AMERICAN LEAGUE
Carlos Pena’s three-run homer capped a six-run rally in the ninth inning that carried the Tampa Bay Rays past the Cleveland Indians 10-7 on Wednesday.
Eric Hinske had an RBI double in the ninth and Gabe Gross tied it 7-all with a two-run homer off Edward Mujica, who was trying for his first major league save.
Masa Kobayashi (4-5) replaced Mujica and gave up an infield single to Akinori Iwamura. The right-hander then walked Ben Zobrist before Pena homered to center for his fifth career game-ending homer, setting off a raucous celebration at Tropicana Field.
The American League East leaders, who have never won more than 70 games in 10 previous seasons, improved to 68-45 with their eighth victory in 11 games.
RED SOX 8, ROYALS 2
At Kansas City, Missouri, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run homer and Tim Wakefield’s baffling knuckleball shut down Kansas City on four hits through six innings.
Jed Lowrie and J.D. Drew drove in two runs apiece for the Red Sox, who finished their season series 6-1 against the Royals.
Wakefield (7-8) threw knuckleballs almost exclusively, tossing practically each delivery toward the plate in the 63mph range while winning for the first time in four starts.
YANKEES 5, RANGERS 3
At Arlington, Texas, Jason Giambi homered, Sidney Ponson beat his former Texas teammates and Mariano Rivera returned from an aching back to save a win for New York.
Ponson (7-2), released by Texas in June, gave up three runs and six hits in 6 and a third innings. Rivera, who hadn’t pitched since Friday because of back spasms, threw a one-hit ninth for his career-best 27th consecutive save this season.
WHITE SOX 5, TIGERS 1
At Chicago, Jim Thome hit a three-run homer and John Danks worked efficiently into the seventh inning, helping the White Sox stay a game ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central.
Danks (9-4) allowed one run on four hits over 6 2-3 innings, giving the White Sox a lift after they used seven relievers in a 14-inning win over Detroit the previous night. Danks struck out six and walked one, leaving to a standing ovation in the seventh.
TWINS 7, MARINERS 3
At Seattle, rookie Denard Span drove in a career-high four runs and robbed Adrian Beltre of a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, leading the Twins to a victory.
Nick Blackburn (9-6) allowed three runs in six innings to tie Detroit’s Armando Galarraga for most wins by an AL rookie.
Beltre had two hits and two RBIs for Seattle.
ANGELS 9, ORIOLES 4
At Anaheim, California, Vladimir Guerrero homered and drove in four runs, Garret Anderson had three hits and two RBIs, and the Angels rolled past the Orioles.
Ervin Santana (13-5) allowed four runs and eight hits over seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. The first-time All-Star got as much run support in this outing as he did over his previous four starts combined, including a 5-2 loss at Camden Yards on July 27.
Baltimore’s Luis Montanez homered on the second pitch he saw in the major leagues. The only other Orioles player to homer in his first big league at-bat was Les Narum on May 3, 1963.
BLUE JAYS 5, ATHLETICS 1
At Toronto, Rod Barajas hit a three-run homer, Shaun Marcum pitched seven strong innings and Toronto extended Oakland’s season-long losing streak to nine games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, PHOENIX
The recently acquired right-hand pitcher Jeff Karstens set down his first 23 batters before Chris Young’s two-out double in the eighth inning and finished with a two-hitter on Wednesday in a 2-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Karstens (2-0) has tossed 15 scoreless innings — against a pair of first-place teams — since coming to Pittsburgh in a six-player trade on July 26 that sent outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees.
In other National League action it was:
• Cubs 11, Astros 4
• Brewers 6, Reds 3
• Giants 3, Braves 2
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was