AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Tampa Bay Rays edged the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Wednesday to maintain their lead in the American League East division.
Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza and two relievers combined on a six-hitter to keep the Rays 3-1/2 games ahead of Boston in the East.
PHOTO: AP
Carlos Pena homered in the fourth inning for the only score of the game. It was his 27th homer of the season.
Red Sox 11, Yankees 3
In New York, Boston beat New York to drive another nail into the coffin of the Yankees’ playoff ambitions.
Jason Bay drove in four runs and Dustin Pedroia hit a grand slam as Boston easily beat its arch rival.
Pedroia’s first career slam capped a seven-run eighth inning and New York dropped seven games behind Boston.
In other American League action on Wednesday it was:
• Orioles 11, White Sox 3
• Athletics 6, Angels 5
• Indians 9, Tigers 7
• Rangers 3, Royals 2
• Twins 6, Mariners 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, PHILADELPHIA
Daniel Murphy hit a tiebreaking double after Carlos Delgado’s second solo homer had tied the game in the eighth and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 to reclaim first place in the National League East on Wednesday.
Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer and Jayson Werth homered for the Phillies, who fell a half-game behind the Mets in the division.
With two outs, Delgado tied it at 3 off Rudy Seanez (5-4). After Carlos Beltran reached on an infield single.
Brad Lidge, who is 31-for-31 in save chances, came in and intentionally walked Ryan Church after Beltran stole second. Murphy doubled for a 4-3 lead.
Brian Schneider followed with a bloop single that drove in two runs.
CUBS 2, PIRATES 0
At Pittsburgh, Jason Marquis allowed five hits over seven innings and Chicago turned two well-placed bunts into two runs in the seventh inning.
It was the Cubs’ third three-game sweep of Pittsburgh this season. Chicago won the season series 14-4.
In other National League action on Wednesday it was:
• Padres 5, Diamondbacks 4
• Nationals 5, Dodgers 4
• Astros 4, Reds 1
• Cardinals 5, Brewers 3
• Giants 4, Rockies 1
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB