Not quite perfect, but Buehrle breaks record

The Chicago White Sox pitcher sits down 17 Twins in a row to set the Major League record for retired consecutive batters at 45.

Mark Buehrle tips his hat to the crowd after his run of consecutive batters retired ended at a record 45.

The Chicago White Sox pitcher retires another 17 before Twins rally for win Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle chased a second consecutive perfect game for more than five innings before losing 5-3 to the Minnesota Twins. Buehrle, who retired 27 consecutive batters in his perfect game on Thursday and his last batter in a July 18 win, sat down 17 Twins in a row on Tuesday to set the Major League record for retired consecutive batters at 45.

The left-hander (11-4) walked the third batter he faced in the sixth inning to ruin his perfect game, then gave up two consecutive hits and a run to spoil his no-hitter. "Right now, it means nothing," Buehrle said about the record. "It's probably one of the most fired up I've been after a game." San Francisco's Jim Barr set the previous record of 41 consecutive retired batters in 1972 and Buehrle's White Sox teammate Bobby Jenks tied it 2007.

"It's an honour," Buehrle, who has two no-hitters, said. "This is one of those things I didn't think I'd do. But it's frustrating." Minnesota broke open the game with four more runs in the seventh, all charged to Buehrle. Nick Punto had a two-run single and Brendan Harris added an RBI single to move the Twins (51-50) into a tie with the White Sox for second place in the American League Central. In Boston, meanwhile, Oakland's Rajai Davis singled home Mark Ellis in the ninth to send the game against the Red Sox into an extra innings, then did it again in the 11th to give Oakland a 9-8 win. Craig Breslow pitched a perfect 10th for the win, and Andrew Bailey earned his 12th save despite giving one run back in the 11th.

In St Petersburg, Scott Kazmir out pitched CC Sabathia to win for the first time in more than two months as Tampa Bay downed the American League East-leading Yankees 6-2. Evan Longoria hit a solo homer and Carl Crawford had an RBI triple off Sabathia as New York lost for just the second time in 12 games since the All-Star break. Kazmir took a four-hitter into the eighth to win for the first time since May 9, against Boston.

Ian Kinsler drove in three runs and Elvis Andrus homered and had three as Texas beat the visiting Detroit Tigers 7-3 in Arlington. Kinsler, who was in a huge slump at the plate that had dropped his batting average from .272 to .242, highlighted a four-run second with a two-run triple. Mark Teahen led off the 11th inning with a 45-foot single and scored on a single by John Buck as Kansas City edged Baltimore 4-3, while Gary Matthews Jr hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the eighth as the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland Indians 7-6 - their major league-leading 33rd comeback victory.

In Seattle, Ichiro Suzuki singled with two outs in the ninth to score Rob Johnson as the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3. * Agencies