NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
Neil Walker hit a two-run homer and Brian Burres limited Atlanta to one run over six innings in his first start in more than three months as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the slumping Braves 3-1 on Monday.
Despite losing its fourth in five games, Atlanta was assured of remaining in first place in the National League East for at least another day when Philadelphia split their day-night doubleheader with Florida.
Atlanta had won five of its previous six against the Pirates, who lead the majors with 91 losses. However, the Braves did almost nothing against Burres (3-3), who limited them to David Ross’ sacrifice fly during his first start since losing to Atlanta 6-3 on May 29.
Joel Hanrahan pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
PADRES 4, DODGERS 2
In San Diego, California, Nick Hundley homered and drove in two runs and Tim Stauffer filled in for ailing ace Mat Latos as the NL West-leading San Diego Padres snapped their 10-game losing streak with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Padres kept their one-game division lead over the San Francisco Giants, who won at Arizona.
The losing streak was San Diego’s longest since a franchise-record 13-game slide in May 1994. The free-fall trimmed five-and-a-half games from the Padres’ lead and dropped them from having the best record in the NL to the third-best.
With Stauffer going only four innings in an emergency start, Adams (3-1) got the win by allowing just a walk in one-and-two-thirds innings while striking out three. Heath Bell pitched a perfect ninth for his 38th save in 41 chances.
Latos was scratched due to stomach flu.
In other NL action, it was:
• Marlins 7, Phillies 1, 1st game
• Phillies 7, Marlins 4, 2nd game
• Rockies 10, Reds 5
• Giants 2, D-backs 0, 11 inns
• Cardinals 8, Brewers 6
• Cubs 5, Astros 4
• Nationals 13, Mets 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, DETROIT, MICHIGAN
A.J. Pierzynski hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning and finished with three RBIs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Monday for their seventh straight win.
Chris Sale (1-1) earned his first major league victory, finishing with two-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless relief. Jose Valverde (2-4) took the loss.
Manny Ramirez led off the Chicago 10th with a single and went to second when left fielder Ryan Raburn stumbled and made an error.
Pinch-runner Alejandro De Aza took third on a single by pinch-hitter Alex Rios, and Pierzynski looped an RBI single.
The White Sox stayed three-and-a-half games behind American League Central-leading Minnesota.
TWINS 5, ROYALS 4
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jason Kubel hit a go-ahead homer and Jim Thome launched his 585th career home run moments later, powering Minnesota past Kansas City.
The fifth-inning shots by Kubel and Thome kept the Twins three-and-a-half games ahead of Chicago in the AL Central.
Thome’s blast hit off the top of the American flagpole beyond the right-field bleachers at Target Field. He is one homer shy of Frank Robinson for eighth all-time.
ORIOLES 4, YANKEES 3
In New York, Brian Matusz won his fourth straight start and Brian Roberts hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning off struggling A.J. Burnett to lead Baltimore over New York.
Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in two runs to reach 100 RBIs for the 13th straight season and record 14th time overall. He surpassed Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx, who each reached 100 RBIs 13 times.
Baltimore had been 0-6 at Yankee Stadium, but the AL-worst Orioles came to New York for the first time under Buck Showalter and won their third in a row, improving to 20-13 under their new manager.
In other AL action, it was:
• Red Sox 12, Rays 5
• Blue Jays 7, Rangers 2
• Athletics 6, Mariners 2
• Indians 3, Angels 2
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was