AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York’s C.C. Sabathia struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings, guiding the Yankees to a 9-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in Tuesday’s clash of American League divisional leaders.
Sabathia (12-4) overpowered his old team. Despite leading the league in wins and going 9-1 in his past 10 starts, Sabathia was curiously left off the AL roster for the All-Star game.
Photo: Reuters
Curtis Granderson hit a two-run homer in the second inning and a solo shot in the fourth off Carlos Carrasco (8-5), who lasted just four innings. Granderson has 25 homers this season.
Derek Jeter went 2 for 6 with a two-run double and has 2,996 hits; four shy of becoming the 28th major leaguer and first Yankee to reach 3,000.
Indians All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left in the fourth with a sprained right ankle. The team said he is day to day.
Photo: EPA
RED SOX 3, BLUE JAYS 2
In Boston, Darnell McDonald threw out Edwin Encarnacion at the plate for the final out, giving Boston victory over Toronto.
Trailing 3-0, Toronto’s Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer with nobody out in the ninth to make it a one-run game. It was his 28th homer of the season.
Photo: AFP
A single by Encarnacion and a walk to J.P. Arencibia put runners at first and second with two outs. John McDonald then looped a single to short left field, Darnell McDonald charged in and, on the run, fired the ball to catcher Jason Varitek, who blocked the plate with his left leg and tagged Encarnacion to end it.
Boston closer Jonathan -Papelbon got his 18th save in 19 chances, while Matt Albers (3-3) worked two scoreless innings for the win.
ANGELS 1, TIGERS 0
In Anaheim, California, Dan Haren pitched a shutout and notched his 100th career win by prevailing in a classic pitchers’ duel as Los Angeles edged Detroit.
Haren (9-2) was nearly flawless and finished by retiring 15 straight batters.
Detroit starter Justin Verlander (11-4) saw his streak of nine straight wins ended and was ejected while leaving the mound in the eighth.
Detroit manager Jim Leyland was also ejected before the seventh inning. Leyland and Verlander apparently were angry after the umpires ordered Verlander to change balls earlier.
In other AL play, it was:
‧ Twins 3, Rays 2
‧ Rangers 4, Orioles 2
‧ Mariners 4, A’s 2, 10 innings
‧ Royals 5, White Sox 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, MIAMI
Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard had four hits and four RBIs as the Phillies crushed the Florida Marlins 14-2 in the National League on Tuesday.
The Marlins opted to walk Howard with a runner on first and the game tied 0-0 in the third inning. The Phillies scored five times in the inning and when the Marlins pitched to Howard an inning later, he hit his 18th homer of the season.
Raul Ibanez also homered and drove in four runs for Philadelphia, which achieved season highs in runs and hits (18).
Phillies starter Cole Hamels (10-4) allowed two runs in eight innings to join teammate Roy Halladay as a 10-game winner.
Philadelphia, which has the best record in the majors, is assured of winning its fifth consecutive series. It has won 21 of its past 25 games in Miami.
Florida starter Chris Volstad (4-8) gave up seven runs in four innings.
NATIONALS 3, CUBS 2
In Washington, Chicago second baseman Jeff Baker’s incredibly wayward throw gave Washington two runs in the first inning and proved the difference in the game.
Baker was only about 9m from second when he fielded a routine grounder with the bases loaded and no outs, but his throw sailed more than 3m wide of the bag and into left field. Instead of allowing one run on a double play, the Cubs were in a 2-0 hole that became 3-0 on Wilson Ramos’ infield single.
That was just enough of a cushion for Nationals’ pitchers, including Ross Detwiler (1-0), who was recalled from the minors before the game because Washington needed an extra starter because of a recent doubleheader. In his first start of the season, Detwiler took a shutout into the sixth.
Drew Storen earned his 21st save.
METS 6, DODGERS 0
In Los Angeles, Jason Bay homered twice and drove in four runs to power New York past Los Angeles.
Carlos Beltran also went deep for the Mets, while starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey (5-7) left seven Dodgers runners stranded in scoring position through six gritty innings. He escaped bases-loaded jams in the fourth and fifth.
Los Angeles starter Ted Lilly (5-9) gave up three runs in six innings after getting an extra day’s rest because of a tender elbow.
Each of Washington’s past nine wins has come by one run or in extra innings.
In other NL games, it was:
‧ Braves 5, Rockies 3
‧ Diamondbacks 7, Brewers 3
‧ Cardinals 8, Reds 1
‧ Padres 5, Giants 3
‧ Pirates 5, Astros 1
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