Garcia, ChiSox ‘finally’ solve A’s

Chicago wins at Oakland for second time in last 17 games, 5-2

? Freddy Garcia and the Chicago White Sox got rare wins in Oakland on Saturday.

Garcia won for the third time in four starts since his trade to the White Sox, leading Chicago over the Athletics, 5-2, Saturday.

Paul Konerko, Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand homered for the White Sox, who won for only the second time in their last 17 games at Oakland. Garcia had not won at Oakland since June 3, 2002.

“We finally won a game here,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “We’ll do anything we can to score runs, especially against a pitching staff like Oakland’s. A one-run lead is not easy against them.”

Garcia (7-8) is 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA since Seattle dealt him to the White Sox on June 27, and he improved to 5-0 in six day games this season. He allowed two runs — one earned — and two hits in 62/3 innings, struck out six and walked two.

“He’s been great in his four starts here,” said Chicago catcher Ben Davis, who also came over in the trade. “He’s doing the job they’ve asked of him. He wants the big games. He likes that pressure.”

Damaso Marte pitched 11/3 innings, and Shingo Takatsu finished the four-hitter to remain perfect in six save chances.

“He makes my job easier,” Guillen said. “We have a lot of confidence in him to throw strikes.”

The game ended when Takatsu snared Adam Melhuse’s liner at chest level.

“That was the only place I could reach it,” Takatsu said through an interpreter. “I was fortunate he hit it where it was and I responded quickly. It looked like the size of a bowling ball.”

Mark Redman (6-7) lost his fourth straight start, his longest losing streak since an eight-game skid from May 15, 2001, and May 15, 2002. He allowed five runs and six hits in seven innings.

Chicago closer Shingo Takatsu makes the final out on a come-backer hit by Oakland's Adam Melhuse to end the ninth inning. Takatsu got the save, and the White Sox won, 5-2, Saturday in Oakland, Calif.

Orioles 3, Devil Rays 2

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Miguel Tejada had three hits and an RBI, leading Rodrigo Lopez and Baltimore past Tampa Bay. Lopez (7-5) allowed only one run despite walking five in 51/3 innings. He got help from four relievers, and Jorge Julio worked the ninth for his 14th save in 16 opportunities. Julio gave up a solo homer to Aubrey Huff. The loss was the sixth in seven games for the Devil Rays.

Yankees 5, Tigers 3

Detroit — Orlando Hernandez won his second straight start since getting called up from the minors, and New York beat Detroit for its sixth victory in seven games. Gary Sheffield homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees. The Tigers lost for just the third time in nine games. Before a crowd of 41,857, the third-largest in Comerica Park’s five-year history, Hernandez (2-0) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. Gary Knotts (5-4) gave up four runs in 52/3 innings.

Rangers 4, Blue Jays 0

Arlington, Texas — Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer, and Ricardo Rodriguez combined with three relievers on an eight-hitter to lead Texas over Toronto. Teixeira hit his 20th homer in the fourth after Michael Young singled off Ted Lilly (7-7) and Alfonso Soriano walked.

Angels 8, Red Sox 3

Anaheim, Calif. — Vladimir Guerrero and Adam Kennedy homered, and Bartolo Colon pitched six solid innings.

Colon (7-8) won his second straight start after going 1-6 with an 8.45 ERA in his previous 10 outings. The right-hander allowed a run and three hits, including the first of Johnny Damon’s two homers. He struck out one and walked five.

Darin Erstad and Garret Anderson each hit a two-run single, helping the Angels win for the seventh time in nine games.

Tim Wakefield (5-6) gave up five runs and eight hits in four innings. The Red Sox got a scare in the fourth when Jose Molina led off with a hard line drive that caromed high in the air off Wakefield’s right shoulder before shortstop Nomar Garciaparra made a juggling catch cutting across the diamond for the out.