(Wednesday, July 4th)
Final Score: Boston 7, Tampa Bay 5
Boston, MA - Mike Lowell hit a two-run home run and Doug Mirabelli knocked in a pair as the Boston Red Sox held on to defeat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 7-5, taking the second of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Lowell also scored twice and J.D. Drew contributed with two doubles and an RBI for the Red Sox, who have won three in a row and four of their last six. Tim Wakefield (9-8) earned the win despite struggling at times. The knuckleballer gave up four runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out a pair and walked two. Jonathan Papelbon came in for the ninth to earn his 20th save of the season. Carl Crawford finished 3-for-5 with a two-run double and scored a run and Carlos Pena drove in a pair for Tampa, which has dropped 10 straight. Edwin Jackson (1-9) struggled through five innings of work, surrendering seven runs on nine hits, while striking out five and walking one.
Final Score: Minnesota 6, New York 2
Bronx, NY - Jason Kubel’s seventh-inning two-run homer gave Minnesota the lead and the Twins went on to beat New York, 6-2, and spoil Yankees owner George Steinbrenner’s 77th birthday celebration. Johan Santana (10-6) got the win, his fourth straight, allowing just two runs on four hits over seven innings. The left-hander struck out five and walked two, combining with Pat Neshek and Joe Nathan on the four-hitter. The trio also worked together to set down the final 16 New York batters in order. Luis Rodriguez also hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, which rebounded after losing the first two games of this four-game set that concludes on Thursday. Justin Morneau had two hits and drove in a run and Torii Hunter went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Twins, who ended a three-game slide. Hideki Matsui homered and Andy Phillips drove in a run for the Yankees, who lost for the 10th time in 14 outings. Derek Jeter ended 1-for-4 with a run scored for New York, which fell to 3-3 on its current 10-game homestand. New York starting pitcher Mike Mussina (4-6) suffered his third loss in four starts, allowing four runs — three earned — on five hits in six-plus innings. The right-hander, who struck out five and didn’t walk a batter, has not allowed more than three earned runs over his last six starts, but has just a 2-3 record to show for it. Final Score: Toronto 10, Oakland 3
Oakland, CA - Matt Stairs homered and drove in four runs and Dustin McGowan allowed just four hits over seven shutout innings to lift the Toronto Blue Jays over the Oakland Athletics, 10-3, in the finale of a three- game set. Alex Rios added two hits and drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, who took two of three to end a 10-game road trip with a 4-6 mark. Vernon Wells also homered, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, for Toronto, which returns home for a three-game set against the Cleveland Indians starting on Friday. McGowan (5-4) picked up his fifth win in seven decisions, adding four strikeouts and two walks to his line. This was his seventh quality start in nine trips to the mound. Jack Cust drove in two runs and scored once for the Athletics, who have dropped nine of 12. Oakland starting pitcher Joe Kennedy (2-7) suffered his third straight loss, not making it out of the first inning. The left-hander surrendered four runs on two hits and four walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Kennedy has not won since June 6, a span of five starts, and is only 1-5 in his last 10 starts. Final Score: Baltimore 9, Chicago 6
Chicago, IL - Jay Gibbons went 2-for-4, including a two-run home run, and drove in three runs as Baltimore bested Chicago, 9-6, in the third of a four-game set at U.S. Cellular Field. Kevin Millar was 2-for-5 and drove in a pair for the Orioles, who have won three of five. Brian Roberts collected three hits and scored two runs, while Jay Payton, Nick Markakis and Corey Patterson knocked in a run each. Rob Bell (2-1) got the win by giving up one run in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Garrett Olson, in his major-league debut, allowed just five hits and two runs over 4 1/3 innings, fanning four and walking five. White Sox starter Jose Contreras (5-10) was dented for eight hits and six runs over five innings with five strikeouts and a pair of walks. Rob Mackowiak had a three-run home run and Josh Fields finished 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored for the Sox, who have dropped two of three. Toby Hall and Andy Gonzalez each collected an RBI in the loss. Final Score: Detroit 6, Cleveland 4
Detroit, MI - Carlos Guillen and Ivan Rodriguez hit back-to- back triples in the seventh inning, and Kenny Rogers won for the third time in as many starts this season, as the Tigers earned a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Guillen had three hits with an RBI and scored for Detroit, which bounced back from a 5-4 loss in 11 innings in the opener of the three-game set on Tuesday to climb within two games of the first- place Indians in the AL Central. Rogers (3-0) who has been dominant since returning from surgery to remove a blood clot in his throwing shoulder, allowed seven hits and two runs — one earned — over 5 1/3 innings. His ERA is 1.04 through the three starts. Brandon Inge drove in two runs and Todd Jones threw the final inning for his 21st save. Travis Hafner belted a two- run homer for the Indians, who had a six-game winning streak broken. Jake Westbrook (1-4) gave up 10 hits and five runs over six innings to suffer the loss. Final Score: Seattle 4, Kansas City 0
Kansas City, MO - Jarrod Washburn threw shutout ball into the ninth inning and the Mariners gave John McLaren his first win as Seattle’s manager in a 4-0 victory over Kansas City to avoid a three-game sweep. Adrian Beltre doubled in two runs and Jose Guillen stroked a two-run single, all during Seattle’s four-run first inning. The Mariners lost their first two games under McLaren, who was promoted from bench coach following Mike Hargrove’s stunning resignation on Sunday. The club had won eight consecutive games under Hargrove’s direction heading into this series but lost 3-2 in 11 innings on Monday and was decimated in a 17-3 rout on Tuesday. Washburn (8-6) allowed five hits, fanned five and walked a batter before being removed after two batters in the ninth to win his third consecutive start. He moved to 6-1 lifetime at Kauffman Stadium. Final Score: Texas 4, LA Angels of Anaheim 2
Arlington, TX - Marlon Byrd finished 3-for-3 with a double, drove in a run and scored as Texas topped the Angels, 4-2, in the middle contest of three between the clubs. Jamey Wright (2-2) allowed two runs and five hits over six-plus innings, and Eric Gagne hurled a perfect final inning for his 11th save. Frank Catalanotto went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for the Rangers, who have won four of five. Gerald Laird drove in two and Brad Wilkerson added an RBI double. Jered Weaver (6-5) gave up seven hits and three runs over five-plus innings for the Angels, losers of two straight and six of eight. Vladimir Guerrero knocked in a run and Chone Figgins collected a pair of hits in defeat.
Final Score: Washington 6, Chicago 0
Washington, DC - On Independence Day in America’s capital, Matt Chico combined with Saul Rivera and Ray King on a five-hit shutout, and Dmitri Young belted a fifth-inning grand slam as the Washington Nationals stopped the streaking Chicago Cubs, 6-0, in the third of a four-game set. Chico (4-5) held the Cubs to four hits through seven innings, fanning four for the Nationals, who had dropped seven of eight entering the game. Young’s slam capped a three-hit day, and Ryan Zimmerman also homered for Washington. Rich Hill (5-6) was rocked for 10 hits and six runs in six innings, striking out six with one walk. Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot each doubled, the only extra-base hits for the Cubs, who had won 10 of 11 entering the game, and the first five meetings this season with Washington.
Final Score: San Francisco 9, Cincinnati 5
Cincinnati, OH - Fred Lewis belted a grand slam, and Ray Durham and Rich Aurilia hit back-to-back solo shots as the San Francisco Giants topped the Cincinnati Reds, 9-5, in the second of a three-game set. Matt Cain (3-9) had a rough outing, giving up nine hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts and two walks, but still earned his first win since May 13. Cain, who has taken some hard-luck losses during the eight-start winless streak, received seven runs of support, a marked change from his last few starts, in which the Giants managed only three runs over the last 28 2/3 innings Cain toed the mound. The slam capped a three-hit day for the rookie Lewis. Mark Sweeney also homered for the Giants, who have won three of four, and broke a seven-game road losing skid. The day after belting career homer number 751, Barry Bonds did not play for the Giants. Matt Belisle (5-6) lasted only four innings, giving up five runs on six hits with no strikeouts and no walks. Ken Griffey Jr. was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run for the Reds, who left 10 runners on base and have dropped two of three.
Final Score: Philadelphia 8, Houston 3
Houston, TX - Ryan Howard had two hits, including a two-run home run and three RBI as the Philadelphia Phillies handled the Houston Astros, 8-3, to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park. Wes Helms chipped in with a double, homer and two RBI and Chase Utley went 3- for-4 with a two-base hit, triple and two runs scored as the Phillies snapped a brief two-game losing streak. Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins added solo homers for the Phillies. Cole Hamels (10-4) had a solid outing, giving up one run on eight hits over seven innings. The southpaw, who snapped a mini two-game losing skid, struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk. Eric Munson hit a home run and knocked in a pair and Hunter Pence added a solo shot for Houston, which saw its modest three-game winning streak come to an end. Chris Sampson (6-6) took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits, while striking out four and walking a batter over 6 1/3 innings. It was the right- handers’ first loss since May 26th.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 5, Milwaukee 3
Pittsburgh, PA - Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche each belted two-run home runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3, in the third of a four-game set at PNC Park. Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell (7-5) went eight innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his eighth save in nine chances. LaRoche scored twice for the Pirates, who have won six of nine since losing five in a row. Ryan Braun homered and had three RBI for the Brewers, who have lost three of four. The Brewers are 13-25 all-time on July 4, the worst record among active teams with at least 20 games played on Independence Day. Brewers starter Claudio Vargas (6-2) was tagged for five runs on six hits in six frames. Corey Hart extended his hitting streak to 20 games for the Brewers, who fell to 19-39 all-time at PNC Park.
Final Score: St. Louis 5, Arizona 4
St. Louis, MO - Juan Encarnacion and Scott Rolen hit back- to-back RBI doubles in the eighth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-4, in the third of a four-game set at Busch Stadium. Chris Duncan and Brendan Ryan homered for the Cardinals, who have won three of four. St. Louis starter Brad Thompson allowed four runs on seven hits over seven frames. Ryan Franklin (3-0) earned the win by pitching a scoreless eighth. Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances. Arizona starting pitcher Livan Hernandez and Miguel Montero each hit a two-run homer for Arizona, which has lost four of five. Hernandez went seven frames, allowing three runs on 10 hits.
Final Score: Colorado 17, New York 7
Denver, CO - Garrett Atkins had four hits — including a two-run home run — and combined with Todd Helton for 10 RBI as the Colorado Rockies decimated the New York Mets, 17-7, to complete a three-game sweep at Coors Field. Brad Hawpe and Troy Tulowitzki also homered for the Rockies, who pounded out 20 hits and outscored the Mets 34-12 in the series. Colorado also swept the Yankees at home from June 19-21, becoming the first team in more than a half-century to sweep two New York clubs in the same year. Josh Fogg (4-6) was tagged for five runs - four earned - and eight hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out three, winning for the third time in five starts. David Wright clubbed a three-run homer and collected four RBI for New York, which is winless so far in the month of July and has dropped four straight. Orlando Hernandez (4-4) gave up six runs - five earned - and six hits over four innings. He walked six, fanned two and labored through 107 pitches, just 59 for strikes. Reliever Guillermo Mota had an even worse outing, yielding six runs on six hits in just two-thirds of an inning.
Final Score: San Diego 1, Florida 0
San Diego, CA - Chris Young made a strong case for inclusion on the National League All-Star team by tossing seven scoreless innings, and Mike Cameron scored the winning run on an error by catcher Miguel Olivo in the ninth inning, as the Padres edged the Marlins, 1-0, at Petco Park. Young, who was not one of the 11 pitchers named to the NL squad for the upcoming Midsummer Classic, struck out nine while holding Florida to five hits. He also lowered his earned run average to 2.00, tying the Dodgers’ Brad Penny for best in the majors. Young has been on an incredible run over the last six weeks. He has posted a 4-0 record in nine starts since his latest defeat, a May 12 setback to St. Louis. Only twice during that span has he surrendered more than one run. The towering right-hander is one of five candidates eligible for the last available spot on the NL roster, which will be determined via fan balloting this week. Cameron led off the ninth with a double off Matt Lindstrom (1-3), before Khalil Greene was intentionally walked. Hiram Bocachica’s bunt single sent Cameron to third, and Kevin Kouzmanoff followed with a grounder to Miguel Cabrera. The third baseman nabbed the ball and threw home, but Olivo dropped the ball as Cameron slid by him. Heath Bell (2-2) tossed a perfect ninth to earn the win for San Diego, which has won six of its last eight. Josh Johnson started for the Marlins but left after the fifth inning due to a stiff forearm and could be placed back on the 15-day disabled list. He allowed just four hits and struck out three before departing early in just his fourth start of the season. He missed the first 2 1/2 months while recovering from a problem with the ulnar nerve in his right elbow. Final Score: Atlanta 5, Los Angeles 2
Los Angeles, CA - Andruw Jones homered and Chipper Jones singled in a pair in Atlanta’s 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yunel Escobar had three hits with an RBI and scored for the Braves, who snapped a three-game skid, but won for the sixth time in nine games.Jeff Francoeur had two hits and also scored a run for the Braves in the third installment of the four-game series. Chuck James (8-7) yielded four hits and a run over five innings to win his second consecutive start. Bob Wickman escaped trouble in the ninth inning to post his 15th save. Mark Hendrickson (2-4), making his first start since May 31 against Washington, allowed seven hits and two runs over five innings in defeat. Juan Pierre had three hits and drove in a run for the Dodgers, who had a three-game winning streak broken.
