Thome’s Home Run, Triple Guide Indians

Jim Thome hit a go-ahead home run and also tripled Monday night as the Indians won their fourth consecutive game, beating the Baltimore Orioles, 6-3, at Cleveland.

Carlos Baerga drove in two runs--giving him seven runs batted in over the last two games--for the Indians, who won for the ninth time in 10 games.

Scott Erickson lasted six innings for the Orioles, who have lost five in a row and seven consecutive at Jacobs Field since the start of last season.

“Scottie [Erickson] pitched a good game, but we just couldn’t catch a break,� Baltimore Manager Davey Johnson said. “When you’re going bad, that happens. We’re trying to do too much in certain situations and not playing within ourselves.�

Charles Nagy (3-0) gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one. Jim Poole pitched two scoreless innings, and Jose Mesa worked a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in five tries.

Boston 4, Minnesota 1--Wil Cordero had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Red Sox to a victory over the Twins at Minneapolis.

The victory was the fourth in 19 games this season for Boston, which had lost its last three and is off to its worst start since 1932.

Boston’s Aaron Sele (1-1) gave up four hits in six innings. Minnesota’s Rich Robertson (0-4) gave up only three hits through six before Boston rallied.

Heathcliff Slocumb pitched the ninth for his third save.

New York 6, Kansas City 2--David Cone won despite lasting only five innings and Tino Martinez hit a two-run double at Kansas City, as the Yankees sent the Royals to their sixth consecutive loss.

Cone gave up four hits, struck out six and walked five and was helped by New York’s 14 hits, including three each by Wade Boggs, Derek Jeter and Joe Girardi.

Kevin Appier gave up five runs and nine hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking four.

Chicago 12, Texas 4--Harold Baines and Robin Ventura hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning and Ventura added a solo homer in the eighth at Arlington, Tex., as the White Sox halted the Rangers’ five-game winning streak.

Baines’ three-run homer was his fourth of the season, and Ventura followed with his third homer of the year. Ventura and Danny Tartabull added consecutive homers in the eighth.

Alex Fernandez contained the hot-hitting Rangers, limiting them to three runs over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed nine hits, struck out 10 and walked three. Matt Karchner pitched the final 3 1/3 innings for his first career save.

Oakland 6, Milwaukee 2--Carlos Reyes pitched five strong innings and Pedro Munoz and Geronimo Berroa each hit two-run homers as the Athletics cooled off the Brewers at Oakland.

The victory ended Milwaukee’s seven-game winning streak but came before only 6,021, the smallest crowd in the majors this year.

Reyes gave up two hits and a run in five innings before leaving after five innings because of stiffness in his right shoulder. He struck out three and walked two in helping to check the Brewers, who averaged nearly 7 1/2 runs during their streak.

Toronto 16, Seattle 7--Joe Carter had a grand slam and five RBIs and Ed Sprague had two homers and five RBIs as the Blue Jays routed the Mariners at Seattle.

There were seven homers in the game, three by Toronto.

The Blue Jays won three of four games in Seattle, which had swept a three-game series in Toronto earlier this month. The Blue Jays outscored the Mariners, 34-21, in Seattle.

In the fifth inning, Toronto sent 10 men to the plate, breaking a 5-5 tie on three hits and four walks.

Carter, who had three homers and nine RBIs in the series, connected for his fifth homer of the season off Tim Davis. Carter’s eighth career grand slam came after the Blue Jays scored three runs on Charlie O’Brien’s groundout and a two-run pinch single by Domingo Cedeno.