Scutaro Provides All the Drama for the A’s

Marco Scutaro hit a three-run home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Oakland Athletics to a 3-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night.

B.J. Ryan (3-4) struck out the first two batters he faced before Damian Miller singled and Bobby Crosby, hitless in 21 career at-bats against the Orioles, walked on a full count. Scutaro then hit a 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his fifth homer.

Octavio Dotel (3-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory, sending the Orioles to their season-high ninth loss in a row.

A’s starter Rich Harden threw eight innings, giving up four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Bruce Chen, in his first major league start since last season, made his Oriole debut a memorable one. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Eric Chavez broke it up with two out on a single to shallow center.

Chen threw seven scoreless innings, yielding three hits with four walks and three strikeouts. He started the season in the Toronto organization. Baltimore obtained him in a trade on May 2.

Boston 11, Toronto 5 -- At Toronto, David Ortiz homered twice and drove in four runs, and Curt Schilling earned his 16th victory for the Red Sox.

Schilling (16-6), who joined Oakland’s Mark Mulder (17-4) as the only American League pitchers with at least 16 victories, gave up one run and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out nine and walked none.

The victory moved the Red Sox 5 1/2 games behind New York in the East Division after the Yankees lost to Cleveland.

Manny Ramirez hit his league-leading 34th home run for the Red Sox, who have won eight of nine.

Cleveland 4, New York 3 -- Coco Crisp drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt single in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping the Indians end their nine-game losing streak.

Cleveland trailed, 3-2, when Tom Gordon (6-4) walked Ben Broussard and Casey Blake to start the eighth. Jody Gerut sacrificed and Ronnie Belliard’s sacrifice fly scored pinch-runner John McDonald with the tying run as Blake took third.

Crisp then laid down a drag bunt past Gordon, diving to barely beat second baseman Enrique Wilson’s throw, and Blake scored.

Minnesota 8, Texas 5 -- The Central Division-leading Twins had 13 hits off Ryan Drese (11-7) at Arlington, Texas, a career-high against the right-hander and one shy of a Ranger record. Only one Twin starter didn’t have a hit in the first two innings, when the Twins already had 10 hits and a 6-2 lead. They had four infield singles and a bloop to left while scoring twice on grounders and then on Drese’s errant pickoff throw.

Detroit 5, Chicago 4 -- At Detroit, Marcus Thames drove in three runs, and Nate Robertson (11-7) pitched eight strong innings for the Tigers, who have won six of nine. Aaron Rowand made it close in the ninth with a three-run homer off Ugueth Urbina, but Chicago lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Tampa Bay 6, Seattle 5 -- Aubrey Huff drove in the go-ahead run with a groundout in the top of the ninth inning and the Devil Rays completed their first series sweep of the Mariners.

With the score 5-5 in the ninth, Geoff Blum drew a leadoff walk and went to second on Rey Sanchez’s sacrifice. Scott Atchison (1-2) intentionally walked Carl Crawford, and Julio Lugo followed with a single to load the bases.

George Sherrill came in and got Huff to hit a grounder to second, but Bret Boone’s only play was to first as Blum came home with the go-ahead run.

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Right-hander Chan Ho Park will come off the disabled list today and make his first start for the Texas Rangers since May 19. Park (2-4, 5.80 earned-run average), who signed a $65-million, five-year contract with the Rangers before the 2002 season, has been on the disabled list because of a strained lower back. The former Dodger will start the finale of a four-game series against Minnesota.