Print

Mail

wiki links

Athletics defeat Orioles to extend lead

Nick Swisher of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated after hitting the game-winning home run in the 12th inning during the game against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. PHOTO: AFP

Nick Swisher and Mark Ellis homered off Jorge Julio in a five-run 12th inning, and the Oakland Athletics completed a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 10-5 victory on Monday.

Oakland scored all of its run on homers. Jay Payton hit a two-run shot in first inning and Dan Johnson connected with two on in the sixth. The A's have 18 home runs in their last six games.

The victory enabled Oakland to extend its lead in the American League West to one full game over the Los Angeles Angels, who were idle. The teams were to begin a three-game series yesterday in Anaheim.

Kiko Calero (3-1), the sixth Oakland pitcher, worked two scoreless innings to seal the A's sixth straight win. It was Oakland's first four-game sweep in Baltimore since the A's moved from Kansas City in 1968.

Jay Gibbons homered and Melvin Mora had two RBIs for the Orioles, who have lost nine of 10.

Indians 10, Tigers 8

At Cleveland, Jhonny Peralta, Coco Crisp and Ben Broussard drove in two runs apiece as Cleveland kept up its late-season surge.

The St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter pitches against the Florida Marlins in the fourth inning on Monday in Miami. The Cardinals won 6-1. Carpenter pitched 7 2-3 innings to become the first 19-game winner in the major leagues. PHOTO: AP

The Indians overcame a five-run deficit in the first inning by scoring six times in their first at-bat and improved to a major league-best 19-7 in August.

Rookie Fernando Cabrera (2-0) cleaned up after Indians starter Scott Elarton, allowing one run in 2 2-3 innings. Rafael Betancourt pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings and Bob Howry worked a perfect eighth.

Bob Wickman pitched the ninth for his league-leading 35th save in 40 attempts.

Broussard hit an RBI triple in the first off Jeremy Bonderman (14-11) and Casey Blake had three hits for Cleveland.

Oakland Athletics second-baseman Mark Ellis, left, tags out the Baltimore Orioles' Melvin Mora as he tries to steal second during the first inning on Monday in Baltimore. The Athletics won 10-5 in 12 innings. PHOTO: AP

Dmitri Young had a grand slam and five RBIs, and Carlos Pena homered for Detroit.

Rangers 7, White Sox 5

At Arlington, Texas, rookie Juan Dominguez allowed seven hits in eight innings, and Mark Teixeira had three hits and two RBIs to lead Texas.

Dominguez (2-3) gave up two runs, struck out three and walked two in his 11th major league start.

Mark DeRosa and Kevin Mench homered for the Rangers, who have won five of seven on their 10-game homestand after a 1-12 trip that dropped them from contention.

Geoff Blum homered for the AL Central leaders, who have lost 10 of their last 15 and are 0-3 at Texas this year.

Chicago made four errors, matching its season high, three by second baseman Tadahito Iguchi.

Mark Buerhle (14-7) gave up seven runs -- four earned -- and nine hits in seven innings. He came in 7-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 10 career appearances against Texas.

Twins 3, Royals 1, 10 innings

At Kansas City, Missouri, Nick Punto hit a two-run double in the 10th inning to lead Minnesota.

Shawn Camp (1-4) walked Jason Bartlett and Michael Ryan with one out in the 10th and Punto, in a 2-for-17 slide, doubled to gap in left-center.

Juan Rincon (6-4) worked out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth and pitched two scoreless innings. Joe Nathan got three outs for his 33rd save in 36 chances, completing a five-hitter.

Minnesota, struggling to stay in contention in the AL wild-card race, is 13-6 in extra-inning games, the most extra-inning wins in the major leagues.

Kansas City has lost four straight after winning four of five following a 19-game losing streak. The Royals are 4-20 in August.

Chris Carpenter pitched 7 2-3 innings to become the first 19-game winner in the major leagues, and David Eckstein went 4-for-5 with three RBIs to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Florida Marlins 6-1 on Monday.

Carpenter (19-4) improved to 11-0 in his past 14 starts. He allowed seven hits but only one run, stranding four runners in scoring position.

Jeff Conine's sacrifice fly in the fourth ended a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings pitched by the Cardinals.

A.J. Burnett (12-8) lost his second start in a row after winning seven straight. He gave up a season-high six walks, and four led to runs -- including one to Carpenter, a .031 hitter.

Dodgers 9, Cubs 6

At Chicago, Jeff Kent drove in four runs and D.J. Houlton got his first win in two months as Los Angeles used a six-run second inning to beat Chicago.

Houlton (5-7) won for the first time in nine starts since June 27, despite giving up four solo homers. He can thank the Dodgers' offense for finally getting him some runs -- they'd scored only eight in his seven losses. Jeromy Burnitz homered twice for the Cubs and Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Walker each connected off Houlton, who surrendered seven hits and four runs in 5 2-3 innings.

Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood made his final appearance of the season, pitching the eighth. He will have season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday.

The Dodgers drove Jerome Williams (4-7) out after 1 2-3 innings with a six-run second.

Boston Red Sox pitcher David Wells will sit out six games for pushing an umpire, failing in his attempt to shorten the suspension on Monday.

He blasted Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig for the appeals process and just about everything else.

"I don't know what the point was even having a hearing," Wells said.

"They said I clearly bumped him and sprayed him with spit. That's coming from a guy that works for the commissioner, so what can you do?" he said.

Wells, who was scheduled to start on Friday, will instead pitch on Sunday. A spot starter will take Wells' turn and the rest of the rotation will be pushed back a day, manager Terry Francona said.

Wells was ejected in Boston's July 2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays after an argument in which he was accused of making contact with two umpires.

Wells acknowledged swearing but said he did so quietly and to himself. He denied spitting on or "beaking" any umpires and said there would have been no problem if second base umpire Chris Guccione wasn't reading his lips or third base umpire Angel Hernandez hadn't intervened to restrain the fuming pitcher.

"I guess that gives umpires a reason to do whatever the hell they want to do," Wells said, adding that he thought he was pushing teammate Kevin Millar, who was trying to restrain him. "It's a sad day for me ... I don't get it. I'm very bitter about the situation."

Wells accused Selig of retaliating for past criticism and discipline czar Bob Watson of "turning against the players."
This story has been viewed 1609 times.