MAJOR LEAGUES
AP, NEW YORK
PHOTO: AP
Jason Giambi homered twice and Andy Pettitte looked particularly sharp in an easy outing as the New York Yankees beat the sloppy San Diego Padres 8-0 on Tuesday to match a season high with their fifth straight victory.
Alex Rodriguez also connected off an ineffective Randy Wolf (5-5) for the surging Yankees (38-33), who have won 10 of 13 to move a season-best five games above .500. New York has outscored its opponents 35-6 during the five-game winning streak.
Including a 13-0 whitewash Sunday at Houston, the Yankees have tossed consecutive shutouts for the first time since May 7-8, 2005, against Oakland.
Pettitte (7-5) tied a season high with nine strikeouts in seven innings, improving to 4-0 in his past six starts.
RED SOX 3, PHILLIES 0
At Philadelphia, Jon Lester struck out five over seven shutout innings and Coco Crisp homered to lead Boston over Philadelphia.
Lester (6-3) never got into any serious trouble and won his third straight start. He gave up six hits and walked only one.
Crisp gave him all the offense he needed with a two-run homer in the second inning off Jamie Moyer (7-4). Julio Lugo added an RBI double in the sixth.
TWINS 2, NATIONALS 1
At Minneapolis, Livan Hernandez finally found a way to keep opposing hitters off base, earning his first victory in over a month in Minnesota’s win over the Nationals.
Hernandez (7-4), who is on pace to become the first pitcher since Atlanta’s Phil Niekro in 1979 to allow more than 300 hits in a season, allowed one run on just five hits in seven efficient innings. He needed just 77 pitches for his first win since May 12.
Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Joe Mauer went 2-for-3 with a double for the Twins.
DODGERS 3, REDS 1
At Cincinnati, right-hander Chad Billingsley took a shutout into the seventh inning and Los Angeles held on for a victory over Cincinnati that ended a five-game losing streak.
Billingsley (5-7) provided a huge boost on an otherwise ominous day for the Dodgers’ rotation. Brad Penny went on the 15-day disabled list with a sore shoulder, and Hiroki Kuroda was sent back to Los Angeles for tests on his sore shoulder.
ORIOLES 6, ASTROS 5
At Baltimore, Melvin Mora hit a two-run double in the eighth inning to cap yet another improbable rally by Baltimore and doom the sinking Houston to its sixth straight defeat.
A home run by Nick Markakis got the Orioles to 5-4 in the seventh before the Orioles went ahead in the eighth. After Adam Jones hit a leadoff single off Doug Brocail (2-2) and Brian Roberts drew a one-out walk, Jose Valverde struck out Markakis before Mora hit a 3-2 pitch into the gap in right-center.
BREWERS 7, BLUE JAYS 0
At Milwaukee, Manny Parra scattered four hits in seven scoreless innings and Ryan Braun hit two of Milwaukee’s five homers, lifting the Brewers over the Blue Jays.
Prince Fielder, Russell Branyan and even Craig Counsell homered for Milwaukee, which improved to 2-2 on the current nine-game homestand and won its eighth straight at home against Toronto even though the last game came in 1997.
ROYALS 2, CARDINALS 1
At St. Louis, Mike Aviles homered to snap an eighth-inning tie and Kyle Davies worked seven sharp innings in Kansas City’s victory over the Cardinals.
David DeJesus contributed his sixth RBI in two games for the Royals, 29-42 overall but a robust 5-2 in interleague play while taking two of three from Florida and Arizona.
RAYS 3, CUBS 2
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Cliff Floyd and Evan Longoria hit solo home runs, helping Tampa Bay spoil Lou Piniella’s return to Tropicana Field with a victory over Atlanta.
Floyd’s shot to right field off Ryan Dempster traveled an estimated 429 feet (131 meters). Longoria led off the sixth with his 11th of the season, snapping a 1-all tie against Neal Cotts (0-1).
RANGERS 7, BRAVES 5
At Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton put Texas ahead to stay with his American League-best 19th homer and Milton Bradley added a two-run single on which he got hurt in Texas’ victory over Atlanta.
Hamilton’s towering 126m solo shot into the second deck of right-field seats came in the first off Tim Hudson (7-5), who is winless his last five starts.
WHITE SOX 16, PIRATES 5
At Chicago, Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede, Orlando Cabrera and Jim Thome homered as the White Sox registered season highs in runs and hits to rout Pittsburgh.
Thome’s homer, a three-run shot to cap a five-run seventh, was the 521st of his career, tying him with Willie McCovey and Ted Williams for 16th on the career list.
ROCKIES 10, INDIANS 2
At Denver, Greg Reynolds pitched six strong innings and led Colorado’s season-high 17-hit attack by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and the Rockies routed Cleveland.
Jeff Baker hit an inside-the-park home run, Brad Hawpe also homered and Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 with two RBIs for Colorado, which has won three of its last four.
Reynolds (2-4) allowed one run on five hits and struck out four to earn his second win in his last three starts.
ATHLETICS 15, DIAMONDBACKS 1
At Phoenix, Mark Ellis hit two home runs to lead a six-homer barrage and the Athletics routed Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks.
Eric Chavez, Kurt Suzuki, Bobby Crosby and Rajai Davis also homered for Oakland, which won its fourth straight.
MARINERS 5, MARLINS 4
At Seattle, Felix Hernandez was overpowering for the first five innings, then scrambled to hold his lead, and Seattle snapped an eight-game home losing streak with a win over Florida.
Between Dan Uggla’s 20th homer of the season with one-out in the second and Matt Treanor’s bloop single leading off the sixth, Hernandez retired 11 straight, seven by strike out. He struck out six consecutive batters at one point, including the side in the fourth on the minimum nine pitches.
ANGELS 6, METS 1
At Anaheim, California, John Lackey scattered six hits over seven-plus innings to lead the Angels to a victory that spoiled Jerry Manuel’s debut as New York Mets manager.
In a matchup of staff aces, Lackey (4-1) outpitched Johan Santana (7-5). The Angels’ right-hander, whose 2008 debut was delayed by a strained biceps, shut out the Mets after giving up a run in the first inning.
TIGERS 5, GIANTS 1
At San Francisco, Kenny Rogers pitched seven strong innings and Marcus Thames homered in his fifth straight game to help Detroit beat San Francisco.
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