NATIONAL LEAGUE
The streaking Milwaukee Brewers scored three runs in the seventh inning to overcome the Houston Astros 4-3 on Thursday for their eighth win in nine contests.
Prince Fielder came through with a two-RBI single to tie the game and Corey Hart had the go-ahead double as the Brewers overcame a 3-0 deficit against Houston starter Roy Oswalt.
PHOTO: AP
“It’s nice when you can find a way to win when a guy like that is starting for the other team,” Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun told reporters.
Four Milwaukee (26-15) relievers combined to throw four scoreless innings and Troy Hoffman recorded his 11th save of the year.
Houston jumped on top with a two-run home run from Hunter Pence in the second, and a solo shot from Miguel Tejada in the fourth.
Shortstop Tejada, who has been swinging a hot bat and came into the game batting .425 with three homers in his last 11 games, finished 2-for-4.
The Astros (18-21) had a chance to score another run in the fifth but Lance Berkman was called out on a close play at home plate that resulted in the ejection of both Berkman and manager Cecil Cooper, who argued the call.
Braun picked up an RBI when he grounded into a fielder’s choice in the fifth to help Milwaukee get a run back.
Brewers starter Jeff Suppan pitched five innings and allowed three runs before turning it over to his bullpen in the no-decision.
Oswalt was enjoying a solid day on the mound for Houston before reaching the seventh. He finished six-and-a-third innings and struck out seven batters while surrendering 10 hits and three runs.
The team’s annual top pitcher, Oswalt is just 1-2 in this campaign and is throwing well below his usual standards.
“[Oswalt] threw a lot of pitches there, but he still battled and he showed why he’s one of the best pitchers in the league,” Cooper said. “Even in the seventh — it took quite a bit out of him. We have to find a way to shut it down in an inning without giving up the lead right there.”
CARDINALS 3, CUBS 1
At St Louis, Adam Wainwright came within an out of the St Louis Cardinals’ second complete game during a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs and Albert Pujols hit a first-inning homer that knocked out the “I” on the Big Mac Land sign in left field.
Wainwright (4-2) allowed five hits in eight-and-two-third innings, striking out seven with one walk before Ryan Franklin got Milton Bradley to line out with a man on for his 11th save in 12 chances.
The Cubs were limited to two runs in the series and have lost four in a row for the second time this season, and also have dropped five of six to the Cardinals.
Joel Pineiro threw a three-hitter in the series opener on Tuesday and Chris Carpenter worked five scoreless innings on Wednesday.
PHILLIES 12, REDS 5
In Cincinnati, Chase Utley homered and drove in four runs as the Philadelphia Phillies’ powerful offense overcame another disappointing performance by a starter to beat the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
Utley had a two-run single and a double off Micah Owings (3-5), who got nine outs and showed the strain of throwing a lot of innings lately.
Utley also had one of the Phillies’ four solo homers — Greg Dobbs, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez connected, as well.
Also on Thursday it was:
• Nationals 5, Pirates 4
• Rockies 9, Braves 0
• Diamondbacks 4, Marlins 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, BOSTON
Jason Bay set a Boston record with his 11th straight homer with runners on base as the Red Sox won 5-1 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The three wins have moved Boston within half a game of Toronto atop the AL East Division.
Bay hit his 13th homer of the year, a two-run shot in a three-run first inning, and Boston led 5-0 before Toronto got a run in the seventh.
The Blue Jays began the series with the most runs in the majors but totaled just five against the Red Sox in suffering their first three-game losing streak of the season.
TIGERS 4, RANGERS 3
In Detroit, Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Detroit won their sixth straight game, defeating Texas.
The Tigers have beaten the Rangers 11 times in a row at Comerica Park.
Texas arrived in Detroit this week with an eight-game winning streak, but managed only seven runs in three straight losses.
YANKEES 7, ORIOLES 4
In New York, Robinson Cano drove in three runs to help New York race out to a big lead and beat Baltimore, notching a ninth straight win.
The Yankees won despite losing starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain to a leg injury in the first inning.
Cano hit an RBI double in New York’s four-run first and a two-run shot in the second.
Also on Thursday it was:
• Angels 3, Mariners 0
• Indians 8, Royals 3
• Twins 20, White Sox 1
• Rays 6, Athletics 5
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