Red Sox Take Lowe Road to Defeat Yankees Again

Derek Lowe overcame two rain delays to pitch six scoreless innings and the Boston Red Sox won another road game, ending a seven-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a 5-2 victory over New York on Friday night.

Nomar Garciaparra tripled and scored on a wild pitch from David Wells (6-2) to give Boston the lead in the sixth inning. Jason Varitek hit a two-run double and Tony Clark had a two-run homer as the Red Sox broke the game open in the eighth.

Boston, which has won six of nine from New York this season, became the first team in major league history to start a season 21-4 away from home.

The game was delayed twice by rain: for 55 minutes at the start and 74 minutes in the bottom of the first. The fans who sat through the delays weren’t rewarded with any Yankees runs until Jorge Posada’s two-run homer in the ninth.

New York had won five in a row and 18 of 22, hitting 45 homers in that stretch, but they couldn’t generate anything against Lowe (8-2), who hasn’t given up a homer all season.

Lowe gave up four hits and a season-high five walks but avoided any damage by inducing three double-play grounders and holding New York hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position. He lowered his AL-leading earned-run average to 1.95.

New York had won the last seven meetings at Yankee Stadium last year, outscoring Boston 39-19.

Toronto 4, Detroit 2--Carlos Delgado tripled and homered, driving in three runs to help the Blue Jays end a six-game losing streak with a victory at Detroit.

Esteban Loaiza (3-1) defeated the Tigers for the third time in a row, giving up two runs and nine hits and no walks in 71/3 innings.

Adam Bernero (1-1) took the loss in his second start of the season.

Oakland 13, Tampa Bay 9--Miguel Tejada, Jermaine Dye and Eric Chavez hit consecutive RBI singles during a four-run ninth inning to lead the Athletics at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Devil Rays lost despite scoring eight runs in the fourth, all with two out.

Plate umpire Steve Rippley was taken off the field on a stretcher after being hit in the left temple by a ball in the sixth inning. He was alert and talking as he was taken to the hospital for examination.

Kansas City 10, Texas 7--Carlos Beltran, Mike Sweeney and Joe Randa hit consecutive homers in the 11th inning on five pitches from closer Hideki Irabu to lift the Royals at Arlington, Texas.

Beltran hit a grand slam in a six-run seventh, then broke a 7-7 tie with a one-out solo shot in the 11th off Irabu (2-4). Beltran had his fifth career multihomer game. Sweeney and Randa followed with homers for a 10-7 lead, sending the Royals to their fifth win in six games.

Cleveland 7, Chicago 0--Bartolo Colon pitched his second shutout of the season, leading the Indians at Cleveland and handing the White Sox their fifth loss in a row.

Einar Diaz broke out of an 0-for-22 slump to drive in three runs and Jim Thome homered. The Indians scored six runs with two outs.