AMERICAN LEAGUE
Willy Aybar and Shawn Riggans hit three-run homers for the Tampa Bay Rays to set a franchise record with their 71st win in an 11-3 rout of the Seattle Mariners in the American League on Sunday.
Tampa Bay’s previous best record came in 2004 when it finished the season 70-92. After taking three of four in Seattle, the Rays are 71-46 and own a four-and-a-half game lead over Boston in the AL East, their largest advantage since July 6.
And on the day the Rays learned they’ll be without outfield star Carl Crawford for at least two weeks, and possibly longer, it was again everyone in Tampa Bay’s lineup chipping in.
No. 8 hitter Aybar had two home runs for the first multi-homer game of his career.
No. 9 Riggans came through with two outs in the fifth, hitting a pitch by R.A. Dickey (3-7) over the hand-operated scoreboard in left for his fifth homer of the season.
Edwin Jackson won his fourth straight start, scattering seven hits and a run over seven strong innings, striking out two. Jackson (9-7) allowed only Jose Lopez’s solo homer leading off the second.
WHITE SOX 6, RED SOX 5
In Chicago, Carlos Quentin hit his AL-leading 32nd homer, Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye connected, as Chicago beat Boston.
Gavin Floyd (12-6) got the win even though he struggled at times, allowing five runs and seven hits while striking out six in five-and-a-third innings.
Octavio Dotel helped preserve the win. He came in with Chicago clinging to a 6-5 lead with one out in the seventh after Matt Thornton walked the bases loaded. Dotel got a double-play grounder from Mike Lowell to end the threat and retired the side in the eighth.
In Sunday’s other games, it was:
• Angels 4, Yankees 3
• Indians 4, Blue Jays 0
• Tigers 6, Athletics 1
• Rangers 15, Orioles 7
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, CHICAGO
Ryan Dempster earned his 13th win and the Chicago Cubs beat St. Louis 6-2 in a National League game in which Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter left with another injury on Sunday.
Ronny Cedeno’s double capped a five-run sixth inning for the Cubs. Carpenter, making his third start since opening day last year, left the game during the inning with a strained right triceps. The 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery in July last year.
Carpenter (0-1) pitched five-and-a-third innings, allowing six hits and four runs, two earned.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, BRAVES 1
In Phoenix, Brandon Webb threw six strong innings for his major league-leading 17th win and also hit a two-run double for Arizona against Atlanta.
Chris Snyder homered for the Diamondbacks, who snapped a four-game losing streak to remain in first place in the NL West.
In Sunday’s other games, it was:
• Brewers 5, Nationals 4,
13 innings
• Padres 16, Rockies 7
• Giants 5, Dodgers 4
• Phillies 6, Pirates 3
• Marlins 8, Mets 2
• Astros 13, Reds 4
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