Garland continues to cruise

White Sox roll behind AL's first 14-game winner

? The Chicago White Sox shocked even their manager, Ozzie Guillen, with their first four-game sweep in Cleveland in 42 years.

Jon Garland pitched six effective innings Sunday and became the AL’s first 14-game winner when the White Sox beat the Indians, 4-0.

Tadahito Iguchi and A.J. Pierzynski hit home runs for Chicago, which improved to 30-5 against the AL Central and swept a four-game set in Cleveland for the first time since Aug. 27-29, 1963.

“I never thought we’d sweep,” Guillen said. “I (came in) hoping we’d win the series. Cleveland always plays tough against us. This was big for us.

“The first two games were big. After that, I knew I had my bullets (All-Stars Mark Buehrle and Garland) for the last two.”

Garland (14-4) allowed seven hits and two walks to win for the second time in four starts. He struck out two.

“It’s a division rival,” Garland said. “The least you want to do is split so the standings stay the same.”

Instead, the White Sox opened a 12-game lead over second-place Minnesota and dropped third-place Cleveland 15 games back.

The Indians hit just .120 (3-for-25) with runners in scoring position in the series, including 0-for-8 Sunday. They have lost a season-high five in a row and nine of 10.

Cleveland has trailed in 35 of 36 innings since the All-Star break and has not held a lead since the fourth inning July 10 in New York – 41 innings overall.

“You can’t put your head down and cry,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “That’s not the way I operate and that’s not how these players are. We have 21â2 months and 70 games left, and we can’t back off.”

The Indians were without leading hitter Travis Hafner, who sustained a cut lip and slight concussion when he was hit by a pitch Saturday.

Garland continued a trend set by Chicago’s previous three starters – Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia, and Mark Buehrle. Overall, the foursome combined for a 1.00 earned-run average, allowing three runs in 27 innings.

Devil Rays 5, Blue Jays 4

Toronto – Jorge Cantu hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning, and Tampa Bay took three of four in the weekend series.

Down 4-1 in the eighth, the Devil Rays rallied with three runs on Aubrey Huff’s RBI grounder off Scott Schoeneweis and Toby Hall’s two-run double down the left-field line off Miguel Batista (4-3).

Jonny Gomes scored the tying run after plate umpire John Hirschbeck ruled Gomes beat catcher Gregg Zaun’s tag. An incensed Zaun slammed his mask to the turf, prompting his ejection.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Jon Garland watches the ball as Cleveland's Ronnie Belliard flies out to end the sixth inning. Garland pitched six shutout innings, leading the White Sox past the Indians, 4-0, on Sunday in Cleveland.

Toronto manager John Gibbons ran from he dugout, threw his hat to the turf and also was ejected.

Chad Orvella (1-1) pitched two innings for the victory, and Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his 16th save.

A’s 5, Rangers 4, 14 inn.

Oakland, Calif. – Bobby Kielty led off the 14th inning with a homer, lifting the streaking Athletics.

Oakland tied it on pinch-hitter Adam Melhuse’s one-out RBI double in the ninth off Francisco Cordero, who blew his fifth save.

Kielty, who entered as a pinch-runner in the ninth, won it with a long shot to right off Kameron Loe (3-2), ending both teams’ longest game of the season.

The A’s, who have won five of six to move within a half-game of second-place Texas in the AL West, took three of four from the Rangers.

New A’s reliever Joe Kennedy (1-0) got the victory despite allowing four hits in three innings. Oakland turned inning-ending double plays behind him in the 12th and 13th, and Gary Matthews Jr. was stranded on third in the 14th.

Yankees 5, Red Sox 3

Boston – Al Leiter rewarded New York just one day after being rescued from the scrap heap, pitching three-hit ball into the seventh inning to help the Yankees pull within a half-game of the Red Sox in the AL East.

With four starters on the disabled list, New York bought Leiter from the Florida Marlins, and he responded with eight strikeouts and three walks in 61â3 innings, allowing just one run in his first AL start since 1995.

Despite a two-run rally against reliever Tom Gordon and closer Mariano Rivera in the ninth, the Yankees won for the 10th time in 12 games to move a season-high eight games above .500. They have not been this close to first place since the first week of the season.

Johnny Damon doubled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 29 games – the longest in the majors since Albert Pujols went 30 games in 2003.

Angels 2, Twins 1

Minneapolis – John Lackey tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, and Jeff DaVanon homered to lead Los Angeles.

Lackey (7-4) scattered five hits over seven innings and allowed just the one unearned run to win. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 20th save.Lackey was 5-1 with a 2.56 ERA in his first 12 starts of the season, but had gone 0-2 with a 7.86 ERA in three starts before Sunday.

Twins starter Joe Mays (5-4) gave up two runs and just two hits in seven innings while striking out a season-high six, but Minnesota lost for the seventh time in 10 games.

Mariners 8, Orioles 2

Seattle – Gil Meche became Seattle’s first 10-game winner since 2003, and Miguel Olivo hit a solo home run as the Mariners beat mistake-prone Baltimore. Seattle blew it open with a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by Mike Morse’s two-run bloop single with two outs and the bases loaded.

Meche (10-6) won for the fifth time in seven starts to rekindle memories of 2003.