Minnesota sensation Francisco Liriano pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Twins over the Houston Astros 4-2 in interleague play on Thursday in Roger Clemens' much-anticipated debut.
Beginning his 23rd major league season, Clemens (0-1) was looking for his 342nd win. But instead it was Liriano, only 7 months old when Clemens started his big league career, who earned his eighth victory.
It was Clemens' first major league start since leaving Game 1 of the World Series exactly eight months ago with a strained hamstring. He allowed six hits and two runs while striking out four and walking two.
PHOTO: EPA
Liriano (7-1) gave up just four hits in eight innings and didn't allow a run until Jason Lane's two-run homer in the eighth, helping the Twins to their ninth win in 10 games and their fourth straight series victory.
Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 11th save.
White Sox 1, Cardinals 0
At Chicago, Jim Thome homered in the seventh inning for the only hit off rookie Anthony Reyes, sending Freddy Garcia and the White Sox over St. Louis.
Missing suspended manager Ozzie Guillen, the World Series champions won their seventh straight and finished a three-game sweep of the National League Central leaders, shut out despite the return of Albert Pujols.
Reyes (1-1), recalled from Triple-A Memphis before the game, retired his first 13 batters against a team that had 33 runs and 40 hits in the first two games of the series.
Garcia (9-4) allowed four hits in eight innings, retiring 13 straight during one stretch. But his effort was overshadowed for the first 6 1-3 innings by Reyes, who mixed pitches and changed speeds.
Marlins 8, Orioles 5
At Baltimore, Miguel Cabrera, refusing to be walked, reached across the plate and hit an intentional ball from Todd Williams for a 10th-inning RBI single, helping Florida rally past Baltimore.
The Marlins trailed 5-1 in the ninth before coming back against Baltimore closer Chris Ray, who was 18-for-18 in save situations this season.
Then, with the score tied at 5 in the 10th, Hanley Ramirez led off with an infield hit against Williams (1-3). Ramirez took second on a groundout, bringing Cabrera to the plate.
With catcher Ramon Hernandez standing upright and calling for an intentional walk, Cabrera stepped into the soft, outside pitch and drove it to center, scoring Ramirez with the go-ahead run on a swing more likely to be seen in the movies than the major leagues.
Two more runs scored on a throwing error by shortstop Miguel Tejada.
Randy Messenger (1-3) worked the ninth and earned his first major league win, and Joe Borowski got three outs for his 13th save.
Blue Jays 3, Braves 2
At Atlanta, thanks to another bullpen meltdown, Atlanta has lost 10 consecutive games for the first time in 18 years.
With the loss, the Braves have been swept in three straight series of at least three games for the first time since 1977. They have lost 10 straight games for the first time since an 0-10 start to the 1988 season.
Toronto welcomed back starter A.J. Burnett, who pitching for the first time since April 21. He gave up only five hits and two runs in six innings. Burnett, who struck out seven, showed no signs of the soreness in his right elbow that caused him to go on the disabled list on April 22.
Ty Taubenheim (1-4) recorded two outs in the seventh for his first win. B.J. Ryan got the final three outs for his 20th save -- and third of the series -- in 21 chances.
Mike Remlinger (2-4) took the loss.
Devil Rays 4, Diamondbacks 1
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Scott Kazmir took a two-hitter into the eighth inning and Aubrey Huff homered and drove in three runs to lead Tampa Bay over Arizona.
Kazmir (9-4) limited the Diamondbacks to Conor Jackson's second-inning double and Chad Tracy's seventh-inning single before Johnny Estrada led off the eighth with his sixth homer.
The 22-year-old left-hander struck out eight and walked two in 7 2-3 innings, helping the last-place Devil Rays sweep a series for the third time this season and improve to 8-1 against National League opponents.
Brian Meadows pitched the ninth to finish a combined three-hitter and earn his second save.
Arizona has lost 15 of 17, and dropped to 0-6 against American League teams. It remained the only club that has never beaten Tampa Bay.
Edgar Gonzalez (0-1) has lost 10 consecutive decisions dating to 2004. He hasn't won in the majors since June 2003.
Rangers 5, Padres 3
At Arlington, Texas, Michael Young got the go-ahead hit and Texas beat San Diego to avoid a series sweep and a losing homestand.
Young's two-run single in the fifth gave Texas a 3-2 lead before Hank Blalock's two-run double. Rod Barajas had a RBI double for the Rangers, who finished 5-5 on their homestand.
John Rheinecker (3-1) allowed 11 hits over 5 1-3 innings, but the Padres managed only two runs against him. Akinori Otsuka worked the ninth for his 14th save.
San Diego starter Clay Hensley (4-6) is 0-3 in his last four starts. He allowed five runs and six hits over 4 1-3 innings.
Royals 15, Pirates 7
At Kansas City, Missouri, Emil Brown and Tony Graffanino drove in three runs apiece, helping Kansas City complete a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh.
In this interleague matchup between the two worst teams in the majors, the Royals seemed to establish themselves as the best of the worst.
Twice in their first sweep of the Pirates (26-48), the Royals (22-49) erased 4-0 deficits while stretching their season-best winning streak to four in a row. The Pirates have lost a season-worst eight straight and are 1-8 against the AL this season.
Reggie Sanders scored four times for Kansas City. Scott Elarton (3-8) allowed one earned run in 5 2-3 innings.
Paul Maholm (2-6) went 4 1-3 innings, giving up seven runs and six hits. He walked five, and every one of them scored.
Dodgers 4, Mariners 2
At Los Angeles, Derek Lowe pitched a seven-hitter to win his fifth straight decision, Cesar Izturis got three hits and scored twice in his first start since last August, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Seattle to snap a five-game losing streak.
The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Mariners -- their longest since August 2004.
It was also the first interleague loss in nine games for the Mariners, who were the first team ever to win eight straight interleague games to begin a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Lowe (6-3) walked none and struck out six in the Dodgers' first complete game of the season.
The Dodgers scored three runs in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead and chase Felix Hernandez (7-7), who entered having won four straight starts.
Mets 6, Reds 2
At New York in National League action, David Wright hit a pair of two-run homers and Pedro Martinez won for only the second time since April 28 as the New York Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-2.
The win gave New York a split of the four-game series and widened its lead in the National League East division to 10 games over Philadelphia.
Wright connected in the fourth and fifth innings against Eric Milton (4-4), keying a Mets comeback after the Reds took an early 2-0 lead.
Martinez (7-3) overcame some unusual wildness to throw six innings for the victory. He allowed just two hits but walked five batters -- he is averaging only two free passes per game this season. The three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out eight, including his final four batters.
Heath Bell worked a scoreless seventh, and Chad Bradford struck out three of his four batters for his second save.
E-mails seized by federal authorities identify the convicted founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative as a source in the San Francisco Chronicle's reporting on the steroids scandal, according to an online court filing which accidentally revealed confidential information.
The filing details exchanges between Chronicle reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada and Victor Conte, who jokingly suggests in one message that he be placed on the newspaper's payroll in exchange for information about grand jury testimony by elite athletes.
It was unclear from the filing whether Conte provided the reporters with grand jury transcripts, but it does show Conte discussing the testimony of athletes.
Riske suspended
Chicago White Sox pitcher David Riske was suspended for three games by Major League Baseball on Thursday for intentionally throwing at St. Louis' Chris Duncan this week.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen also was suspended, for one game. He and Riske were each fined an undisclosed amount by Bob Watson, vice president of on-field operations for MLB.
Riske's suspension was scheduled to start with Thursday's home game against St. Louis.
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