AMERICAN LEAGUE
Francisco Rodriguez set the major league record with his 58th save this season, closing out the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-2 win over Seattle on Saturday.
Two days earlier, Rodriguez tied the mark of 57 set by Bobby Thigpen with the Chicago White Sox in 1990. The Angels’ right-hander also posted a save on Wednesday to help the Angels clinch the American League West title.
PHOTO: AP
With hushed fans standing on their feet, Rodriguez struck out Raul Ibanez swinging with two on for the final out.
K-Rod immediately lifted his arms and looked skyward in his traditional salute to his late grandfather, then sank to his knees.
Jon Garland (14-8) went six innings, giving up two runs in the first, then blanking the Mariners over the next five. Darren Oliver pitched the seventh and Scot Shields the eighth to set the stage for Rodriguez.
PHOTO: AP
BLUE JAYS 8, RED SOX 1, 1ST GAME
RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 5, 2ND GAME
At Boston, Jacoby Ellsbury drove in the go-ahead run on a 10m single when pitcher Scott Downs fell going after the ball as Boston rallied to split their day-night doubleheader with Toronto.
Toronto won the opener 8-1 and led 5-2 in the nightcap with five runs in the second inning. Then Boston chipped away with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh before going ahead with three in the eighth.
Justin Masterson (6-4) got the win and Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 37th save in 42 opportunities. Downs (0-3) allowed all three runs in the eighth.
In the opener, late-season call up Travis Snider homered, doubled and drove in five runs. A.J. Burnett (18-10) held Boston to one unearned run on three singles in six-plus innings.
Leading 2-0 in the fifth, Snider homered into the Blue Jays bullpen off Paul Byrd (11-12).
Snider hit his second home run after Rod Barajas and Scott Rolen had singled.
RAYS 7, YANKEES 1, 1ST GAME
YANKEES 6, RAYS 5, 2ND GAME
At New York, Xavier Nady hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning as New York rallied to beat Tampa Bay and salvage a split of the day-night doubleheader.
James Shields (13-8) got the AL East-leading Rays off to a fast start in the opener, tossing eight shutout innings in a 7-1 victory.
In the second game, four New York relievers combined to throw five-and-two-thirds innings after Sidney Ponson struggled in the makeup of Friday night’s rainout.
TWINS 12, ORIOLES 2, 1ST GAME
TWINS 12, ORIOLES 6, 2ND GAME
At Baltimore, Justin Morneau and Carlos Gomez drove in two runs each during a six-run first inning as Minnesota moved into a first-place tie in the AL Central by completing a doubleheader sweep of Baltimore.
In the nightcap, Minnesota picked up where it left off following a rout in the opener. The Twins knocked Orioles starter Garrett Olson (9-8) out after 2-3 of an inning and 27 pitches.
Bobby Korecky (2-0) picked up the victory with 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief.
In the opener, Gomez had a career-high four RBIs and Denard Span homered twice and drove in four runs. Scott Baker (9-4) walked three, struck out four and allowed only one hit in his final five innings.
In other AL action, it was:
• Royals 8, Indians 3, 1st game
• Royals 8, Indians 4, 2nd game
• Athletics 7, Rangers 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, PHILADELPHIA
Cole Hamels pitched six-and-a-third sharp innings and Jimmy Rollins homered as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 on Saturday to move within two games of the National League wild-card leaders.
The Phillies had a chance to tie Milwaukee for the top spot if they swept a doubleheader yesterday. Philadelphia entered the day three games behind the leading New York Mets, who played a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves.
Hamels (13-9) allowed two runs and six hits, rebounding from a poor outing at Shea Stadium last Sunday. Hamels had a chance to put the Phillies in a tie with the Mets, but gave up five runs in a 6-3 loss.
GIANTS 7, PADRES 0
At San Diego, Tim Lincecum pitched a four-hitter for his first career shutout as the Giants beat the Padres.
Lincecum (17-3) hadn’t thrown a complete game in his first 54 starts, but sailed through nine innings against the Padres, throwing a career-high 138 pitches. He held the Padres to four singles and struck out 12 to win his sixth straight.
The right-hander leads the majors with 237 strikeouts. He lowered his NL-best ERA to 2.43.
Bengie Molina gave Lincecum all the runs he needed with a two-run homer off Chris Young (5-6) in the first inning. Molina also had an RBI single in the ninth, when San Francisco added three runs.
In other NL action, it was:
• Nationals 4, Marlins 2
• Dodgers 5, Rockies 1
• Pirates 7, Cards 6, 12 innings
• Reds 3, Diamondbacks 2
• Braves 3, Mets 2, 1st game
• Mets 5, Braves 0, 2nd game
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