chicago Cubs.

Johnson, playing in place of the injured Shannon Stewart, homered off Mark Guthrie (0-3). He went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the Cubs. Johnson added a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.

Aquilino Lopez (1-1) pitched 22/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Orioles 5, Brewers 4

Baltimore — Rodrigo Lopez returned from the disabled list to earn his first victory of the season, and Tony Batista and Deivi Cruz homered as Baltimore beat Milwaukee.

Pitching for the first time since May 1, Lopez (1-3) allowed two earned runs and six hits over 62/3 innings. He struck out two and walked none.

Geoff Jenkins drove in two runs and Brooks Kieschnick homered for the Brewers, who dropped two of three to the Orioles in the first meeting between the teams since 1997.

Batista and Cruz hit two-run homers off Ben Sheets (6-6) in the fourth inning.

Rockies 5, Tigers 4

Detroit — Mark Sweeney’s three-run double capped a five-run fifth inning and Colorado beat Detroit to win their first road series of the season.

Jason Jennings (6-5) won his third straight start, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in six innings.

Gary Knotts (2-5) gave up five runs on nine hits and two walks in 42/3 innings. He is 0-2 in his last four starts.

Pirates 9, Devil Rays 5

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Jason Kendall hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning and Jack Wilson hit two more doubles as Pittsburgh rallied from four runs down to beat Tampa Bay.

Wilson had three hits and three RBIs and has five doubles in the past two games. Matt Stairs added a season-high three hits, with two doubles.

Pittsburgh won back-to-back games for the first time since May 30-31 against St. Louis. The Pirates also won for just the second time in 29 games when trailing after six innings.

Scott Sauerbeck (1-4) pitched 22/3 innings for the win.

Diamondbacks 12, Twins 8

Minneapolis — Tony Womack had four hits, including a bunt single during a four-run eighth inning that sent Arizona over Minnesota.

Nine different players scored runs for the banged-up Diamondbacks, who wasted leads of 1-0, 5-1 and 7-5 but used excellent bunting and clutch hitting to make sure they didn’t blow another one. Seven of Arizona’s runs were scored with two outs.

After executing two sacrifices earlier, Arizona had two more bunts in the eighth against LaTroy Hawkins (4-2) in scoring four unearned runs.

Athletics 9, Expos 1

Oakland, Calif. — Eric Byrnes hit a three-run homer and Tim Hudson won for the first time since May 20 as Oakland completed a three-game sweep of Montreal.

Byrnes, who had a 22-game hitting streak earlier in the season, extended his current string to 10 games with a third-inning single, then homered four innings later. He hit a 3-2 pitch to left for his third homer in as many days and eighth of the year. Byrnes had six career homers coming into the season.

Hudson (5-2) gave up six hits and one run, struck out five and walked one in his first career appearance against Montreal.

Javier Vazquez, who had won three of his last four decisions, was tagged for five runs and five hits in 61/3 innings.

Mets 8, Angels 0

Anaheim, Calif. — Steve Trachsel pitched his second career one-hitter and rookie Jose Reyes hit a grand slam as the Mets beat Anaheim.

Trachsel (5-4) earned his sixth shutout and 17th complete game in 278 career starts. The right-hander ended a personal two-game slide just 10 days after the Milwaukee Brewers hit four home runs against him at Shea Stadium.

Jarrod Washburn (6-7) lost his fourth straight at home, allowing seven runs and six hits over 51/3 innings in his shortest outing of the season.

Red Sox 3, Astros 2,

14 innings

Boston — Nomar Garciaparra hit three doubles and a triple, then put down his first sacrifice bunt since 1997 to set up Manny Ramirez’s winning single in the 14th inning as Boston beat Houston for a three-game sweep.

Todd Walker opened the 14th with a single off Nathan Bland (1-2). Pete Munro relieved and Garciaparra bunted. Ramirez, who had grounded out with the bases loaded to end the 11th, followed with a single.

Jason Shiell (2-0) allowed one hit and struck out two in the 14th.

Mariners 2, Braves 1

Seattle — Gil Meche, back in the majors after two shoulder operations, outdueled four-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux as Seattle took two of three in a matchup of the teams with the best records in each league.

Meche (9-3) pitched 71/3 innings. He allowed four hits and one run with six strikeouts and two walks, leaving to a standing ovation after giving up a one-out single to pinch-hitter Matt Franco in the eighth.

Maddux (5-6) had 11 strikeouts, including the 2,700th of his career.

Marlins 10, Rangers 4

Arlington, Texas — Mike Lowell hit two homers and had four RBIs, and Florida scored five runs in the fourth inning against Texas. Marlins starter Mark Redman (5-2) gave up two runs and eight hits over seven innings to remain unbeaten in three road decisions.