AL roundup: Colon throws six scoreless to lead White Sox past Twins
CBSSports.com wire reports
CHICAGO -- Bartolo Colon pitched six strong innings, and Carlos Quentin homered, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
After a rough spring training, Colon handled the Twins' lineup with relative ease. He allowed just three hits with two walks and two strikeouts, helping the White Sox end a three-game skid. Colon (1-0) is back with Chicago after going 15-13 in 2003 with a 3.87 ERA. He went on to win the 2005 AL Cy Young Award as a member of the Angels, but has made just 35 starts since because of injuries.
The White Sox took a chance on Colon in the offseason by signing him to a one-year, $1 million deal after he was limited to seven starts with Boston last season because of back trouble.
The burly right-hander, who had a 9.90 ERA in spring training, set down the side in order in the sixth and walked off to applause from the crowd of 33,935.
Wilson Betemit hit a two-out double in the fourth off Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano, and Alexei Ramirez snapped an 0-for-14 slump with an RBI single to put Chicago ahead.
After taking the loss in Minnesota's opener against Seattle on Monday, Liriano couldn't get through the fifth inning. He walked in a run with four straight balls to Jermaine Dye, then walked Paul Konerko with the bases loaded to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead. Full story
Mariners 8, Athletics 5
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kenji Johjima had a two-run single in a four-run eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners rallied twice from deficits to beat the Oakland Athletics.
Russell Branyan homered and Franklin Gutierrez and Jose Lopez each drove in two runs for the Mariners, who won their third straight. Mike Sweeney added an RBI single in the ninth.
Seattle's eighth-inning rally began when Bobby Crosby, making his debut at third base, mishandled Sweeney's grounder leading off. Adrian Beltre singled and Casilla walked Branyan to load the bases.
A's closer Brad Ziegler took over and gave up Lopez's two-run double and Johjima's two-run single.
Orioles 6, Rays 0
BALTIMORE -- Melvin Mora's third career grand slam capped a five-run first inning against Tampa Bay rookie Jeff Niemann, and the Baltimore Orioles got six shutout innings from Jeremy Guthrie in a victory.
Nick Markakis had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who have won two straight over the defending AL champions to clinch their first series win against Tampa Bay since Aug. 3-5, 2007.
Baltimore, which opened the season by taking two of three from the New York Yankees, is 4-1 for the first time since 2000.
Guthrie (2-0) allowed five hits and walked none in lowering his ERA to 2.25. It's the first time in his career the right-hander has won his first two decisions.
