


Shin-Soo Choo gave his high school baseball coach a fitting tribute. Choo learned before batting practice that his coach had died of cancer. Then he homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs in a 15-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night that snapped Cleveland's five-game losing streak.
The rainy weather stopped the game prematurely. The Chicago White Sox ended Cliff Lee's night soon after it started. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye drove in two runs apiece Tuesday as the White Sox chased Lee in the fourth inning and pounded the miserable Indians 11-4 in a game called in the seventh to move above .500 for the first time since May 2.
Brandon Phillips found the perfect way to celebrate his 28th birthday: by beating the Cleveland Indians. Phillips broke out of a 1-for-16 slump with three hits, three runs and three RBIs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-1 win over his former team Sunday. "It's good to have a game like I did today, especially on my birthday and against the guys you used to play for," Phillips said.
Jeremy Sowers finally got over his middle-inning hump. The Cleveland Indians still have a long climb ahead. Sowers pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season, Ryan Garko hit a two-run homer and Victor Martinez added a solo shot to lead the Cleveland Indians to just their second win in 10 games, 9-2 over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.