Millwood good against Sox

Starter blanks Boston for 6 innings in Tribe's 8-0 win

? It wasn’t that long ago that the Boston Red Sox swept into Cleveland and swatted away the hottest team in baseball.

Monday night, the Indians had their answer.

Kevin Millwood pitched six innings of three-hit ball, and Travis Hafner had three extra-base hits to give Cleveland a 7-0 victory and snap Boston’s seven-game winning streak. It was the second shutout in three home games for the Red Sox after 116 games at Fenway without one.

“Everyone in here knows they swept us when we were playing some of our best ball,” said Cleveland center fielder Grady Sizemore, who hit a two-run homer. “We wanted to come in here and repay the favor.”

The Red Sox swept the Indians last week, and Millwood (3-5) was one reason why. He allowed five earned runs in six innings June 21, a day after Boston ended Cleveland’s nine-game winning streak.

But with the Red Sox coming into the game with 12 wins in 13 tries, Millwood walked just two and struck out six. Bobby Howry pitched two perfect innings, and Scott Sauerbeck one to complete the three-hit shutout.

“Those guys pretty much shut us down the last time they faced us,” Millwood said. “You go out there thinking you have hardly any room for error. Any time you face that lineup, you really can’t take a breather.”

The Red Sox went 6-0 on a trip to Cleveland and Philadelphia before returning to the ballpark where, before Monday’s loss, their 22-10 home record was the best in the AL. But Bronson Arroyo (6-4) gave up seven runs – five earned – on six hits and three walks and a hit batter, striking out four in 6 2â3 innings.

Hafner hit the first of his two doubles in the fourth as Cleveland scored three times, thanks in part to Mark Bellhorn’s error on a possible double play. Hafner added a solo homer in the seventh, one out after Sizemore’s two-run shot bounced off Trot Nixon’s glove and over the wall.

“When stuff like that happens to Trot, I don’t go ask him. He’ll wring somebody’s neck,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “It was just one of those freak plays. I’m sure once the anger wears off, some of the guys will get on him. But probably not tonight.”

Yankees 6, Orioles 4

Baltimore – Pinch-hitter Bernie Williams drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit to hand Baltimore its sixth straight defeat.

New York pulled out of a 4-1 hole with a three-run sixth to pull even, then went ahead for the first time in the eighth.

Jorge Posada led off with a single off Steve Kline (2-3). After Kline was ejected for arguing a balk call, Jorge Julio issued an intentional walk to Jason Giambi, and Posada went to third on a grounder by Ruben Sierra before Williams hit a sacrifice fly.

Tanyon Sturtze (2-1) pitched the seventh, Tom Gordon worked the eighth and Mariano Rivera got three outs for his 17th save.

D’Rays 4, Blue Jays 3

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Hideo Nomo pitched seven strong innings, and Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer, leading Tampa Bay past Toronto.

Nomo (5-6) allowed two runs and eight hits for just his third win in 13 starts.

The victory moved Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella (1,479-1,375) within one win of tying Earl Weaver for 19th place on the career list. The Devil Rays snapped a six-game skid at home.

Danys Baez got four outs for his 13th save in 19 opportunities, despite allowing an RBI single to Alex Rios in the eighth.

Carl Crawford and Julio Lugo drew two-out walks from Pete Walker (3-1) before Huff’s homer in the third snapped a 14-inning scoreless streak for Tampa Bay.

Angels 13, Rangers 3

Arlington, Texas – Bartolo Colon won his 10th straight start against Texas, and Vladimir Guerrero homered to help Los Angeles extend its winning streak to seven.

Adam Kennedy hit his first homer of the season and Juan Rivera had four hits for the Angels, who have a 71â2-game lead in the AL West over Texas, their largest since Aug. 31, 1995.

Colon (10-4) beat Texas for the ninth time since joining the Angels last season. He scattered eight hits over eight innings, improving to 15-5 lifetime against the Rangers.

Los Angeles matched its season high with 20 hits. Eight starters had at least two, with Rivera going 4-for-5 with three doubles and an RBI single.

Hank Blalock homered twice for Texas, which has lost seven of eight. Rookie C.J. Wilson (0-2) gave up seven runs – five earned – in 42â3 innings.