INTERLEAGUE
AP, PHILADELPHIA
Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings to steer the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox as Major League Baseball’s interleague play began on Friday.
Hamels (5-2) outdueled Boston starter John Lackey (4-3). Hamels allowed one run, striking out eight.
Lackey gave up four runs and six hits while walking a season-worst five in five innings.
Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth homered for the the NL East-leading Phillies, who moved to a season-high 11 games over .500.
However, it may have been a costly victory. Jimmy Rollins left the game in the sixth inning with a calf strain.
The three-time All-Star shortstop missed 29 games with the same injury before returning on Monday.
DODGERS 4, TIGERS 1
In Los Angeles, Chad Billingsley won his third straight start with seven solid innings to lead Los Angeles over Detroit.
Billingsley (5-2) allowed a run and struck out five to give the Dodgers their 11th win in 12 games.
Detroit starter Dontrelle Willis (2-1) was charged with four runs over five-and-one-third innings, and is 1-6 with a 6.91 ERA in eight career starts against the Dodgers.
YANKEES 2, METS 1
In New York, Javier Vazquez pitched one-hit ball for six innings as the Yankees snapped a three-game losing streak with victory over their crosstown rivals.
Skipped twice in the rotation this month and making his first start in nine days, Vazquez (3-4) didn’t allow a hit until there was one out in the fifth. He left after he was hit on the finger when batting in the seventh.
Yankee Kevin Russo got his first hit of the season and first two RBIs in the majors.
Closer Rivera gave up consecutive two-out doubles to Jason Bay and Ike Davis in the ninth inning, bringing a record Mets home crowd of 41,382 to life before David Wright ground out.
ORIOLES 5, NATIONALS 3
In Washington, David Hernandez ended a run of 16 straight starts without a victory, guiding Baltimore past Washington.
Hernandez (1-5) allowed only one hit in five-and-one-third innings. He had lost 11 straight decisions dating back to last season — the second-longest dry spell in Orioles history.
Adam Jones broke out of a lengthy home run drought for Baltimore, while back-up catcher Craig Tatum had two hits and two RBIs for the Orioles, who took an early 4-0 lead.
Willie Harris homered for the Nationals, who have lost seven of eight to fall under .500 for the first time since April 15.
Nationals starter Scott Olsen (2-2) allowed four runs in three innings before leaving with left shoulder tightness.
ASTROS 2, RAYS 1
In Houston, Texas, Brett Myers didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings, helping Houston snap Tampa Bay’s six-game winning streak.
Myers (3-3) struck out seven. Astros closer Matt Lindstrom gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth for his 10th save.
The worst team in the National League beat the best in the American League, handing the Rays just their 12th loss in 42 games.
Hunter Pence broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the sixth.
Rays starter Matt Garza (5-2) allowed six hits in eight innings.
CARDINALS 9, ANGELS 5
In St Louis, Missouri, pitcher Brad Penny hit a grand slam in the third inning, apparently injuring his back on the swing, as St Louis downed Los Angeles.
Penny lasted only a few warmup pitches in the top of the fourth inning before leaving. He was shaky for the second straight start, giving up four runs.
Angels starter Joel Pineiro (3-5) also didn’t last long. He entered with 17 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings, but was clubbed for nine runs in three innings against the team that allowed him to leave as a free agent after a 15-win season.
RANGERS 2, CUBS 1
In Arlington, Texas, Colby Lewis labored through six innings for his first victory in five starts as Texas edged Chicago.
Lewis (4-2) didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning until the sixth, but he had already thrown 109 pitches by then and was done.
Hard-throwing closer Neftali Feliz extended his Rangers rookie record with his 12th save in 14 chances.
Nelson Cruz drove in the tiebreaking run with an RBI double in the fourth for Texas, which has won a season-best five straight.
Vladimir Guerrero also had an RBI double in the fourth.
Cubs starter Ted Lilly (1-4) pitched into the seventh but remained without a victory since his first start of the season.
In other interleague play, it was:
• Diamondbacks 8, Blue Jays 6
• Athletics 6, Giants 1
• Twins 15, Brewers 3
• Braves 7, Pirates 0
• Mariners 15, Padres 8
• Reds 7, Indians 4
• Royals 9, Rockies 2
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB