INTERLEAGUE PLAY
Brian Bixler raced home on shortstop Alexei Ramirez’s throwing error to start a four-run 14th inning as the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 in interleague play on Friday — their first game since manager Jim Riggleman resigned.
Riggleman stepped down after a 1-0 win over Seattle on Thursday, upset he couldn’t get a conversation with general manager Mike Rizzo about the team picking up his option for next year.
The stunning move came with the Nationals playing their best ball of the season, and interim manager John McLaren led Washington to their 12th victory in 13 games.
Bixler reached on an infield hit against Matt Thornton (0-4) and stole second. Ian Desmond hit a grounder to Ramirez, whose low throw hopped past first baseman Mark Teahen as Bixler scored to give the Nationals the lead.
ANGELS 8, DODGERS 3
In Los Angeles, Erick Aybar hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning and Howie Kendrick added a solo shot to rally the Los Angeles Angels to victory in the Freeway Series opener.
Dan Haren (7-5) bounced back from his worst loss of the season in his previous start, allowing three runs and 10 hits in six innings. His RBI single in the second was the Angels’ first run.
PHILLIES 1, ATHLETICS 0
In Philadelphia, pinch-hitter Ben Francisco’s RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Philadelphia over Oakland.
In a game in which rookie starters Vance Worley and Guillermo Moscoso took no-hitters into the sixth, neither team got a runner to third until the ninth.
ROCKIES 4, YANKEES 2
In New York, Jason Giambi hit a long homer against his former team and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched seven impressive innings on Friday to lead Colorado over the New York Yankees in a rare trip to the Bronx.
Troy Tulowitzki homered again in New York City and Todd Helton hit an RBI single for Colorado.
The Rockies were swept by the Yankees in a three-game series in 2004, their only other trip to the Bronx.
A.J. Burnett (7-6) became the first pitcher in Yankees history to strike out four batters in one inning when he followed up three ineffective innings with the major league record-tying performance in the sixth.
BREWERS 4, TWINS 3
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Prince Fielder doubled in the go-ahead runs with two outs in the seventh inning to raise his National League-leading RBI total to 65, leading Milwaukee to the comeback win.
Milwaukee is 2-2 on this interleague home stand after a back-and-forth affair with their border rivals.
Danny Valencia hit a three-run homer off Randy Wolf (6-4) to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead in the sixth, but Fielder answered the next inning off Jose Mijares.
PIRATES 3, RED SOX 1
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jose Tabata and Lyle Overbay each had two hits and an RBI to lead Pittsburgh past Boston.
Paul Maholm (4-8) beat an American League team for the first time in nearly two years by surviving 5-1/3 eventful innings. Joel Hanrahan worked a perfect in the ninth to pick up his 21st save in 21 chances as the Pirates (38-37) won their third straight to climb back above .500.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, TIGERS 6
In Detroit, Michigan, Wily Mo Pena hit a towering solo home run in the eighth inning, powering Arizona past Detroit to the victory.
Pena, called up from the minor leagues earlier this week for his first big league stint since 2008, hit a two-out homer an estimated 138m over the left-field fence off David Purcey (1-1). The ball landed in the final rows of seats under the big scoreboard at Comerica Park.
Pena has homered twice since joining the Diamondbacks.
RANGERS 8, METS 1
In Arlington, Texas, Matt Harrison pitched seven strong innings and Adrian Beltre snapped a 13-game home run drought to help Texas beat New York.
Michael Young and Josh Hamilton also connected for the AL West-leading Rangers. It was the 100th career homer for Hamilton.
Beltre’s 13th homer of the season, his first since June 8, capped a three-run outburst in the first off Mike Pelfrey (4-6).
MARINERS 5, MARLINS 1
In Seattle, Felix Hernandez allowed two hits and a run over eight innings, and Franklin Gutierrez delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh for Seattle.
It was considered a home game for the Marlins, who relocated the three-game series to Seattle because of a conflict at Sun Life Stadium due to a U2 concert.
It was the first time since the inception of the designated hitter in 1973 that National League rules were used in an American League ballpark. Each starting pitcher batted for the first time in Safeco Field history.
BLUE JAYS 5, CARDINALS 4
In St Louis, Missouri, Jose Bautista’s major league-leading 23rd home run in the top of the ninth inning helped Toronto snap a four-game losing streak.
Bautista’s one-out drive off Fernando Salas (4-2) barely cleared the wall in right field, landing just past the outstretched glove of a leaping Jon Jay. He has homered in the last two games after hitting only one in a 22-game stretch.
Colby Rasmus and Matt Holliday homered for the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of 13 and are 1-3 without injured Albert Pujols.
ORIOLES 5, REDS 4, 12 INNINGS
In Baltimore, Maryland, Derrek Lee led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a home run to give Baltimore the victory.
Lee sent a 1-2 pitch from Jose Arredondo (0-3) into the seats in left field to end the marathon. It was Lee’s first homer since May 8 and fifth overall.
Cincinnati missed a chance to take the lead in the top of the 12th when Joey Votto was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on a two-out double by Jay Bruce.
In other interleague action, it was:
‧ Giants 4, Indians 3
‧ Rays 5, Astros 1
‧ Mariners 5, Marlins 1
‧ Cubs 6, Royals 4
The National League game was:
‧ Padres 11, Braves 2
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