Josh Beckett became the first seven-game winner in the major leagues as the Boston Red Sox beat Toronto 9-2 for the Blue Jays' seventh straight loss on Tuesday.
Mike Lowell and Dustin Pedroia each hit three-run homers for Boston while Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis added solo shots. Youkilis was later hit by a pitch above the left knee and left with a bruise.
Beckett (7-0) was tagged for a home run by Alex Rios on the first pitch of the game. He worked seven innings, setting down 14 straight at one stretch. He allowed one run and five hits, walked one, struck out five and lowered his ERA to 2.51.
PHOTO: AP
Youkilis got the Red Sox started with a home run in the first, and Boston led 8-1 by the third.
Victor Zambrano (0-2) gave up eight runs and eight hits in two-and-two-thirds innings.
Indians 5, Angels 1
PHOTO: AP
At Anaheim, California, Cliff Lee tossed a two-hitter for his 50th career victory and Cleveland beat Anaheim for its 13th win in 16 games.
Victor Martinez homered and had an RBI-single and Casey Blake drove in two runs for the Indians.
Lee (1-0), who is 50-28 in his fourth full season, struck out two and walked two in his second career complete game. The left-hander spent the first month of the season on the disabled list because of a strained right abdominal muscle. Lee made his first start last Thursday against Toronto, and received a no-decision after giving up five runs and nine hits in six innings.
Lee didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning on Tuesday, when Mike Napoli doubled to right field. He scored on Reggie Willits' single to make it 3-1.
Ervin Santana (2-5) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Yankees 8, Rangers 2
At New York, Alex Rodriguez hit his first homer in 15 days and Andy Pettitte pitched seven sharp innings as New York won its seventh straight over Texas.
Derek Jeter drove in two runs, and Robinson Cano broke out of a 1-for-21 slump with two doubles for New York.
Pettitte (2-1) allowed one run and seven hits for his first win in five starts since April 10.
Hank Blalock doubled three times and walked for the Rangers, who were coming off a three-game sweep of Toronto.
Mike Wood (0-1) gave up eight runs and nine hits in four innings.
Tigers 9, Mariners 7
At Detroit, Omar Infante drove in a career-high four runs and Gary Sheffield homered for Detroit in its eighth straight victory.
The Tigers' streak is their longest of the season and the best current string in the majors.
Richie Sexson's three-run homer gave Seattle a 3-0 lead in the first, but Detroit tied it the next inning and went ahead with another three-run burst in the fourth.
Infante's double and triple were the big hits in the three-run innings and his RBI single in the sixth put the Tigers ahead 7-5.
Sheffield gave Detroit a three-run lead in the seventh with his fourth homer in six games.
Jeremy Bonderman (2-0) gave up five runs and seven hits over six innings. Horacio Ramirez (2-2) allowed seven runs and 11 hits over five-and-two-thirds innings.
Orioles 8, Devil Rays 3
At Baltimore, Jeremy Guthrie allowed one run over six innings to earn his second major league victory for Baltimore, which got home runs from Nick Markakis and Jay Gibbons.
Athletics 6, Royals 1
At Kansas City, Missouri, Chad Gaudin struck out a career-high eight for Oakland and lowered his ERA to 2.18, third in the American League.
Twins 7, White Sox 4, 10 innings
At Minneapolis, Justin Morneau's second homer of the game, a three-run blast off Nick Masset in the 10th inning, lifted Minnesota past Chicago.
Miguel Cabrera singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth inning, and the Florida Marlins beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 in the National League on Tuesday.
Pungent smoke from brush fires in southwest Florida rolled into the area shortly before the first pitch and hung over the crowd of 11,124 throughout the game.
Rookie pinch-hitter Eric Reed led off the ninth with a single, hiking his lifetime average to .109 in 55 at-bats. He took second on a passed ball. After a strikeout and a walk, Cabrera singled off Jonathan Broxton (1-1), improving his average with runners in scoring position to .423. He also hit his eighth home run for Florida, and Miguel Olivo hit his second.
Henry Owens (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.
Brewers 6, Nationals 4
At Milwaukee, Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer and J.J. Hardy homered to extend his hitting streak to 19 games for Milwaukee.
The Brewers, winners of five straight, are 8-1 on their 10-game homestand that ended yesterday. Washington has lost seven in a row.
Milwaukee, with the best record in the major leagues at 23-10, also spoiled Jason Simontacchi's return to the majors. Simontacchi (0-1) had not appeared in the big leagues since 2004. He spent the entire 2005 season recovering from shoulder surgery and last year in the minors. Simontacchi was finished after the sixth, allowing six hits and a walk.
Francisco Cordero allowed his first earned run in 15-and-two-thirds innings this season but got the save, his 14th in as many chances.
Astros 7, Reds 6
At Cincinnati, Lance Berkman's second home run in two nights overshadowed the 568th of Ken Griffey Jr's career and lifted Houston to the win.
Braves 3, Padres 2
At Atlanta, Andruw Jones snapped an 0-for-21 slump with two hits, including an eighth-inning single that drove in the go-ahead run for Atlanta.
Cardinals 4, Rockies 1
At St. Louis, pinch-hitter Scott Spiezio and Adam Kennedy both drove in two runs in a four-run seventh for St. Louis.
Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 2
At Phoenix, Eric Byrnes and Tony Clark hit long home runs as Arizona edged Philadelphia.
With two outs in the seventh, Clark hit a 457-foot shot off the facing of the loge in right field to break a 2-2 tie. In the second, Byrnes hit a 473-foot (147m) homer into a restaurant above the bleachers in left, tying for the second-longest homer in Chase Field's 10-year history.
Pirates 4, Cubs 3, 15 innings
At Chicago, Jack Wilson hit his first sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to tie the game then hit a second one with the bases loaded in the 15th for Pittsburgh.
Mets 4, Giants 1
At Saqn Francisco, New York's Tom Glavine earned his 294th win and San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit his 745th home run.
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
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
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
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely