AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
PHOTO: AFP
Nick Swisher’s game-winning single with two outs in the ninth inning gave New York a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday and capped an emotional night that saw the Yankees pay tribute to late owner George Steinbrenner and former public address announcer Bob Sheppard.
Swisher hit a tying home run in the eighth, then lined a single that sent Curtis Granderson sliding home for the victory in a matchup of the teams with the best records in baseball. The Yankees streamed from the dugout to celebrate, and Swisher wound up way out in right field, surrounded by jumping teammates.
The joyful ending was in sharp contrast to earlier events that honored Steinbrenner, who died on Tuesday, two days after the passing of Sheppard.
PHOTO: AFP
A 15-minute pre-game tribute included a two-minute moment of absolute silence. Not a single fan shouted out, and the only sounds were the flags flapping at half-staff and a passing subway train.
Granderson opened the bottom of the ninth with a single against Randy Choate (2-3). Ramiro Pena sacrificed, Brett Gardner walked and Derek Jeter struck out. Swisher lined a single and Granderson beat right fielder Gabe Kapler’s throw.
Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada hit consecutive home runs off James Shields in the sixth to tie it at 3.
PHOTO: AFP
INDIANS 8, TIGERS 2
At Cleveland, Ohio, Andy Marte and Austin Kearns hit two-run homers as Cleveland trounced Detroit.
Marte broke at 2-2 tie in the fourth inning against Max Scherzer (6-7). Kearns’ eighth homer of the season capped a four-run sixth against the Tigers’ bullpen that put Cleveland ahead 8-2.
Jake Westbrook (6-5) gave up two runs over 5 2-3 innings to win his first home start against Detroit since Sept. 18, 2007. The right-hander missed most of 2008 and all of last year following reconstructive elbow surgery.
Miguel Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a run-scoring single that put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the first.
Austin Jackson singled to open the game, stole second, and scored on Cabrera’s two-out liner off the left-field wall.
RANGERS 8, RED SOX 4
At Boston, Bengie Molina hit for the cycle with a grand slam and triple in his last two at-bats as Texas came up with another big inning in a victory over Boston.
Molina’s slam came in a five-run fifth inning and gave Texas a 7-3 lead. One night earlier, he capped a six-run first inning with a two-run homer and the Rangers went on to a 7-2 win.
The slow-footed catcher, obtained from San Francisco on July 1 to shore up a team weakness, lumbered into third base with a leadoff drive over the head of center fielder Eric Patterson and smiled at teammates in the dugout. A few pitches later, he left the game with tightness in his right quadriceps and was replaced by pinch-runner Joaquin Arias.
Arias scored the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Michael Young.
In other AL play, it was:
• Twins 7, White Sox 4
• Blue Jays 4, Orioles 2
• Athletics 5, Royals 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, MIAMI
Stephen Strasburg struggled through a 34-pitch first inning, but escaped early jams to lead the Washington Nationals past the Florida Marlins 4-0 on Friday night.
Strasburg (4-2) allowed two baserunners in each of the first three innings, walking three and throwing the first wild pitch of his career. He finished with seven strikeouts in six innings and lowered his ERA to 2.03. Two relievers completed a four-hitter.
The shutout was the third this season for the Nationals, thanks in part to Strasburg’s first scoreless outing.
Making his eighth major league start and facing Florida for the first time, Strasburg was locked in a scoreless duel with Ricky Nolasco (9-7) until Josh Willingham hit a three-run double in the sixth.
CARDINALS 8, DODGERS 4
At St Louis, Missouri, Yadier Molina homered and drove in four runs as St Louis overcame a rough start by rookie Jaime Garcia to beat Los Angeles.
Chad Billingsley (7-5) was the second straight Dodgers starter to get roughed up by the Cardinals, allowing seven runs and 10 hits in four innings. It was the second-shortest outing of the season for the right-hander, who has a 1.09 ERA in four day games but a 5.76 ERA in 13 night starts.
Randy Winn added two hits and two RBIs, his first since June 13, off a pitcher he’s batting .481 against (13 for 27) with seven RBIs.
Winn got a spot start in right field ahead of rookie Jon Jay, who’s batting .500 during a 12-game hitting streak.
James Loney had three hits and an RBI for the Dodgers, who are 3-13 at 5-year-old Busch Stadium. Rafael Furcal, a .342 career hitter against the Cardinals, had two hits and a bases-loaded walk, and was robbed of a third hit by second baseman Skip Schumaker’s diving stab in the third.
The Dodgers had 13 hits but stranded 12 runners, going 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position.
Garcia, one of the National League’s top rookie pitchers at 8-4 with a 2.27 ERA, labored through three-and-one-third innings, allowing two runs and eight hits. In his last two outings, he has allowed 17 hits and five earned runs in eight-and-two-thirds innings.
REDS 3, ROCKIES 2
At Cincinnati, Ohio, Brandon Phillips followed his first All-Star appearance with a three-hit game and first-time All-Star Arthur Rhodes pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs threat in the eighth inning as Cincinnati beat Colorado.
The NL Central leaders hadn’t played a home game all month and had dropped five of its last six on the road.
Bronson Arroyo (10-4) gave up a solo homer by Miguel Olivo that was upheld after a review and cut it to 3-2 in the eighth.
Phillips scored twice and had three hits off Jason Hammel (7-4), who had won his last six decisions. Hammel struck out a career-high 10.
In other NL play, it was:
• Padres 12, Diamondbacks 1
• Giants 1, Mets 0
• Astros 5, Pirates 2
• Cubs 4, Phillies 3
• Brewers 9, Braves 3
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