The New York Yankees became the first team in 86 years to win 60 of its first 80 games, using Orlando Hernandez's pitching and Chad Curtis' two-run single in the sixth to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Saturday.
The Yankees joined the 1912 New York Giants, 1907 Chicago Cubs and 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates as the only teams in modern major league history to start the season 60-20.Hernandez (3-1), the Cuban defector who was spending his first Independence Day in this country, allowed six hits and two walks in eight innings. Mariano Rivera got his 21st save.
Curtis' two-run single off Alan Mills scored Tino Martinez and Tim Raines, who reached against starter Doug Drabek (5-9).
BLUE JAYS 8, DEVIL RAYS 0: Chris Carpenter pitched a four-hitter and Carlos Delgado had two homers and five RBIs as Toronto handed Tampa Bay its fifth straight loss.
Carpenter (5-3), who allowed seven runs in 21/3 innings in his last start Saturday against Atlanta, walked two and struck out three in his second shutout of his career.
Delgado went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the sixth, a solo shot in the eighth and an RBI double in the first off Dennis Springer (2-11).
WHITE SOX 3, RED SOX 0: Chicago's John Snyder outdueled Korean Jin Ho Cho and Mike Cameron hit a solo homer in the fifth to give the White Sox the win in a matchup of pitchers making their first major league starts.
Snyder (1-0), who gave up six runs in 12/3 innings in his only big-league appearance Tuesday, allowed five hits in 72/3 innings. Bill Simas pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
Boston's Nomar Garciaparra went 0-for-2, ending his 24-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season.
Cho (0-1) allowed six hits and one run in six innings in his major league debut.
TIGERS 4, TWINS 2: Justin Thompson won his sixth straight road start, limiting Minnesota to eight hits in eight-plus innings as Detroit beat Minnesota for its fourth victory in five games.
Thompson (7-8) matched a season high with eight strikeouts and allowed only one walk. The left-hander, 7-2 on the road and 0-6 at Tiger Stadium, left after allowing consecutive singles to open the ninth.
Todd Jones got the last three outs for his 14th save.
Dan Serafini (3-1) took the loss.
ROYALS 5, INDIANS 3: Sal Fasano and Johnny Damon both homered and drove in two runs and Pat Rapp pitched seven shutout innings as Kansas City won for the 12 time in 17 games.
Rapp (8-7) allowed six hits to become Kansas City's first eight-game winner. Travis Fryman hit a three-run homer, his 14th, off Scott Service with two outs in the eighth inning to spoil the shutout. Jeff Montgomery got his 18th save.
Cleveland starter Charles Nagy (7-5) allowed both homers, giving him a major league-leading 25 on the season. Nagy went 6 1-3 innings and allowed 11 hits and five runs.
ATHLETICS 8, ANGELS 3: Mike Oquist overcame his road problems with a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings in the Oakland Athletics' victory over the Anaheim Angels.
Oquist (5-5), who entered the game 1-4 in eight road starts and an AL-worst 10.15 road ERA, allowed five hits and two runs and walked one.
He had seven strikeouts against the heart of Anaheim's lineup, getting No. 3 hitter Jim Edmonds three times, and No. 4 Tim Salmon and No. 5 Cecil Fielder twice each. Billy Taylor got four outs for his 17th save.
Jason Giambi's sixth homer in his last 15 games helped the Athletics win for the fourth time in five games. The Angels have lost four straight.