(Sunday, July 1st)
Final Score: Oakland 11, New York 5
Bronx, NY - Jack Cust homered and drove in four runs as Oakland trounced New York, 11-5, in the finale of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Cust was 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and a run-scoring double for the Athletics, who won for just the third time in 10 games. Dan Johnson added a two-run home run and Eric Chavez drove in three runs. Dan Haren (10-2) wasn’t that effective but remained perfect against New York and won his 10th consecutive decision. The right-hander allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings but took advantage of a potent A’s lineup to run his record to 4-0 versus the Yankees. Andy Phillips was 3-for-4 with two RBI for the reeling Yankees, who have lost six of seven games and nine of 11. Bobby Abreu also drove in a pair of runs. The lifeless Andy Pettitte (4-6) was rocked for eight runs on nine hits in just 1 2/3 innings en route to the loss.
Final Score: Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 2
Cleveland, OH - Cliff Lee scattered one run and four hits over eight innings, as Cleveland bested Tampa Bay, 3-2, in the third installment of a four-game series at Jacobs Field. Lee (5-4) tied a career- high with nine strikeouts and walked two en route to his third win in four starts. Joe Borowski gave up a run and two hits in the ninth, but recovered to earn his AL-best 24th save in 26 chances. Jhonny Peralta went 2-for-4 with a solo homer for the Indians, winners of four in a row and five of six. Ryan Garko collected a pair of hits, and Grady Sizemore knocked in a run. James Shields (6-4) allowed just six hits and three runs — two earned — over 6 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts but lost his fourth consecutive start. Akinori Iwamura had two hits for the D-Rays, losers of seven straight games. Carlos Pena’s solo homer and Delmon Young’s sacrifice fly accounted for both Tampa runs.
Final Score: LA Angels of Anaheim 4, Baltimore 3
Baltimore, MD - Vladimir Guerrero threw out Melvin Mora at home plate in the bottom of the ninth inning for the game-saving double play, as the LA Angels of Anaheim held on to top the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 and close out a three-game set at Camden Yards. LA got a run in the eighth on Mike Napoli’s solo shot to left field on a 2-2 pitch for a two-run cushion, but Baltimore cut its deficit in half with a run in the bottom half, as Brian Roberts doubled, Chris Gomez singled, and pinch- hitter Ramon Hernandez singled home Roberts for a 4-3 deficit. The Orioles continued to rally in the ninth. With one out, Mora hit a ground- rule double and Jay Payton singled him over to third. Roberts then hit a fly ball into right field, but Guerrero took four steps and hurled the ball perfectly to Napoli, who stepped in front of home plate to make the tag on Mora’s left thigh just after the third baseman slid across it. Nevertheless, he was called out, for the game-ending double play. Casey Kotchman also homered for the Angels, who have won two of three. John Lackey (11-5) allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks over 7 1/3 innings. Francisco Rodriguez tossed the final 1 1/3 innings for his 24th save of the season. Payton homered for the Orioles, who have lost three of four. Jeremy Guthrie (4-2) allowed four runs on four hits with seven strikeouts over eight innings for Baltimore. Final Score: Texas 2, Boston 1
Boston, MA - Kameron Loe scattered six hits and one run in six innings, leading Texas to a 2-1 win over Boston in the third act of a four-game set at Fenway Park. Loe (5-6) won his fourth straight decision, while four relievers combined to hold the Red Sox to three hits over the final three innings. Brad Wilkerson had an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won two in a row. Kenny Lofton, Ramon Vazquez and Michael Young all hit safely twice. Julian Tavarez (5-6) took the loss, allowing seven hits and one earned run in 5 2/3 frames. Kevin Youkilis went 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single for the Red Sox, losers of two straight and five of six. Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek also had a pair of hits. Final Score: Chicago 3, Kansas City 1
Kansas City, MO - Jon Garland allowed just one unearned run over seven innings, as the Chicago White Sox downed the Kansas City Royals, 3-1, in the finale of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium. Now 2-0 against the Royals this season, Garland (6-5) added to his career success versus Kansas City by striking out four batters and walking only one. Bobby Jenks tossed the ninth for his 22nd save of the season. Paul Konerko homered for the White Sox, who, following an exciting extra- inning affair on Saturday, got their sixth win in seven chances. Andy Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the win. Esteban German and Billy Butler both finished 2-for-4 for the Royals, who lost their second straight. John Thomson (1-1) gave up two runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings. It was just his second appearance with the Royals since he was given his unconditional release from Toronto while languishing in the club’s minor league system. Final Score: Seattle 2, Toronto 1
Seattle, WA - Jose Guillen singled in the game-winning run in the ninth inning as Seattle got its last win under manager Mike Hargrove and completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 2-1 win at Safeco Field. Shortly before the game began, Hargrove unexpectedly announced his resignation as Seattle’s manager on Sunday at the conclusion of the game. Hargrove compiled a 191-210 record in three seasons with the Mariners. Seattle is 45-33 after the game and sits in second place in the American League West. To replace Hargrove, the Mariners have promoted bench coach John McLaren and signed him to a contract for the rest of the 2007 season. The game was tied heading into the ninth, but Adrian Beltre started the inning by getting hit by a pitch, then moved to second on Raul Ibanez’s single, and crossed the plate on Guillen’s ground ball single to left. Guillen also hit a solo home run and J.J. Putz (1-0) got the win for pitching a scoreless ninth inning for the Mariners, who have won eight straight games. Jeff Weaver started on the mound for Seattle and pitched eight innings of one- run, seven-hit ball. Since coming off the disabled list on June 9, he is 2-0 with a 1.65 earned-run average in five starts. Frank Thomas hit a solo home run while Jeremy Accardo (1-3) got the loss for giving up the run in the ninth for the Blue Jays, who have lost five of six. Shaun Marcum started on the mound and gave up just six hits in 6 2/3 innings. Final Score: Detroit 1, Minnesota 0
Detroit, MI - A pitchers duel was broken by a home run from Marcus Thames in the eighth inning as the Detroit Tigers avoided a sweep with a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Thames got the only run of the game in the eighth inning as he belted the first pitch he saw just over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead. Todd Jones retired the Twins in order in the ninth for his 20th save of the season. Jeremy Bonderman (9-1) won his ninth decision in his last 10 starts as he gave up just six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in eight innings of work for the Tigers, who had lost four of five coming into the game. Scott Baker (2-3) was the hard luck loser as he gave up just the one run on three hits in eight innings of work for the Twins, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Final Score: Florida 6, Atlanta 5 (10 innings)
Miami, FL - Josh Willingham drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th, as the Florida Marlins blew a big lead but still managed to salvage a 6-5 win in the finale of a three-game series at Dolphin Stadium. Willingham went a perfect 5-for-5 to set a career high for hits and had two RBI and a run scored for the Marlins, who dropped six of seven coming in. Dontrelle Willis got the start and pitched well, but was replaced following an extended rain delay. He ended with no runs and two hits in four innings of work. Lee Gardner (2-2) ended up with the win, while Rafael Soriano (2-1) took the loss. Atlanta starter Buddy Carlyle gave up just one hit over his three innings of work. Edgar Renteria knocked in a pair of runs and Andruw Jones homered for Atlanta, which had a season-high five-game winning streak snapped.
Final Score: St. Louis 11, Cincinnati 7
Cincinnati, OH - Ryan Ludwick homered twice and drove in four runs as St. Louis dumped Cincinnati, 11-7, in a wild affair at Great American Ball Park. Chris Duncan was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Cards, who won two of three in the set. So Taguchi was 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Mike Maroth was ineffective in his second start with St. Louis. The starter lasted just three innings and surrendered five runs on six hits. Troy Percival (2-2) got the win after allowing a run in an inning of relief. Ken Griffey Jr. was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer for the Reds, who have lost six of eight games. Brandon Phillips chipped in with a two-run homer for Cincinnati. Homer Bailey (2-2) was touched for seven runs on seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work.
Final Score: Philadelphia 5, New York 3
Philadelphia, PA - Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run home run and rookie Kyle Kendrick gave the Phillies another solid outing, as Philadelphia salvaged the finale of an otherwise dreadful four-game set against the New York Mets with a 5-3 victory. Kendrick (3-0), in his fourth-career start since being called up from Double-A Reading, gave up just two runs on six hits through 6 2/3 innings for the Phillies, who had lost the first three games of this pivotal series against their division rival. The young right-hander also benefited from three double plays. Mike Zagurski, another Reading call-up, walked Carlos Delgado to start the ninth before striking out Jose Valentin. Shawn Green’s groundout sent Delgado to third and pinch-hitter Ruben Gotay’s single to center off Antonio Alfonseca brought New York within two runs. Alfonseca, though, got pinch-hitter Julio Franco to ground out for his sixth save of the season. By avoiding the sweep, the Phils crawled back within five games of the Mets in the NL East. Shane Victorino went 3-for-4 with a home run and two stolen bases for Philadelphia, while Chase Utley tripled and scored. Delgado homered and scored twice for the Mets, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. Mike Pelfrey (0-6), starting in place of Oliver Perez, was tagged for three runs — two earned — on four hits in five innings of work. Final Score: Washington 3, Pittsburgh 2
Pittsburgh, PA - Jose Flores hit a two-run home run and Felipe Lopez knocked in a run as the Washington Nationals held on to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2, salvaging a win in the three-game series at PNC Park. Dmitri Young contributed with a pair of hits and scored a run, and closer Chad Cordero recorded his 14th save of the season with a scoreless ninth for the Nationals, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Mike Bacsik (2-5) earned the win, pitching six strong innings, giving up two runs — one earned — on five hits. The left-hander struck out a pair and walked one. Jack Wilson and Ryan Doumit each drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for Pittsburgh, which had its brief two game winning streak snapped. Paul Maholm (4-11) turned in a quality start, allowing three runs on nine hits, while striking out five and walking one over seven innings. Final Score: Houston 12, Colorado 0
Houston, TX - Lance Berkman hit a two-run home run and had four RBI as the Houston Astros hammered the Colorado Rockies, 12-0, winning the rubber game in a three-game set at Minute Maid Park. Luke Scott added a two-run shot and knocked in three and Mike Lamb contributed with three hits and two RBI for the Astros, who have won three of their last four. Hunter Pence had four hits and three runs scored and also drove in a run. Wandy Rodriguez (5-7) turned in a solid effort, giving up only three hits, while striking out four and walking a pair in seven innings of play. Matt Holliday finished 1-for-2 with a double for Colorado, which has lost nine of its last 10 contests. Rodrigo Lopez (4-2) was ineffective in taking the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in four innings of work. He also walked three batters and did not record a strikeout. Final Score: Chicago 5, Milwaukee 1
Chicago, IL - Jason Marquis pitched seven strong innings and Aramis Ramirez knocked in a pair of runs as the Chicago Cubs topped the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, in the finale of a three-game set. Ryan Theriot doubled three times and scored three runs, while Derrek Lee went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Cubs, who have won eight of nine. Marquis (6-4) gave up just one run on four hits with five strikeouts and a walk for Chicago, which moved back to .500 (40-40) and pulled within 6 1/2 games of Milwaukee for the lead in the NL Central. Corey Hart’s homer accounted for the only run for the Brewers, who had won five straight series before dropping two of three to the Cubs this weekend. Dave Bush (6-7) pitched six innings and yielded four runs on six hits for Milwaukee. Final Score: San Francisco 13, Arizona 0
San Francisco, CA - Ryan Klesko finished a triple shy of the cycle, and Tim Lincecum scattered just three hits and fanned a career-high 12 batters over seven scoreless innings as the San Francisco Giants decimated Arizona, 13-0, in the finale of a three-game set at AT&T Park. Klesko had a single, double and two-run homer. He also scored twice and finished with a season-high four RBI for the Giants, who have won two straight. Bengie Molina added a three-run home run and Kevin Frandsen knocked in a pair as the Giants pounded out 14 hits in the contest. Barry Bonds hit a two-run double, walked twice and scored a pair of runs before he got replaced by Nate Schierholtz in the top of the seventh. The double was Bonds’ 2,900th career hit and 377th double with the Giants, moving him past Hall of Famer Willie Mays, and into sole possession of first place in San Francisco history. Bonds, who is riding an eight-game hitting streak, is still five home runs shy of tying Hank Aaron’s all-time home run mark of 755. Lincecum (3-2) did not allow a baserunner beyond first until the sixth inning when Stephen Drew hit a one-out double. It was the first win for the right- hander since May 22, and his 12 strikeouts were the fourth-highest total by a San Francisco rookie in franchise history. Micah Owings (5-3) lasted only four innings for Arizona, yielding seven earned runs and eight hits. He also walked three and fanned a pair for Arizona, which has dropped four of its last six games. Final Score: Los Angeles 5, San Diego 0
Los Angeles, CA - Rafael Furcal hit a solo homer, drove in two runs and scored a pair as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres, 5-0, to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Matt Kemp added a solo shot and scored twice as LA snapped a brief two-game losing skid. Chad Billingsley (5-0) was magnificent over seven innings of work, allowing only three hits, while striking out nine and not walking a batter. Hiram Bocachica had a pair of hits for the Padres, who had their four- game winning streak halted. Justin Germano (5-2) had a shaky outing, surrendering five runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings. The righty struck out three and walked three.
