Mark Mulder is pitching so well these days he doesn't need his best stuff to win.

Mulder won for the ninth time in 10 starts, limiting Tampa Bay to six hits in 7 1-3 innings Tuesday as the Oakland Athletics beat the Devil Rays 2-1.

''I was awful,'' said Mulder, who struck out six and walked two. ''I didn't know where the ball was going, particularly my fastball. I had a good curveball, so it made up for it. It was just one of those days where you're effectively wild in a way.''

Mulder's standards are pretty high, mind you.

Over his last 10 outings, Mulder has allowed only 16 earned runs in 72 1-3 innings (2.00 ERA). Still his 3.53 ERA overall trails that of teammates Tim Hudson (3.27), Barry Zito (3.30) and newcomer Ted Lilly (3.16) -- Lilly allowed just three hits in six-plus innings in his A's debut Monday night.

In Oakland's last 14 games, A's starters have given up just 23 earned runs in 97 innings (2.13 ERA).

''We've got a talented pitching staff,'' Mulder said. ''When you get on a roll, guys feed off each other and it makes it a little easier to go out there each day.''

In other AL games, it was: Baltimore 6, Seattle 1; Anaheim 4, Minnesota 2; Boston 9, Detroit 4; N.Y. Yankees 7, Toronto 6; Chicago White Sox 5, Cleveland 4; and Kansas City 6, Texas 5, 11 innings.

Jermaine Dye homered in the second inning and came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. He almost didn't play after turning his ankle in batting practice Monday.

''Thank goodness he talked me out of it,'' Howe said.

Randy Winn had four of Tampa Bay's nine hits as the Devil Rays fell to 1-8 against Oakland. Tampa Bay has won once in its last 12 overall.

''One-man show,'' Devil Rays manager Hal McRae said. ''He's done a fine job. but it's not enough. Without production throughout the lineup, we're not going to fare well.''

Orioles 6, Mariners 1

Scott Erickson (4-9) pitched a six-hitter and Marty Cordova homered and drove in three runs as host Baltimore completed a two-game sweep. Erickson struck out seven for his first victory in 13 starts since April 28.

Joel Pineiro (10-4), who had won six straight starts, allowed six runs and six hits in six innings.

Angels 4, Twins 2

In Minneapolis, Garret Anderson hit a two-run homer to help Anaheim's Jarrod Washburn win his 11th straight decision -- the longest streak in the major leagues this year. Washburn (11-2) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Cristian Guzman had three hits and homered for the second straight game for the Twins.

Red Sox 9, Tigers 4

Manny Ramirez had a career-high five hits, including a go-ahead double in a five-run eighth capped by Trot Nixon's grand slam, and visiting Boston stopped a four-game losing streak.

Boston, which had matched its longest skid this season, came back from a 4-0 deficit and took a 5-4 lead on Ramirez's RBI double in the eighth. Ramirez was 5-for-6 with three RBIs, three runs and three singles.

White Sox 5, Indians 4

In Cleveland, Magglio Ordonez hit a leadoff homer in the ninth -- his second homer of the game -- off Bob Wickman (0-3), lifting Chicago over a grieving Cleveland.

Ordonez, who also hit a two-run homer in the first, connected for his 17th off Wickman as the White Sox won for just the second time in six games and capped a dark day for Cleveland.

The Indians learned less than two hours before gametime that longtime trainer Jim Warfield died. Warfield, who joined the organization in 1969, had a massive brain hemorrhage Monday at the ballpark.

Yankees 7, Blue Jays 6

Nick Johnson hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning to power New York on the road. He led off with his 12th home run against Cliff Politte (1-3).

Jason Giambi's three-run homer capped a five-run seventh inning for the Yankees, who rallied from a 4-1 deficit.

Royals 6, Rangers 5, 11 innings

Brent Mayne led off the 11th inning with his first home run in more than a year, giving host Kansas City its season-high fifth straight win.

Rafael Palmeiro hit his 470th career homer and Herbert Perry also connected as Texas set a team record by homering in its 19th straight game.

The Royals tied it in the ninth on Carlos Beltran's RBI triple with two outs. The Associated Press