AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, ARLINGTON, TEXAS, AND NEW YORK
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Texas Rangers handed the slumping Boston Red Sox their fourth loss in a row with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday, opening the door for the New York Yankees to take the top spot in the American League East.
Texas rookie starter Tommy Hunter (2-1) gave up only one run over six innings for the win, while Boston starter and Texas native Josh Beckett (11-4) was denied his 101st career win.
“That was great,” Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd told reporters. “Beckett was Beckett — just like he always is. To beat him, you have to have your pitcher go out there and match him, and that’s what Tommy did.”
Boston’s loss, coupled with the Yankees’ 6-4 triumph over Baltimore, dropped Boston a game behind New York in the AL East. They had been tied for first before Tuesday’s games.
The loss was the Red Sox’s fourth in a row while the Yankees have won five straight.
Hank Blalock put the Rangers on the road to their third consecutive victory with a two-run single in the first inning.
Kevin Youkilis brought the Red Sox within a run with a sixth-inning double, but Texas came back with solo runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Mike Lowell added Boston’s second run with a single in the ninth.
Hunter struck out two and walked one while allowing four hits. Three relievers limited to one run and one hit.
Hunter had been shelled in a game in Boston last August, giving up nine runs on seven hits in less than 2 innings.
The difference, he said, was his ability to throw a variety of pitches.
“I have four pitches [now],” Hunter said. “Last year, I had just one-and-a-half pitches. I didn’t even have my fastball, because it was up in the zone. I threw a lot of changeups [tonight]. They didn’t see that last year. When you throw four pitches for strikes, you do pretty well.”
Beckett was tagged for four runs and seven hits in a complete game performance. He struck out seven and walked only one.
“I didn’t make very good pitches,” Beckett said. “This one definitely falls on me.”
But teammates did not see it that way, especially after Beckett settled down after the two-run hit to Blalock, retiring 14 batters in a row before Andruw Jones doubled in the seventh inning.
“We have to do a better job,” said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “This is an offensive ballpark. We have to score more runs.”
YANKEES 6, ORIOLES 4
Pitcher Sergio Mitre earned his first win in two years and Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer as the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 for its fifth straight American League victory on Tuesday.
Alex Rodriguez had a key two-run single for the Yankees, who had just six hits. The Yankees are a major league-best 43-22 since Rodriguez came off the disabled list on May 8 following hip surgery.
The Yankees (56-37) improved to a season-best 19 games over .500 and took a one-game lead in the AL East over Boston, which lost to Texas.
Mitre (1-0) was called up from the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game. He allowed four runs, three earned and eight hits over five-and-two-third innings in his first major league start since Sept. 15, 2007. It was his first win since July 29, 2007, for Florida at San Francisco.
Brian Roberts had three hits for Baltimore, which has lost nine straight in the Bronx and fell to 1-13 in road games against the AL East this season.
TIGERS 9, MARINERS 7
At Detroit, Magglio Ordonez hit a grand slam in a five-run first inning as Detroit held on for a win over Seattle.
The Tigers scored five runs while being swept in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium last weekend, but matched that total before making their first out against Seattle.
Rookie Rick Porcello (9-6) got the win despite allowing five runs and nine hits in five innings.
Seattle’s Jack Hannahan hit two of the game’s seven home runs.
In other AL action it was:
• Indians 2, Blue Jays 1
• Rays 3, White Sox 2
• Angels 8, Royals 5, 1st game
• Angels 10, Royals 2, 2nd game
In NL action it was:
• Phillies 4, Cubs 1
• Dodgers 12, Reds 3
• Marlins 3, Padres 2
• Astros 11, Cardinals 6
• Braves 8, Giants 1
• Brewers 2, Pirates 0
• Nationals 4, Mets 0
• Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 5
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