AMERICAN LEAGUE
Erick Aybar came up with a 10th-inning RBI single to lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-2 extra-inning victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
Bobby Abreu led off the inning with a single and reached third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground-out before Aybar brought him home with two outs for the game-winner.
PHOTO: AFP
The win allowed the Angels to retain a 4.5-game advantage in the American League West despite a late rally by the Mariners.
Trailing 2-1, Seattle designated hitter Mike Sweeney led off the ninth inning with a solo home run to center field against Angels closer Brian Fuentes. The Mariners had a runner in scoring position in the top of the 10th, but Los Angeles reliever Matt Palmer (10-1) escaped the inning and was credited with the win.
Angels starter Scott Kazmir mixed up in a pitcher’s duel with Felix Hernandez for the second time in less than a week. In his season debut with the Angels last Wednesday, after the team acquired him in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, the left-hander allowed two runs but lost out to Hernandez, who threw eight shutout innings in Seattle’s 3-0 victory.
This time around, Kazmir was in line for the victory after leaving the game with a 2-1 lead following the seventh inning, but took the no-decision after the Mariners tied things up. Hernandez allowed just one earned run over seven innings despite walking four in the no-decision.
Franklin Gutierrez homered to give Seattle a 1-0 lead in the first inning before Los Angeles scored runs on an Abreu sacrifice-fly in the third and a throwing error by Mariners shortstop Jack Wilson in the fifth.
All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki finished 0-for-5 one game after recording the 2,000th hit of his career on Sunday.
Ichiro needs five hits to become the first Major League player to reach the 200-hit plateau for a ninth consecutive season.
RED SOX 10, ORIOLES 0
At Boston, Clay Buchholz allowed just three hits over seven innings and Dustin Pedroia hit two of Boston’s season-high six homers as the Red Sox downed the Orioles.
David Ortiz homered in the seventh inning, his 269th as a designated hitter, tying him with Frank Thomas for the most all-time by a DH.
Kevin Youkilis, J.D. Drew and Alex Gonzalez also homered for the Red Sox, whose first five hits were homers as they opened an 8-0 lead after three innings and improved to 12-2 against Baltimore this year. For Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP, it was the first two-homer game of his career.
YANKEES 3, RAYS 2
At New York, Nick Swisher hit his second home run of the game, connecting with one out in the ninth inning, as New York sent Tampa Bay to its season-high seventh straight loss.
In other AL games, it was:
• Blue Jays 6, Twins 3
• Royals 7, Tigers 5
• Athletics 11, White Sox 3
• Rangers 11, Indians 9, 1st game
• Rangers 10, Indians 5, 2nd game
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Matt Holliday hit a two-run homer off veteran closer Trevor Hoffman in the top of the ninth to lift the St Louis Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in the National League on Tuesday.
Hoffman, trying to protect a 3-2 lead, walked Albert Pujols with one out before serving up a 2-1 pitch that Holliday drove over the wall in center.
It was only the third blown save for Hoffman this season.
St Louis maintained their 11.5-game lead in the National League Central Division with only 22 games to play.
In other NL games, it was:
• Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 4
• Rockies 3, Reds 1
• Padres 4, Giants 3
• Braves 2, Astros 1
• Marlins 4, Mets 2
• Phillies 5, Nationals 3
• Cubs 9, Pirates 4
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