AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
The Baltimore Orioles claimed their first home victory of the season, holding off World Series champions the New York Yankees 5-4 on Tuesday.
New York rallied with two late runs in the ninth and had a runner on third base for a game-tying score, but Baltimore reliever Alfredo Simon snuffed out the fightback when he had Alex Rodriguez ground out.
“I think with all the other stuff we’ve gone through in the last 19 games, the ninth inning was a piece of cake,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley told reporters. “We finally found a way to win.”
Baltimore starter Kevin Millwood pitched 5-1/3 innings and allowed two runs, while catcher Cesar Izturis finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
The win helped the Orioles (4-16) snap a run of six straight losses at home.
The Yankees (12-7), who spent Monday at the White House celebrating last year’s championship in a ceremony with US President Barack Obama, slumped to their second straight loss.
Jorge Posada hit a solo home run in the fourth to give New York a 2-1 lead, but Baltimore came back with three runs in the sixth.
Rhyne Hughes and Nolan Reimold had RBI singles in the inning, as did Izturis, who also added an RBI hit in the eighth.
RAYS 8, A’S 6
At St Petersburg, Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays matched a club record with 15 wins in April, reaching the mark with a win over the Oakland Athletics in a clash of American League divisional leaders.
The AL East leaders improved baseball’s best record to 15-5. The victory total equals the number they had in the opening month two years ago, when they made a surprising run to the World Series.
Pat Burrell’s three-run homer off Ben Sheets (1-2) snapped a 4-4 tie in the third inning. Reid Brignac’s shot leading off the bottom of the fourth gave the hosts an 8-4 lead.
Rays starter Eric Davis (2-1) weathered a shaky five innings to take the win. He gave up a three-run homer to Cliff Pennington, who had four hits and four RBIs — both career highs — for the A’s.
Also on Tuesday, it was:
• Twins 2, Tigers 0
• Red Sox 2, Bluejays 1
• Indians 9, Angels 2
• Mariners 3, Royals 2
• Rangers 4, White Sox 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, MIAMI
Jon Garland matched a career high with 10 strikeouts to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 win over the Florida Marlins in the National League on Tuesday.
Garland (2-2) allowed one run in six innings, tying the record for strikeouts he set in 2003.
Adrian Gonzalez, Jerry Hairston and Nick Hundley had run-scoring hits for San Diego, and reliever Luke Gregerson struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh to set a club record by retiring 26 in a row.
Florida’s Anibal Sanchez (1-2) allowed three runs, two earned in 6-1/3 innings.
GIANTS 6, PHILLIES 2
In San Francisco, Aubrey Huff and Matt Downs hit solo homers in the second inning to set up San Francisco’s victory over Philadelphia.
The loss knocked the Phillies out of first place in the NL East and they are a half-game behind New York Mets, out of at least a share of the division lead for the first time this season with their second straight series loss.
Edgar Renteria and Pablo Sandoval hit consecutive RBI singles in both the fifth and seventh innings, and Renteria finished with three hits. Huff’s homer was his first fences-clearing clout of the year after an earlier inside-the-park homer.
The Giants’ No.5 starter Todd Wellemeyer (1-3) won for the first time this season. He allowed three hits in seven-plus sharp innings.
Phillies veteran Jamie Moyer (2-2) took the loss.
NATIONALS 3, CUBS 1
In Chicago, Livan Hernandez pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning, steering Washington past Chicago.
The Nationals’ 11-10 record matches their best start since 2005.
Washington’s Ian Desmond delivered two RBI singles and Cristian Guzman added a run-scoring triple to back another dominant outing by Hernandez (3-1).
He did not allow an extra-base hit while outpitching Tom Gorzelanny (0-3).
Defeat snapped the Cubs’ four-game winning streak.
CARDINALS 5, BRAVES 4
In St Louis, Chris Carpenter won on his 35th birthday to give St Louis a tight victory over Atlanta.
The Braves have lost seven straight in their worst losing streak in four years.
Carpenter (3-0) allowed three hits in six innings.
Atlanta’s Derek Lowe (3-2) retired the first 10 batters and lasted until Yadier Molina’s two-run single put the Cardinals ahead 4-2 during a four-run sixth inning.
St Louis’ Ryan Ludwick hit a homer in the fourth and added an RBI double in the sixth. He’s 8 for 13 with three homers and eight RBIs against Lowe.
In other NL action, it was:
• Rockies 12, Diamondbacks 1
• Mets 4, Dodgers 0, 1st game
• Mets 10, Dodgers 5, 2nd game
• Reds 6, Astros 2
• Pirates 7, Brewers 3
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