Boggs Moves Closer

Dave Eiland pitched six shutout innings and Wade Boggs inched closer to his 3,000th hit as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays ended the Mariners’ six-game winning streak Wednesday night with a 7-1 victory at Seattle.

Mike Difelice had a career-high four hits, including a home run, and scored three times for Tampa Bay. Fred McGriff hit his 26th homer and went three for four as the Devil Rays ended a five-game losing streak and an eight-game road skid.

Boggs singled down the first-base line in the second for his only hit of the game. He went one for three and now has 2,997 hits. The third baseman was replaced by Bobby Smith in the bottom of the fifth because of slight inflammation in his right knee.

Eiland (2-6) gave up five hits while striking out five and walking one in winning for the first time since July 7.

Mariner starter Gil Meche (2-2), a 20-year-old rookie, was hit hard early. He gave up four runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Texas 3, Minnesota 1--Esteban Loaiza pitched six shutout innings at Arlington, Texas, and the Rangers improved to 10-0 against the Twins this season.

The AL West-leading Rangers won their fourth in a row and tied Cleveland for the best record (65-42) in the majors. Texas is 17-3 since the All-Star break.

The Rangers’ 10 consecutive wins over Minnesota are their most in a season against one team since they won 11 in a row against Oakland in 1977.

Loaiza (4-1) gave up two hits and worked around five walks.

Jeff Zimmerman pitched two innings and gave up Denny Hocking’s home run in the eighth. John Wetteland pitched the ninth for his 33rd save, completing the combined four-hitter.

The Twins failed to capitalize on a scoring chance in the sixth, loading the bases with one out, but Corey Koskie grounded into a double play.

New York 8, Toronto 3--Chuck Knoblauch opened the game with a home run for the third time in a week and Bernie Williams hit two homers and drove in five runs as Hideki Irabu and the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays at New York.

Designated hitter Chili Davis also homered for the Yankees, who had seven extra-base hits.

Irabu (9-3) improved to 8-0 in his last 12 starts. He gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking none.

Kelvim Escobar 9-8) was the loser.

Williams’ homers were the centerpieces of New York’s long-ball attack.

His three-run shot capped a four-run first inning and his two-run homer in the sixth provided some breathing room.

Williams even shrugged off the sore shoulder he has been nursing.

“I’m playing through it,” he said. “There’s no way I want any excuses. If I can help, I’d rather be out there. Part of the ability of a player is to be able to play in pain. It’s there. I try not to think about it and play the way I can.”

Baltimore 9, Oakland 5--Jason Johnson pitched seven strong innings and Mike Bordick’s three-run homer highlighted a six-run fifth as the Orioles broke a six-game losing streak with a victory at Oakland.

Albert Belle also homered as Baltimore stopped the Athletics’ five-game winning string.

Johnson (3-5), who retired 12 consecutive batters during one span, gave up three runs and six hits while pitching into the eighth inning for the first time this season.

“The kid pitched pretty well,” said Oriole Manager Ray Miller, who has criticized Johnson for trying to be too perfect with his pitches.

“He still has a tendency to get a little fine sometimes, but he has a big upside.”

Johnson was pleased too.

“This was my best game of the whole year,” Johnson said. “My mechanics were the way I wanted them. Everything was just sound, just perfect. The whole year I’ve been pulling off to the right side the whole time. Today I made progress. From the first pitch on, I felt I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Bordick’s eighth homer of the season came against Jimmy Haynes (7-10), who lost his third consecutive start.