Garland denied ninth victory

Texas' Mench rifles towering homer in 12-4 win

? When Kevin Mench turned on the inside fastball, the ball was long gone. So was Chicago White Sox right-hander Jon Garland’s chance to be the first nine-game winner in the major leagues.

Mench’s towering three-run homer with two outs in a six-run sixth inning put Texas ahead to stay, and the Rangers went on to win 12-4 and extend the longest active winning streak in the majors to eight games.

“It was a bad pitch. I didn’t get it in enough,” Garland said. “It’s my mistake for going in there, but you get a new ball and move on.”

But the Rangers weren’t finished as Laynce Nix doubled and Richard Hidalgo walked. Both scored on a double by Rod Barajas for a 7-3 lead, and Garland didn’t return after the sixth.

Garland (8-2), whose start was pushed back a day after Saturday’s rainout, allowed a season-high seven runs on nine hits.

“Terrible,” Garland rated his performance. “I lost, plain and simple. I’m a better pitcher than that. I should have gotten out of that inning, but things didn’t go my way.”

It was his second straight loss after winning 10 starts in a row, including the final two of 2004.

After a pair of three-game sweeps of last-place Houston and Kansas City, the Rangers twice beat the White Sox (33-17), who have the best record in the majors.

Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock hit back-to-back homers in the eighth for the Rangers, who now play 12 straight road games after the longest undefeated homestand in team history.

The only question about Mench’s drive down the left-field line was if it would stay fair. The ball easily cleared the foul pole, that is about 100 feet high, and landed in the club level 432 feet from home plate – only the 11th time someone hit one there.

“It got high up and the wind kept it fair,” Mench said.

Texas' Kevin Mench stands at the plate admiring a home run that barely slipped by the foul pole into the upper concourse. His three-run blast off Chicago's Jon Garland sparked the Rangers in a 12-4 victory Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

Things were going good for Garland until David Dellucci and Michael Young singled to open the sixth. And Garland still had a 3-2 lead after Teixeira hit an RBI grounder, beating out a double play, and right fielder Jermaine Dye made a running, lunging catch of Blalock’s flyball.

“One of the keys to the game was Tex beating out the double-play ball,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Then, Kevin did his thing.”

Before Mench’s eighth homer, Alfonso Soriano singled to keep the inning alive.

“It was one bad inning,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “They’re swinging the bats really hot. They’re hot, and we’re not. We didn’t play the way we have been.”

Chicago was 4-5 on its road trip. The White Sox return home today, when slugger Frank Thomas will be activated from the disabled list (left ankle) to play for the first time since July 6. Thomas hit just .190 in 11 games on a rehabilitation assignment.

“He’s healthy and ready to help this team,” Guillen said. “Our offense will be better. He’ll take the pressure off a couple of guys.

“In the past when we win, it’s because Frank is hot, and when we lose it’s because Frank is not,” Guillen said. “He’s a big part, but he’s just another player. We’ve been winning with different people. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.”

Blue Jays 4, Twins 0

Toronto – Roy Halladay pitched a two-hitter for his second shutout of the season.

Halladay (8-2) allowed only a bunt single to Nick Punto in the first and an infield single to Shannon Stewart in the fifth. He had a season-high 10 strikeouts and walked none for the eighth shutout of his career.

Russ Adams and Vernon Wells homered for the Blue Jays, who avoided a three-game sweep.

Indians 6, Athletics 2

Cleveland – Jake Westbrook pitched seven strong innings, and Victor Martinez homered as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep.

Westbrook (2-7) won for the first time in five starts.

Matt Miller entered with two men on in the eighth and got pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty to ground out the end the inning. He then pitched the ninth for his first save of the season and second of his career.

Tigers 8, Orioles 6

Baltimore – Craig Monroe’s third homer in three games highlighted a six-run seventh inning, and Detroit rallied from a five-run deficit to sweep Baltimore.

After taking a 6-1 lead in the fifth inning, Baltimore appeared poised to do it again. But the bullpen ruined a fine effort by starter Bruce Chen.

Monroe homered in each of the three games in the series after going 10 games without a home run.

Mariners 10, Devil Rays 9

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Jeremy Reed homered and drove in a career-high four runs. Reed hit a solo homer in the second inning, delivered a two-run single that made it 8-8 in the eighth and then snapped a 9-9 tie in the ninth with a two-out double off Seth McClung (0-2).

Bret Boone hit his 250th career homer and drove in two runs off Tampa Bay starter Doug Waechter, who led 8-5 when he left with one out in the seventh.

Red Sox 7, Yankees 2

New York – David Wells pitched into the ninth inning, and David Ortiz hit two long home runs to lead Boston.

Edgar Renteria also homered and rapped four more hits for the Red Sox, who took two of three at Yankee Stadium.

Boston blasted 14 hits against Mike Mussina (5-3) and three relievers. Ortiz drove in four runs and matched a career high with four hits. Renteria went 10-for-12 in the series with two homers and six RBIs.