AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
Dan Johnson stunned Boston again, hitting a leadoff homer in the 10th inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox on Saturday.
Johnson sent a 2-2 pitch from Scott Atchison (2-2) into the right-field stands for his second clutch home run against the Red Sox in three years. Johnson is best known for a game-tying shot off closer Jonathan Papelbon on Sept. 9, 2008, that keyed an important comeback win en route to Tampa Bay’s only American League pennant.
Randy Choate (4-3) retired David Ortiz with a runner on first and two outs in the 10th.
YANKEES 12, WHITE SOX 9
In Chicago, C.C. Sabathia became the majors’ first 18-game winner and Marcus Thames hit two of New York’s four homers in a win over Chicago.
Eduardo Nunez hit his first career homer and drove in four runs for New York. Nick Swisher connected for a two-run drive and Robinson Cano had three hits.
Sabathia (18-5) struck out nine in seven innings, but allowed five runs and nine hits.
The Yankees got off to a fast start against John Danks (12-9), belting two-run homers in each of the first three innings to build a 6-1 lead.
In other AL action, it was:
• Blue Jays 5, Tiigers 0
• Athletics 5, Rangers 0
• Indians 4, Royals 3, 10 innings
• Twins 1, Mariners 0
• Orioles 5, Angels 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Shane Victorino had two of Philadelphia’s three hits, including a go-ahead triple off Jon Garland in the seventh inning, as the Philadelphia Phillies won their second straight game against the National League West-leading San Diego Padres, 3-1 on Saturday.
The Phillies, 13-2 against NL West teams, protected their wild-card lead, which was a half-game over San Francisco at the start of Saturday. San Diego, which has lost three straight games for only the second time this season, led the Giants by six.
Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 23 chances. On Friday night, Lidge balked in the tying run with two outs in the ninth, but the Phillies won 3-2 in 12 innings.
Jayson Werth scored on both of Victorino’s hits. Victorino, the center fielder, also threw out Nick Hundley at the plate to end the fifth.
Joe Blanton (6-6) held the Padres to one run and six hits in six innings. Blanton and three relievers retired the final 11 San Diego batters.
NATIONALS 14, CARDINALS 5
In Washington, Adam Dunn broke out of a prolonged slump with a homer and five RBIs to lead Washington to a victory over St Louis.
Dunn was in an 8-for-66 skid over 20 games when he doubled home two runs for a 4-3 Nationals lead in a four-run third inning. With the score tied at 5 in the fifth, Dunn hit a three-run shot, his 32nd of the season and first since Aug. 11.
Livan Hernandez (9-9) allowed five runs in six-and-a-third innings to win for the first time in five starts.
In other AL action, it was:
• Rockies 5, Dodgers 3
• Cubs 3, Reds 2
• Braves 12, Marlins 3
• Astros 4, Mets 1
• Brewers 8, Pirates 7
• Diamondbacks 11, Giants 3
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
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