AMERICAN LEAGUE
Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit consecutive homers leading off the eighth inning for the New York Yankees to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 and their eighth win in nine games on Tuesday.
Matsui hit Jesse Carlson (1-5) deep to right to tie it at 4 and Posada followed with an opposite-field drive that just got over the glove of leaping right fielder Joe Inglett and survived a video review. Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon added RBI singles off Josh Roenicke to make it 7-4.
PHOTO: REUTERS
New York has hit consecutive homers in three straight games for the first time since 1983.
INDIANS 5, RANGERS 0
At Cleveland, Ohio, Aaron Laffey pitched effectively into the seventh inning to remain undefeated at home for Cleveland. Laffey (6-3) allowed six hits and three walks in 6 2-3 innings. He is 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA in five home starts.
PHOTO: AP
Dustin Nippert (3-1) struck out a career-high 10 over six innings for Texas, but Cleveland’s first five batters in the third inning scored.
Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera singled and Choo Shin-soo was hit by a pitch. Jhonny Peralta drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 1-0, Travis Hafner had an RBI single, Luis Valbuena a two-run double and Trevor Crowe a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.
In other AL action, it was:
• Orioles 3, Athletics 2
• Red Sox 7, Tigers 5
• Royals 14, Twins 6
• Angels 6, Rays 0
• White Sox 3, Mariners 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN FRANCISCO
Manny Ramirez hit a towering two-run homer and doubled in a run as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed their rival San Francisco Giants 9-1 in the National League (NL) on Tuesday.
Andre Ethier doubled twice and drove in two runs for the National League-leading Dodgers, who increased their West division lead over the Giants to seven-and-a-half games.
REDS 5, CARDINALS 4
At St Louis, Missouri, journeyman fill-in pitcher Justin Lehr worked into the seventh inning to steer Cincinnati past St Louis.
Lehr, coming off a shutout of the Cubs in his second career start, allowed only one run.
In other NL action, it was:
• Phillies 4, Cubs 3, 12 inns
• Marlins 9, Astros 8, 11 inns
• Pirates 7, Rockies 3
• Diamondbacks 6, Mets 2
• Padres 13, Brewers 6
• Braves 8, Nationals 1
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