NATIONAL LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, MIAMI AND PHILADELPHIA
PHOTO: AFP
The San Francisco Giants conjured a thrilling 9-6 extra-inning victory over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday, boosted by Aubrey Huff’s go-ahead, two-run single in the 12th.
Trailing 6-5 and down to their last out, Aaron Rowand hit a game-tying home run for the Giants (15-10) to send the game into extra innings where they scored three times in the 12th.
“That was a crazy game,” Huff told reporters. “It was a back-and-forth battle. We stayed in it till the last out.”
San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum struck out 13 batters in seven innings as he was looking to improve to 5-0 on the season but settled for the no-decision.
“The starter’s job isn’t to go out and get a win — it’s to put the team in a position to get a win,” Lincecum said. “I threw my seven innings, and we nitpicked and scored some big runs when we needed to and it turned into a really exciting game.”
He had a 3-0 lead before allowing a three-run home run to Hanley Ramirez in the sixth.
The Giants took a 5-3 lead in the eighth on a two-RBI double from Juan Uribe but Florida (13-13) surged ahead with Dan Uggla’s three-run homer in the bottom half of the inning.
The Marlins had a let-down from their bullpen after starter Anibal Sanchez exited having allowed three runs in six innings.
Florida reliever Leo Nunez surrendered the game-tying blast in the ninth before Burke Badenhop allowed the three runs in the 12th.
San Francisco finished with 15 hits on the day. Rowand helped give the club the early lead with a pair of RBI singles and went 3-for-5.
Left-hander Dan Runzler was credited with the win after pitching the 11th for the Giants while Guillermo Mota took care of the final inning for the save.
The Giants pitching staff totaled 20 strikeouts, tied for the second most in franchise history.
BREWERS 11, DODGERS 6
In Los Angeles, Prince Fielder and Gregg Zaun hit two-run homers and Ryan Braun had a three-run double — all in a nine-run second inning that vaulted Milwaukee over Los Angeles.
Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw (1-2) retired only four of the 13 batters he faced, surrendering seven runs.
Milwaukee’s Chris Narveson (2-0) allowed four hits over six innings to take the win.
In other games it was:
• Phillies 2, Cardinals 1
• Padres 3, Rockies 2
• Mets 5, Reds 4
• Nationals 6, Braves 3
• Pirates 3, Cubs 2
• Diamondbacks 1, Astros 0
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
Hours after learning beloved Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell had died, Detroit lost 4-3 to the Minnesota Twins in a clash of the American League Central’s two top teams.
Harwell, who was 92, called Tigers games for more than four decades
Brennan Boesch’s homer in the ninth tied it for the Tigers, then Alex Avila hit a two-out double. However, Minnesota shortstop J.J. Hardy made a brilliant, sliding stop on grounder by Ramon Santiago and threw out Avila after he rounded third base too quickly.
In the bottom of the inning, Hardy hit a triple and scored the winning run when a pitch from Ryan Perry (1-2) zipped past catcher Avila and into the dugout.
Minnesota pitcher Nick Blackburn (2-1) gave up three runs in his fourth career complete game.
In other games it was:
• Rays 5, Mariners 2
• Athletics 7, Rangers 6
• Red Sox 5, Angels 1
• Yankees 4, Orioles 1
• Blue Jays 8, Indians 5
• Royals 7, White Sox 2
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