Australian left-hander Travis Blackley won his major league debut, and Randy Winn drove in three runs to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 8-4 on Thursday.
Ichiro Suzuki and Bret Boone each had two doubles among their three hits. Seattle finished with six doubles and 12 hits, gaining a split of the four-game series with the AL West-leading Rangers.
The 21-year-old Blackley (1-0), who had spent this season at Triple-A Tacoma, allowed four runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out one.
Blackley used his curveball and off-speed pitches to set up an 138 kph fastball. The Texas hitters hadn't seen him before, and it showed when Blackley breezed through the early innings.
Blackley became the sixth Seattle pitcher to win his major league debut. The others were Joel Pineiro (2000), Garcia (1999), Bob Wolcott (1995), Mark Langston (1984) and Matt Young (1983).
White Sox 2, Twins 1
In Minneapolis, Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer, Jon Garland pitched seven strong innings and the Chicago White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 2-1 victory Thursday.
The White Sox, who moved two games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central, have won six of seven at the Metrodome this year. Chicago is nine games over .500, matching its season high.
Garland (6-5) scattered seven hits and won for the first time in five starts since June 4. Damaso Marte got six outs for his fourth save. He struck out Joe Mauer with a runner on second to end it.
The Twins wasted an outstanding performance by Johan Santana (6-5), who fanned 12 in eight innings. He gave up three hits.
Indians 7, Tigers 6, 10 innings
In Detroit, Jody Gerut homered in the 10th inning and Cleveland snapped Detroit's six-game winning streak.
Dmitri Young hit a grand slam for the Tigers, and Bobby Higginson tied it at 6 with a home run off David Riske in the ninth inning. But Riske (4-2) escaped a jam, and Rick White got three outs for his first save.
Other results: Blue Jays 14, Devil Rays 0, Athletics 7, Angels 3.
Sammy Sosa homered in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday, giving the Chicago Cubs a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros.
Houston rallied from a 4-0 deficit, tying it when Carlos Beltran hit his second homer of the game and fourth of the series, a three-run shot in the eighth.
But Sosa's long homer to left on the first pitch from Brad Lidge (2-4) helped the Cubs take two of three from the Astros. It was Sosa's 13th of the season and the 552nd of his career.
Jon Leicester (2-0) worked a hitless 10th for the win.
Chicago's Mark Prior pitched 7 1-3 solid innings in his longest outing of the season, leaving with two on in the eighth and a 4-1 lead.
Mets 7, Reds 6
In Cincinnati, Al Leiter pitched seven shutout innings, Shane Spencer hit a three-run homer and New York held on to beat Cincinnati.
Leiter (4-2) gave up only two hits against a lineup missing Ken Griffey Jr. and Sean Casey, showing he's all the way back from the shoulder tendinitis that sidelined him in May. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA since returning from the disabled list.
The bullpen let most of a 6-0 lead slip away in the eighth, but Braden Looper got four outs for his 15th save in 17 chances. He gave up Dunn's 24th homer with two outs in the ninth.
Spencer connected in the sixth off Jose Acevedo (4-7). Eric Valent, Jose Reyes and Richard Hidalgo added solo shots as New York matched its season high for homers in a game.
The Mets took two of three in the series.
Other results: Brewers 10, Rockies 9; Phillies 10, Expos 5; Braves 9, Marlins 1.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and