AMERICAN LEAGUE
In Anaheim, California, Mike Napoli’s two-run homer with two outs in the ninth gave the Los Angeles Angels a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Napoli homered after Seattle had walked the previous batter with two outs. Napoli drove a pitch deep over the fence in left field for his 16th homer and fourth RBI of the game.
Although they wrapped up the American Leaugue West on Wednesday, the Angels still want to secure home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. They are one-and-a-half games ahead of Tampa Bay in the fight for the AL’s best record.
RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 0
In Boston, the Red Sox closed on the AL East lead and put more distance between themselves and fast-finishing Toronto by beating the Blue Jays 7-0 on Friday.
Boston moved within two games of AL East leader Tampa Bay, whose scheduled game at New York was rained out, and seven-and-a-half games ahead of Toronto in the wildcard race with only 16 games to play.
It went six games clear of nearest wildcard rival Minnesota, whose scheduled game at Baltimore was also rained out.
Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield pitched eight innings to bounce back from his shortest start in 15 years. The veteran knuckleballer was pulled after eight innings — losing his chance for his first shutout in 11 years — and gave up just three hits.
Toronto, which lost for just the second time in 13 games, was scheduled to play Boston in a double header yesterday.
INDIANS 12, ROYALS 5
In Cleveland, home team pitcher Cliff Lee won his 11th straight decision to beat Kansas City and move to a remarkable 22-2 season record.
Lee, who allowed just four earned runs in 8 1-3 innings, became the first pitcher to have 20 more wins than losses since Oakland’s Bob Welch in 1990.
RANGERS 7, ATHLETICS 0
In Oakland, California, Texas starter Matt Harrison pitched his first career shutout and complete game as Texas beat Oakland.
Harrison allowed only five hits, retiring 14 of the last 16 batters he faced while recording his eighth win — a record for left-handed rookie pitchers.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, DENVER
The in-form Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Friday to maintain their buffer atop the National League West division as the games tick away.
Los Angeles has won 11 of 12, and stayed three-and-a-half games ahead of Arizona in the NL West with 15 to play.
James Loney drove in three runs with two hits for the Dodgers while starting pitcher Chad Billingsley gave up only two runs in six solid innings.
A week ago, the Rockies loomed as a threat to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the West, but have lost six straight to drop out of contention.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, REDS 2
In Phoenix, Arizona snapped a six-game losing streak and revived its NL West challenge with a narrow win over Cincinnati.
Diamonbacks starter Brandon Webb tossed eight shutout innings to become the National League’s first 20-game winner.
Arizona’s shaky bullpen nearly blew Webb’s victory in the ninth, giving up two runs and allowing runners onto the corners before getting the final out.
MARLINS 2, NATIONALS 1
In Miami, Florida edged Washington to keep up its slim playoff chances.
With 15 games to play, the Marlins are eight games off NL East leader New York and wildcard holder Milwaukee.
Jorge Cantu hit his 25th home run of the season, making Florida the first team in major league history to have four infielders hit at least 25.
Mike Jacobs (32), Dan Uggla (30), Hanley Ramirez (29) and Cantu have accounted for 116 of the Marlins’ 188 homers this season.
In other games, it was:
• Pirates 10, Cardinals 2
• Giants 5, Padres 2
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