Cruz’s Homer Halts Oakland

Jose Cruz Jr. ended Oakland’s 11-game winning streak in spectacular fashion.

Cruz’s second home run of the night, a game-winning, three-run hit in the ninth, lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 victory Tuesday at Toronto.

“A victory in the bottom half of the ninth inning is always sweeter,” Cruz said. “You tend to remember those.”

Oakland closer Jason Isringhausen (4-3) gave up a single to Brad Fullmer and a two-out, two-strike single to Darrin Fletcher before Homer Bush’s double tied the score, 3-3. Cruz then hit his 21st home run off the right-field foul pole.

It was Isringhausen’s eighth blown save in 31 opportunities.

“I don’t like being responsible for ending [the streak],” Isringhausen said. “We’ve been on a pretty good role.”

Had the A’s held on, it would have been the second-longest winning streak in Oakland history. The team record is 14 in a row, set in 1988.

“We were so close to keeping the streak going, but now we have to get another one started,” Manager Art Howe said.

The A’s, who started 8-18, have won 33 of 44 and have a two-game lead over Boston in the American League wild-card race.

Cleveland 8, Minnesota 7--Juan Gonzalez’s run-scoring single in the 11th inning was the difference at Cleveland.

Gonzalez’s hit scored Kenny Lofton, who led off the inning with a triple.

Right fielder Chad Allen injured a knee while tracking down Lofton’s hit. He was taken to a hospital for X-rays.

Baltimore 5, Kansas City 2--Cal Ripken Jr. hit a three-run homer, his first this season at Camden Yards, that helped lift the Orioles.

Ripken had two hits and a walk. He had hit 10 home runs on the road before connecting off Chad Durbin (7-11) in the third inning, giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead.

Ripken has 3,155 hits, moving him into 13th place on the career list.

Seattle 6, Boston 3--Edgar Martinez, who failed with runners in scoring position in his previous three at-bats, hit a three-run home run in the 11th inning at Boston.

Seattle won in its last at-bat for the fourth time in its last five victories and clinched the season series from the Red Sox for the first time in 12 years.

Chicago 7, Texas 4--Mark Buehrle (11-6) won his fourth start in a row and Royce Clayton homered for the White Sox at Chicago.

Rookie Aaron Rowand hit a two-run double to key a three-run sixth inning for Chicago, and Paul Konerko knocked in two runs.

The White Sox had lost four of six.

New York 5, Tampa Bay 3--Tino Martinez hit a towering three-run home run in the sixth inning at New York and Andy Pettitte won his fifth consecutive start.

Pettitte (14-6) improved his career record against the Devil Rays to 7-1. He has defeated Tampa Bay three times this season.

Derek Jeter hit a home run and Shane Spencer had two hits.