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Angels stay on top against Red Sox 7-5

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Casey Kotchman and Torii Hunter homered in a six-run sixth inning as the Los Angeles Angels improved baseball’s best record with a 7-5 win over Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox in the American League on Monday.

Kotchman’s two-run homer gave the Angels a 3-2 lead. Hunter’s three-run shot drove Matsuzaka (11-2) from the game and equaled the total number of runs he had allowed in his previous five starts.

Matsuzaka hadn’t given up a homer in any of those games.

Manny Ramirez singled home the Red Sox first two runs and homered off Francisco Rodriguez for the last run in the ninth. It was his 20th homer, making him the eighth player in baseball history to hit that many in 14 consecutive seasons.

TWINS 7, WHITE SOX 0

At Minneapolis, Kevin Slowey pitched a six-hitter, Denard Span hit his first major league home run and Minnesota beat Chicago, striking first in this key AL Central series.

Slowey (7-7) struck out five and walked one, and the Twins moved within one-and-a-half games of the first-place White Sox. These teams play six more times this season, three more this week and all at the Metrodome.

Span and Justin Morneau hit two-run shots in the third inning against Mark Buehrle (8-9), and Brendan Harris later had a two-run double. Buehrle was done after five innings, allowing eight hits and five runs.

ORIOLES 13, YANKEES 4

At New York, Adam Jones hit a grand slam and an RBI triple to back Jeremy Guthrie’s strong start, leading Baltimore to a blowout that ended New York’s 10-game home winning streak.

Kevin Millar hit a three-run drive in the second and Ramon Hernandez followed another homer off an ineffective Mike Mussina (13-7), who failed to last at least six innings for the first time since May 24.

Guthrie (7-8) shut out New York on two hits through six innings.

Aubrey Huff hit his 21st homer and had three RBIs as Baltimore set a season high for runs and matched its top hit total with 17.

Xavier Nady homered for his first hit with the Yankees, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped with a 9-2 loss on Sunday night in Boston. Johnny Damon added a three-run shot to make it 11-4 in the seventh.

INDIANS 5, TIGERS 0

At Cleveland, Paul Byrd pitched into the eighth inning and combined with Edward Mujica on Cleveland’s four-hit shutout of Detroit.

Byrd (5-10) gave up four hits over 7 2-3 innings and didn’t allow a runner past second base. The right-hander struck out four, walked three and earned his second straight win after going 1-7 over a stretch of 10 starts.

Kelly Shoppach and Asdrubal Cabrera hit home runs off Kenny Rogers (8-7) in a three-run sixth as Cleveland won for the second time in six games.

BLUE JAYS 3, RAYS 1

At Toronto, A.J. Burnett matched a career-high with his 12th win, Matt Stairs hit a two-run homer and Toronto won for the sixth time in seven games, beating Tampa Bay.

Burnett, who also won 12 games in 2002 and 2005, allowed one unearned run and six hits in seven innings. He walked four and struck out 10. It was the 20th time Burnett has struck out 10 or more in a game, and the fourth time this season.

Burnett (12-9) has won six of eight starts for Toronto, which improved to 3-7 against Tampa Bay this season.

MARINERS 7, RANGERS 5

At Arlington, Texas, Adrian Beltre homered twice, including the go-ahead shot in the eighth inning, to lead Seattle past short-handed Texas.

Rangers All-Star shortstop Michael Young could miss up to a week with a small fracture on his right ring finger, which he apparently suffered diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt in the first inning. Texas was already without third baseman Hank Blalock, who was scratched before the game with an upset stomach.

Beltre, reportedly one of a handful of Mariners players who could be traded at the deadline tomorrow, drove a 1-2 pitch over the center-field fence with one out in the eighth off Frank Francisco (2-3).

ROYALS 4, ATHLETICS 2

At Oakland, California, Jose Guillen hit his first home run in more than a month and Alex Gordon also had a two-run homer for Kansas City, helping Zack Greinke get his first win in July.

Greinke (8-7) struck out a career-high 11 in 7 1-3 innings and Kansas City earned its first win in four tries this year against the A’s after being swept in the Coliseum from April 18-20. The Royals have won 10 of their last 17 in Oakland.

Joakim Soria recorded the final three outs for his 28th save in 30 chances — matching the most saves ever in a single season for a Mexican-born pitcher. Juan Acevedo also had 28 for Detroit in 2002.



NATIONAL LEAGUE

AP, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

Derrek Lee doubled with one out in the ninth to score Alfonso Soriano as the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Monday to take a two-game lead in the National League Central.

In the opener of a four-game series between the NL’s top two teams, the Cubs prevailed in a back-and-forth contest to improve to 32-26 at Miller Park since it opened in 2001.

With the game tied at 4, Brewers closer Salomon Torres (5-3) struck out Kosuke Fukudome, but ran into trouble by walking Soriano and pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot.

Lee then flared a double to right, scoring Soriano. After an intentional walk to Aramis Ramirez and a strikeout of Geovany Soto, Mark DeRosa’s infield single scored Fontenot to make it 6-4.

Ryan Braun, J.J. Hardy and Russell Branyan homered for Milwaukee.

CC Sabathia allowed nine hits and four runs, three earned, in 6 2-3 innings.

Soriano hit his 17th homer and scored three runs for the Cubs.

MARLINS 7, METS 3

At Miami, Dan Uggla and Cody Ross hit RBI singles to spark a five-run eighth inning, and Florida rallied for the win over New York.

With their 31st come-from-behind win, most in the National League, the Marlins closed within a game of NL East-leading New York.

Second-place Philadelphia is a half-game out of first.

Adding to the Mets’ gloom, starter John Maine left the game after 4 1-3 innings because of a stiff shoulder, and he’ll return to New York for tests.

With Florida trailing 3-2, Josh Willingham led off the eighth with a double against Joe Smith (1-3), and Uggla followed with a tying single. Uggla took third when pinch-hitter Wes Helms singled off Scott Schoeneweis, and Ross followed with a base hit to put the Marlins ahead.

CARDINALS 12, BRAVES 3

At Atlanta, Albert Pujols drove in three runs, Braden Looper won for the first time in six starts and St. Louis beat injury-riddled Atlanta.

Joe Mather went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs for St. Louis, which had lost six of seven. Ryan Ludwick also drove in two runs.

The Braves, struggling to stay in contention in the NL East, lost their third straight game on the same day they placed Chipper Jones, who leads the majors with a .369 average, and Tim Hudson, their No. 1 starter, on the disabled list.

Rookie Charlie Morton (2-4), recalled from minor league Richmond because of Hudson’s elbow injury, lasted only 3 2-3 innings.

In other games, it was:

• Pirates 8, Rockies 4

• Astros 5, Reds 4
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