(Friday, June 29th)
Final Score: New York 2, Oakland 1
Bronx, NY - Alex Rodriguez had three hits, including an RBI double, and Mike Mussina pitched seven strong innings, as the New York Yankees edged the Oakland Athletics, 2-1, in the start of a three-game series. Mussina (4-5) allowed just one run and six hits, walked one and fanned three to end a personal two-game skid. The right-hander was facing the A’s for the 34th time in his career and is now 17-10 against them. Jorge Posada knocked in the other run with a single, as the Yankees won for just the second time in nine games. Yankees manager Joe Torre also earned win number 2,010 to move one ahead of Leo Durocher for ninth on the career list. Shannon Stewart had three hits, while Eric Chavez doubled and scored for Oakland, which has dropped seven of its last eight games. Joe Kennedy (2-6) was tagged for two runs on seven hits, with three walks and five strikeouts over six innings in the start. Final Score: Minnesota 11, Detroit 1
Detroit, MI - Johan Santana tossed six quality innings and Joe Mauer hit his first career grand slam as the Minnesota Twins dropped the Detroit Tigers, 11-1, in the opener of a three- game series at Comerica Park. Santana (9-6) gave up just the one run on five hits while striking out six and walking one. The AL’s reigning Cy Young Award winner has been very strong in his last three starts, allowing just two earned runs in 21 innings. The defending AL Rookie of the year Justin Verlander (9-3), meanwhile, yielded six runs over five innings in an uncharacteristic outing. Justin Morneau, playing in his second game since suffering a bruised right lung, went 3- for-5 with a pair of RBI for the Twins, who have won three of their last four. Morneau served as the team’s designated hitter for the second straight game. Placido Polanco went 3-for-4 with a homer for Detroit, which has dropped three of four. Magglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to 15 games, while Carlos Guillen saw his career-best 14-game hit streak come to an end. He also had an 11-game RBI streak halted, falling one shy of the club record.
Final Score: LA Angels of Anaheim 9, Baltimore 7
Baltimore, MD - Howie Kendrick hit a two-out, two-run, tie- breaking home run in the top of the ninth as the Angels spoiled Aubrey Huff’s cycle and beat the Baltimore Orioles, 9-7, in a wild affair at Camden Yards. Huff, meanwhile, became just the third player in Orioles history to hit for the cycle, accomplishing the feat in his first four at-bats. Huff legged out a triple in his first at-bat of the game in the second inning before doubling in the fourth. Huff then crushed a three-run home run off Kelvim Escobar in the fifth inning that gave Baltimore a 7-5 lead. Orlando Cabrera’s solo homer in the top of the seventh brought LA back within a run before Huff made history in the home half of the inning. With just a single remaining, Huff blooped a base hit to center to join Brooks Robinson (1960) and Cal Ripken Jr. (1984) as the only players in Orioles history to hit for the cycle. Huff, who scored in each of his first three at-bats, was removed for pinch- runner Brandon Fahey and left the game to a standing ovation. Cabrera went 3- for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored for the Angels, who took the opener of this three-game set after getting swept by the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series. Chone Figgins ended 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Huff finished 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored for the Orioles, who had won five of their last seven. Melvin Mora went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI.
Final Score: Boston 2, Texas 1
Boston, MA - Manny Ramirez was credited with driving in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Boston topped Texas, 2-1, in the opener of a four-game set at Fenway Park. Tim Wakefield (8-8) allowed one run and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings, fanning four and walking four. Jonathan Papelbon held the Rangers at bay in his one inning of relief to earn his 19th save in 20 chances. J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell had two hits each for the Red Sox, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Kevin Youkilis and Ramirez each scored a run. Jamey Wright (1-2) let up six hits and two runs over five-plus innings for Texas, with three strikeouts and three walks. Jerry Hairston Jr. knocked in the lone run for the Rangers, who have dropped two in a row. Kenny Lofton was 4-for-4 with a walk and also stole four bases, Marlon Byrd collected a pair of doubles, and Adam Melhuse doubled and scored.
Final Score: Cleveland 2, Tampa Bay 1
Cleveland, OH - Ben Francisco recorded his first two major league hits, including the winning solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, boosting Cleveland to a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He singled in the fourth before getting the big blow leading off the ninth, crushing a 2-2 offering from Shawn Camp (0-2) over the wall in left field. It was Cleveland’s second walk-off win in its eight-game homestand. Kelly Shoppach’s pinch-hit, game-winning three-run homer capped a five-run ninth inning in an 8-5 win over Oakland on Tuesday. Trot Nixon had two hits and Victor Martinez drove in the other run for Cleveland, which won for the fourth time in five games and moved to 28-12 at Jacobs Field for the season. Jake Westbrook allowed five hits and struck out seven batters over seven innings for the Indians. Joe Borowski (1-3) threw the ninth for the victory. Edwin Jackson failed in his effort to win back- to-back starts, as the Tampa Bay righty scattered six hits and fanned six before being lifted after the sixth inning. Brendan Harris singled in the lone run for the Devil Rays, losers of five straight and eight of 10.
Final Score: Kansas City 8, Chicago 1
Kansas City, MO - Shane Costa and Esteban German knocked in two runs apiece and Brian Bannister threw 6 1/3 solid innings as the Kansas City Royals routed the Chicago White Sox, 8-1, in the first of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium. Bannister (5-4) yielded just one run on four hits, while walking four and striking out five. Zack Greinke limited the White Sox to one hit in the last 2 2-3 innings to record his first career save for the Royals, who raised their season-high win streak to five games and are threatening to climb out of the AL Central basement. The Royals now sit just one game behind the White Sox. Rob Mackowiak had two hits and Juan Uribe drove in the lone run for the White Sox, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Chicago starter Jose Contreras (5-9) was tagged for six runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Final Score: Seattle 5, Toronto 3
Seattle, WA - Jose Guillen had three hits, two RBI and scored a run to lead the red-hot Seattle Mariners over the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, in the start of a three-game series at Safeco Field. Ben Broussard added a two run single as Seattle won its sixth straight game and improved to 8-2 on its current 12-game homestand. The Mariners are also 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2003 season when they finished 93-69. Jarrod Washburn (7-6) limited the Jays to two runs on nine hits over six innings. The left-hander has earned back-to-back wins following a personal four-start winless stretch in which he had two losses and a pair of no- decisions. Washburn also improved to 2-6 in eight career starts against Toronto. He had dropped five consecutive starts against them coming in. Dustin McGowan (4-4) was tagged for five runs on eight hits in just five innings of work. He also walked three and fanned four for Toronto, which has lost three of its last four games.The shaky outing came just five days after McGowan tossed the first shutout — and turned in arguably the best start — of his career. He carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Rockies on Sunday before allowing a single to Jeff Baker. He finished that game by allowing just the one hit, walking a single batter and fanning seven in a 5-0 victory. Aaron Hill had two hits, knocked in a run and scored two for the Blue Jays, while Gregg Zaun also had two hits and an RBI.
Final Score: New York 6, Philadelphia 5 (Game 1)
Final Score: New York 5, Philadelphia 2 (Game 2)
Philadelphia, PA - Carlos Beltran homered twice, John Maine pitched into the ninth inning and the New York Mets beat Philadelphia, 5-2, to sweep a day-night doubleheader over their NL East rivals at Citizens Bank Park. Damion Easley also homered for the East-leading Mets, who have won seven of their last eight games overall and moved five games ahead of the injury- riddled Phillies. Because of injuries to Jon Lieber (foot) and Freddy Garcia (shoulder), Philadelphia is starting three rookie pitchers in this pivotal four-game series. New York also victimized the Phils with the long ball in the opener, as Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes both went deep and the Mets held on for a 6-5 win.
Final Score: Chicago 6, Milwaukee 5
Chicago, IL - Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-5, in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Ramirez ended 3-for-5 and scored twice for Chicago, which rallied from a 5-0 deficit after the first inning to win its seventh straight contest. Derrek Lee also drove in a run during the three-run ninth inning for the Cubs, who improved to 4-0 during their current six-game homestand and moved within 6 1/2 games of the NL Central-leading Brewers. Mike Fontenot extended his hitting streak to 11 games, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, and Cliff Floyd also drove in a run for the Cubs, who got to Milwaukee closer Francisco Cordero for the win. Kevin Mench ended 2-for-3 and Ryan Braun finished 2-for-4 for the Brewers, who lost for only the third time in 15 games since being no-hit by Detroit’s Justin Verlander on June 12. Corey Hart struck out three times, but went 2-for-5 at the plate to extend his career-best hitting streak to 15 games. Yovani Gallardo, making just his third career start, allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two, as the Brewers opened a 10-game road in disappointing fashion. Chicago starting pitcher Rich Hill avoided the setback after surrendering five runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two, in three innings. The left-hander has not won since June 7. Bob Howry (5-4), who worked out of trouble in the ninth, got the win. He allowed one hit and walked one in one inning. Final Score: Atlanta 12, Florida 3
Miami, FL - Chuck James threw well into the seventh inning and had two hits, including an RBI double, as Atlanta powered to a 12-3 victory over Florida in the opener of a three-game series. Chipper Jones knocked in four runs and Jeff Francoeur went 4-for-5 with an RBI and scored three times for the Braves, who have won four consecutive games on the heels of a season-high five-game skid. James (7-7) allowed four hits and a run before being replaced after 6 2/3 innings. The Braves, who were limited to one run in a five-game span from June 19-24, have scored 35 times during their current winning streak. Josh Johnson (0-3) was lifted after giving up five hits and two runs with five walks and six strikeouts in four innings for the Marlins. Wes Obermueller then struggled on the mound as he was pounded for seven hits and six runs in 1 1/3 frames. Mike Jacobs homered and Hanley Ramirez had two hits and a pair of RBI for the Marlins, who lost for the fifth time in six games.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 3, Washington 2
Pittsburgh, PA - Jose Bautista’s second sacrifice fly of the contest knocked in the winning run in the ninth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to edge the Washington Nationals, 3-2, in the first of a three- game set at PNC Park. Ronny Paulino led off the ninth with a single to left off Jon Rauch (3-2). Paulino moved to second on Jack Wilson’s sac bunt before taking third on a wild pitch. Rauch’s first pitch to Nate McLouth got through catcher Brian Schneider for a wild pitch, sending Paulino to third and bringing in pinch-runner Jose Castillo. After McLouth was intentionally walked, pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit walked to load the bases with one out. Bautista then hit a 3-2 pitch to left, allowing Castillo to score easily. Bautista finished with two RBI and McClouth tripled for the Pirates, who have won three of four. Ian Snell gave up two runs on five hits, while walking none and striking out five in seven frames. Matt Capps (4-4) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory. Ryan Langerhans homered and Dmitri Young had two hits for the Nationals, who have dropped four in a row. Washington starter Matt Chico threw six scoreless innings, allowing six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Final Score: St. Louis 4, Cincinnati 2
Cincinnati, OH - Juan Encarnacion knocked in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the eighth inning as St. Louis rallied to edge Cincinnati, 4-2, and give Troy Percival a win in his first action in nearly two years. Percival (1-0), whom the Cardinals signed to a minor league contract back on June 8, returned to the mound for the first time since July 9, 2005 and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to pick up the win. Jason Isringhausen worked around trouble in the ninth for his 15th save of the season for St. Louis, while starter Brad Thompson pitched six innings, yielding two runs on six hits. Josh Hamilton clubbed a two-run home run for the Reds, who have lost four of five. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo held St. Louis to just one run on six hits through seven innings before the Cardinals, trailing 2-1, scored three runs in the eighth off Cincinnati’s beleaguered bullpen to take the lead. Marcus McBeth (2-2) took the loss. Final Score: Houston 9, Colorado 8
Houston, TX - Mark Loretta’s two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth sent Houston past Colorado, 9-8, in the second installment of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park. Facing Brian Fuentes (0-4) in the ninth, the Astros saw their first two men retired when Hunter Pence fanned and Lance Berkman grounded out. Carlos Lee followed by drawing a walk, then Loretta nailed a 1-1 pitch into the seats in left field to give the Astros their second consecutive win in their last at-bat. Dave Borkowski (2-3), held the Rockies off the scoreboard in the top of the frame and earned the win. Chris Sampson did not fare well in the start, yielding eight hits and seven runs over 5 2/3 frames, with four walks, four strikeouts and three home runs. Berkman finished 2-for-5, homered, drove in three and scored twice for the Astros, who have won two in a row in dramatic fashion following Thursday’s game-winning grand slam by Lee in the 11th inning. Loretta was 2-for-3 and scored three runs, Eric Munson drove in a pair, and both Lee and Mike Lamb added RBI. Colorado starter Josh Fogg allowed seven hits and seven runs over 4 2/3 innings, and three relievers combined to allow just one hit until it all unraveled for Fuentes with one out to go. Garrett Atkins hit his 10th and 11th homers of the season and drove in three for the Rockies, who have lost a season-high eight in a row. Willy Taveras had a two-run single, Todd Helton had two hits including a home run, Matt Holliday had a run-scoring single and Ryan Spilborghs added a pinch- hit RBI in defeat.
Final Score: Arizona 4, San Francisco 3 (10 innings)
San Francisco, CA - Barry Bonds moved within five homers of Hank Aaron’s all-time record, but the Giants suffered another painful one-run loss to Arizona, this time falling 4-3 in 10 innings.Bonds belted the 750th homer of his career, a game-tying blast leading off the bottom of the eighth inning off Livan Hernandez. Bonds got a hold of a 3-2 curveball and blasted it to right-center field, over a sign promoting the upcoming All-Star Game at AT&T Park. It was Bonds’ 16th homer of the season and it evened the game at 3-3. Miguel Montero then came through with the winning homer, taking a 1-1 offering from Brad Hennessey (1-3) over the wall in right-center field with one out in the 10th. Jose Valverde pitched the bottom of the inning for his 26th save, getting Bonds to ground out to first to end the game. Bonds finished the game 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, but the Giants suffered their 11th loss in 14 games. They’re 4-6 against Arizona this season, with all of those defeats coming by a run. In fact, nine of the 10 meetings this season have been decided by a run. Tony Pena (3-1) threw the ninth inning to get the victory, but Hernandez provided Arizona with eight solid frames, allowing nine hits and three runs. Arizona, which left 11 men on base, had lost three of four coming into the opener of the three-game series. Matt Morris scattered 10 hits and allowed three runs — one earned — over seven innings for the Giants, who also got a homer from Ryan Klesko.
Final Score: San Diego 7, Los Angeles 6
Los Angeles, CA - Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a three-run homer and scored twice as the San Diego Padres held on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6, in the opener of a key three-game series. Chris Young (8-3) picked up the win after tossing six innings of two-run, seven-hit ball with nine strikeouts for the Padres, who have won three in a row. The two clubs came in tied for first place in the wide-open NL West. The Padres activated Brian Giles from the 15-day disabled list Thursday, and he returned to the lineup for the first time since May 20 due to a right knee contusion. He went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Hong-Chih Kuo (1-4) was roughed up for seven runs — six earned — over just 3 1/3 frames for LA, which has dropped two of three. Nomar Garciaparra went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
