Tigers Release Young After Loss to M's

Detroit Tigers' Dmitri Young goes back to the dugout after popping out against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, in Detroit. Young was given his unconditional release following the Tigers' 5-4 loss. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) (Duane Burleson - AP)

-- The Detroit Tigers got rid of Dmitri Young. At the rate they're going, their once-huge AL Central lead will disappear, too. Detroit released its designated hitter after Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Tigers' 19th defeat in 28 games.

"It's a business, I guess," said first baseman Sean Casey, whose locker was next to Young's. "Dmitri is a great guy and a great player. Any time you lose a player like that. ... I really don't know what to say to tell you the truth."

Young left the team in May _ hitting .169 _ to get help at a substance-abuse center in California. Since being activated from the disabled list July 21, Young was hitting .292 with seven homers and 19 RBIs. His overall batting average was .250 in 48 games this season, his fifth in Detroit.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski insisted the move was "strictly performance related."

"I'm not going to want to talk about it," Young said, wearing sunglasses, after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

In other AL games it was Chicago 8, Boston 1; Tampa Bay 4, Minnesota 2; New York 8, Kansas City 3; Oakland 9, Texas 6; Los Angeles 8, Baltimore 4; Toronto 3, Cleveland 2.

At Detroit, Kenji Johjima's RBI single in the 10th inning put the Seattle Mariners ahead, and J.J. Putz held the lead. After Johjima's bloop single, Joel Zumaya (6-3) prevented further damage by getting out of a bases-loaded jam.

Jon Huber (1-0) struck out one and gave an intentional walk in the ninth inning, and Putz got three outs for his 31st save. Detroit maintained a four-game lead over second-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

"Do we have pressure on us? Yeah, we do," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "But in my opinion, we have less pressure than Minnesota, the White Sox and some of the teams that were supposed to win."

White Sox 8, Red Sox 1

Jose Contreras (12-7) won for the first time in four starts, allowing one run and four hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts and one walk at Fenway Park.

Jim Thome went 4-for-4 with his 39th homer as the White Sox won for the second time in seven games and moved a half-game behind the Twins. The Red Sox remained six back of the Twins.