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AMERICAN LEAGUE: Giambi rallies Yankees past Blue Jays

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hu Chin-lung of Taiwan swings for an RBI triple during the fifth inning of their Major League Baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Los Angeles on Thursday. PHOTO: AP

Pinch-hitter Jason Giambi connected for a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, rallying the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 9-8 on Thursday.

Giambi’s drive off closer B.J. Ryan into the right-field upper deck — just inside the foul pole — capped New York’s biggest comeback win this season. In erasing a 7-2 deficit, the Yankees overcame another poor outing by Wang Chien-ming and a key error by center fielder Melky Cabrera.

Brought on to protect an 8-6 lead, Ryan (1-2) got two quick outs in the ninth. But Alex Rodriguez singled, moved to second on defensive indifference and scored on Hideki Matsui’s single.

Orioles 3, Twins 2

At Minneapolis, Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning against reliever Brian Bass (2-2) and Baltimore beat Minnesota. Nick Markakis gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the third with his 10th homer, a two-run shot.

Garrett Olson (5-1) tossed six-and-one-third innings, giving up two runs and eight hits.

The Yankees' Jason Giambi hits a game-winning two-run home run during the ninth inning of the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on Thursday. PHOTO: EPA

Twins starter Scott Baker came off the disabled list and threw 99 pitches in five innings. He gave up two runs and five hits.

Red Sox 7, Rays 1

At Boston, Manny Ramirez homered, drove in five runs and got into a shouting match with a teammate as Boston beat Tampa Bay in a game that included a bench-clearing brawl between the teams.

TV cameras showed Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis being separated after exchanging words.

The Red Sox posted their 13th straight home win, matching the majors’ longest streak in nearly two years, and completed their second three-game sweep of the Rays.

Jon Lester (4-3), making his first Fenway Park start since his no-hitter against Kansas City on May 19, gave up one run and eight hits, struck out five, hit two batters and didn’t walk anyone in six-and-one-third innings.



In other games it was:

• Rangers 9, Indians 4

• White Sox 6, Royals 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE

AP, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Atlanta slugger Chipper Jones hit his 400th career home run on Thursday and finished with four hits in the Braves’ 7-5 victory over the Florida Marlins in the National League.

Jones, who also boosted his major league-leading season batting average to .418, came out of the dugout for a curtain call as fans cheered his milestone homer in the sixth inning. He became the third switch-hitter to reach 400 home runs, following Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504).

Cubs 5, Dodgers 4

In Los Angeles, Chicago’s Kosuke Fukudome opened the scoring with a solo homer and drove in the game-winning run in the ninth inning to sink Los Angeles.

Fukudome singled to right field off Japanese compatriot Takashi Saito with one out in the ninth inning.

The Cubs have won 10 of 11 and lead the majors with a 39-22 record, their best start since 1977 when they had an identical record.

They are 17-3 against National League West teams.

Padres 2, Mets 1

In San Diego, New York’s Scott Schoeneweis hit San Diego’s Paul McAnulty with a pitch with bases loaded in the ninth inning to hand the Padres victory.

Schoeneweis hit McAnulty with a first-pitch fastball in the right shoulder, conceding his fourth walk of the inning.

Phillies 5, Reds 0

In Philadelphia, Cole Hamels pitched a three-hitter for his second career shutout.



In other games it was:

• Cardinals 4, Nationals 1

• Pirates 4, Astros 3