(Friday, July 6th)
Final Score: Minnesota 20, Chicago 14 (Game 1)
Final Score: Minnesota 12, Chicago 0 (Game 2)
Chicago, IL - Jason Kubel belted a grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs as the Minnesota Twins outslugged the Chicago White Sox, 20-14, in the front end of a day-night doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field. Torii Hunter also homered and Joe Mauer tied his career high with five RBIs, going 4-for-6 with three singles and a double for the Twins. Justin Morneau then homered three times and drove in six runs, as Minnesota capped the high-octane doubleheader with a 12-0 victory. Jeff Cirillo, Hunter and Michael Cuddyer also had home runs for the Twins, and manager Ron Gardenhire picked up his 500th win thanks to the day- night double dip. This is the first time since 1993 that the Twins have won both ends of a doubleheader. Morneau became the first Twin to hit three homers in a game since Tony Oliva against Kansas City on July 3, 1973. Final Score: Detroit 9, Boston 2
Detroit, MI - Marcus Thames hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Detroit Tigers downed the Boston Red Sox, 9-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Comerica Park. Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run while Placido Polanco and Gary Sheffield each scored twice for the Tigers, who have won three straight. Andrew Miller (4-2) got the win. The left-hander was charged with just one run on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts in seven innings of work, the longest outing of his career. Coco Crisp drove in a run and Doug Mirabelli added a solo home run for the Red Sox, who had a four- game winning streak stopped. Julian Tavarez (5-7) was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits in just 4 2/3 innings or work. It was his third straight loss.
Final Score: New York 14, LA Angels of Anaheim 9
Bronx, NY - Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup with a bang, clubbing a two-run homer, as New York outlasted the Angels, 14-9, in the opener of a three-game series. Rodriguez had two hits and scored three times, and Jorge Posada went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Yankees, who had a season-high 19 hits and won for the fourth time in five contests to get back within a game of .500 (41-42). Melky Cabrera had three hits with an RBI and scored three times for New York. Johnny Damon, playing left field for the first time since June 22, 2001 when he was with Oakland, had a pair of hits with an RBI and scored twice in the win. Every player in the Yankee lineup had at least a hit and an RBI. Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins each drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which despite leading the AL West, has lost three of four and seven of its last 10 games.
Final Score: Toronto 8, Cleveland 6
Toronto, ON - Vernon Wells homered and knocked in three runs, helping the Toronto Blue Jays fight off the Cleveland Indians, 8-6, in the opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre. Alex Rios added two RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won three of four. Reed Johnson made an immediate impact in his first action in nearly three months for Toronto. The left fielder was activated from the 60-day disabled list earlier in the day, and came up with a sensational diving catch in the ninth to rob Victor Martinez and preserve the lead. Johnson had been sidelined since April with a herniated disk in his lower back. Roy Halladay (10-3) allowed five runs in 5 2/3 frames but still got the win, while Jeremy Accardo recorded his 11th save of the season. Cliff Lee (5-5) yielded six runs — five earned — over four innings for the Indians, who have lost three in a row. Casey Blake went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in defeat.
Final Score: Tampa Bay 6, Kansas City 5
Kansas City, MO - James Shields tossed seven strong innings before things went bad in the eighth, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were able to hold on and beat the Kansas City Royals, 6-5, putting an end to their 11- game losing streak in the opener of a three-game set. Shields (7-4) held the Royals to just one run through seven innings, but ended up allowing seven hits and four runs in 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts. Brendan Harris went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored two times for the Devil Rays, who pounded out 15 hits. Delmon Young went 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Devil Rays, who hadn’t won since beating the Angels, 9-4, on June 24. Gary Glover recovered from letting up a leadoff homer in the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Odalis Perez (4-8) was roughed up for 10 hits and five runs in six innings. Alex Gordon went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for the Royals, who have now dropped consecutive games after winning seven of nine. Final Score: Texas 4, Baltimore 3 (10 innings)
Arlington, TX - Michael Young singled home the winning run in the 10th inning, as Texas edged Baltimore, 4-3, to start a three-game series. The Rangers got the winning run off reliever Paul Shuey (0-1). Travis Metcalf grounded a lead-off single, Jerry Hairston Jr. bunted him over to second, and Ramon Vazquez walked to set up Young, who roped the game- winning single off the glove of a diving Chris Gomez at third base. Brad Wilkerson homered for the Rangers, who have gone 11-5 since June 20. Kameron Loe, who took the mound in search of a fifth consecutive winning start, allowed just five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six- plus frames. Joaquin Benoit (3-2) retired three straight in the 10th for the win. Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Orioles, who lost their second straight. Gomez ended 2-for-4 in the loss. Jeremy Guthrie, who was one of the bright spots in the Orioles’ otherwise dim first half of the season, gave up three runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six innings. Final Score: Seattle 7, Oakland 1
Oakland, CA - Adrian Beltre went 5-for-5 with two homers, two doubles and a single as the Seattle Mariners handed Dan Haren his first loss since April 7th with a 7-1 victory over Oakland. Beltre had three RBI for Seattle, which has won two of three. Jose Vidro also chipped in with a two-run double. Eric O’Flaherty (6-0) earned the win by tossing a scoreless frame, while starter Jeff Weaver yielded just one run on four hits, walked two and fanned four over five innings. Haren (10-3) was tagged for four runs - three earned - on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander lost his first two starts of his 2007 campaign but had been unbeatable since, compiling a 10-0 record in 16 previous outings. He had also emerged as a leading candidate to start for the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in San Francisco. Dan Johnson knocked in the lone run for the A’s, who made five errors in the contest and have dropped three of their last five games. Third baseman Marco Scutaro had four of the errors, which tied an American League record for errors in a game by a third baseman. Scutaro was starting in place of Eric Chavez, who sat out with back stiffness. He made two throwing errors and also botched a pair of grounders in the eighth inning.
Final Score: Milwaukee 6, Washington 2
Washington, DC - Ryan Braun hit a pair of solo homers and Dave Bush tossed seven strong innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers over the Washington Nationals, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game set at RFK Stadium. Braun ended 2-for-5 and Kevin Mench went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer for the Brewers, who ended a three-game losing streak. Corey Hart finished 1-for-5 to extend his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, as NL Central-leading Milwaukee improved to 3-5 on its current 10-game road trip. Bush (7-7) won for the fourth time in five decisions, yielding just one run on seven hits. The right-hander struck out a season-high tying seven and walked two. Ronnie Belliard fell a triple short of the cycle, going 4-for-5 for the Nationals, who have lost consecutive games and nine of 10 outings. Dmitri Young, the lone All-Star for Washington, went 2-for-5, as the Nats left 11 runners on base to fall to 1-4 on their current seven-game homestand. Washington starter Mike Bacsik (2-6) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings of work. The left-hander has now lost two straight and three of four starts.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 8, Chicago 4
Pittsburgh, PA - Freddy Sanchez and Xavier Nady both homered in the third inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates topped the Chicago Cubs, 8-4, in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Ryan Doumit finished 2- for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Pirates, who won their fourth straight. Jose Bautista ended 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win. Paul Maholm (5-11) gave up four runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts over seven-plus innings for Pittsburgh, which announced earlier in the day that CEO Kevin McClatchy will step down from his position at the end of the 2007 season. Mark DeRosa went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Cubs, who had won 11 of 13 games coming into the contest. Right-hander Jason Marquis (6-5), who ended a nine-start winless skid in his last outing, allowed six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings for Chicago.
Final Score: Cincinnati 8, Arizona 1
Cincinnati, OH - Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 586th home run of his career, tying Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for sixth on the all-time list, as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-1, in the start of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park. Kyle Lohse (5-10) pitched brilliantly to earn the sixth complete game of his career, and his second this season. The right-hander allowed just four hits, walked two and fanned five. He has yielded just one earned run over his last 16 innings pitched. Griffey connected off Arizona starter Micah Owings (5-4) for a two-run shot in the fifth inning, hammering an 0-1 pitch 419 feet to right-center. It was his 23rd homer of the season, and leaves him just four shy of the 27 he hit last year. Brandon Phillips had three hits, including a solo homer, and also scored three runs for Cincinnati, which has won four of its last six games. Adam Dunn added a two-run homer, and Edwin Encarnacion chipped in with a two-run double. Owings was touched for six runs, six hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He also had four strikeouts for Arizona, which has dropped three straight and seven of nine overall.
Final Score: Houston 4, New York 0
Houston, TX - Wandy Rodriguez tossed a four-hit shutout and Lance Berkman highlighted a three-run fifth inning with a two-run homer as the Houston Astros downed the New York Mets, 4-0, at Minute Maid park. Rodriguez (6-7) went the distance for the first time in his career, striking out a career-high tying eight and walking just one. The left-hander has not allowed a run and only seven hits over the last 17 innings covering his last two starts. Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Brad Ausmus scored a pair of runs for the Astros, who knotted this four-game set and ended a two- game skid. Craig Biggio also drove in a run for Houston, which improved to 6-3 on its current 11-game homestand. Former Astro Carlos Beltran went 1- for-4 for the Mets, who have dropped five of their last six outings and fell to 4-5 on their current 11-game road trip. New York starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey (0-7) lost his seventh straight start, surrendering four runs on seven hits, striking out a season-high five and walking two, over six innings.
Final Score: San Francisco 4, St. Louis 3
St. Louis, MO - Barry Bonds didn’t get many chances to inch closer to Hank Aaron’s home run record, but the Giants got six strong innings on the mound from Noah Lowry in a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Bonds, who is four homers shy of Aaron’s record 755, went 0-for-1 with three walks and scored once. He grounded into a double play in the first and earned passes in the third, fifth and seventh before being replaced by pinch-runner Fred Lewis. Lowry (9-6) allowed four hits and a run with five walks and five strikeouts to win his third consecutive start. Kevin Correia threw two scoreless innings, but Brad Hennessey ran into trouble in the ninth, walking Aaron Miles and giving up a pinch-hit single to Scott Spiezio. Jake Taschner surrendered a two-run single to pinch-hitter Chris Duncan with two outs. However, Randy Messenger picked up his first career save by retiring So Taguchi on a fly ball to left field. Ray Durham had two of San Francisco’s nine hits, drove in a run and scored, as the Giants won for the fourth time in six games. Albert Pujols wasn’t able to grab the spotlight from Bonds, fanning twice and going 0-for-4 at the plate, as the Cardinals fell in the opener of the three-game series and lost for the second time in six contests. Mike Maroth (0-1) was charged with five hits and four runs — one earned — over five innings.
Final Score: Colorado 7, Philadelphia 6 (11 innings)
Denver, CO - Yorvit Torrealba drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning, as the Colorado Rockies erased a five-run deficit and beat the Phillies, 7-6, in the start of a three-game series at Coors Field. Garrett Atkins drew a one-out walk off J.D. Durbin (0-2) and Brad Hawpe, who tied the game with a two-out homer in the ninth inning, singled to center. Troy Tulowitzki then struck out, but Torrealba smashed a 1-1 pitch back up the middle to score Atkins. Durbin fell to 0-2 with the Phillies, who acquired him off waivers from Boston earlier in the season. The loss also prevented sensational rookie right-hander Kyle Kendrick from securing his fourth straight win since being called up from Double-A Reading. Kendrick allowed three runs on 10 hits, walked one and fanned two in the start. Aaron Rowand had three doubles and scored a pair of runs for the Phillies, who have dropped three of four and six of their last nine. Manny Corpas (3-2) tossed a scoreless inning for the win, while Rockies starter Jeff Francis surrendered six runs and 12 hits, with a walk and four strikeouts in five innings of work. Hawpe finished with four hits and Matt Holliday also homered for the Rockies, who have won four straight and five of six.
Final Score: Atlanta 7, San Diego 4
San Diego, CA - Buddy Carlyle tossed eight strong innings, and Andruw Jones blasted a two-run homer and drove in another run as the Atlanta Braves defeated the San Diego Padres, 7-4, in the opener of a three- game set. Carlyle (3-2) scattered eight hits and three runs, fanning seven with one walk for the Braves, who have won three straight. Kelly Johnson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for Atlanta. Justin Germano (5-3) was ripped for 10 hits and seven runs in four-plus innings. Russell Branyan hit a solo homer for the Padres, who have dropped three of four.
Final Score: Florida 6, Los Angeles 5 (10 innings)
Los Angeles, CA - Hanley Ramirez homered twice and then executed a perfect bunt single to drive in the winning run in the 10th inning, boosting Florida to a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kevin Gregg walked Tony Abreu, James Loney and Rafael Furcal with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but then got Juan Pierre to pop out to shortstop. The Dodgers were trying for their 100th straight home win when leading after eight innings, but Takashi Saito blew a save for just the fourth time in 51 lifetime tries, allowing an RBI double to Miguel Cabrera. Jeremy Hermida dropped a sure out, capping Los Angeles’ five-run fifth inning, but the Marlins rallied to win back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game surge, June 19-22. Mike Jacobs had three hits and an RBI for the Marlins. Renyel Pinto (1-3) threw two innings to get his first major league win, while Gregg notched his 18th save of the year. Russell Martin clubbed a two-run homer and Jeff Kent went 3-for-4 and scored for the Dodgers, who suffered their third consecutive defeat.
