AMERICAN LEAGUE
Derek Jeter homered for his 3,000th hit and raced right past the milestone in a scintillating performance, going 5 for 5 with a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning that helped the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday.
Jeter doubled and had three singles while starting a pair of Yankees rallies and finishing off their last one. He bounced a single through the left side his first time up to give him No. 2,999, then sent a no-doubt drive into the left-field seats off Rays ace David Price in the third inning.
Photo: AFP
That made Jeter the 28th major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits, one of MLB’s biggest milestones, and the first to do it with the Yankees.
It also set off quite a celebration in the Bronx, with teammates mobbing Jeter at home plate in a pack of pinstripes, before he took a curtain call and saluted the sellout crowd of 48,103.
A.J. Pierzynski, who entered when catcher Ramon Castro broke his right hand on a passed ball in the eighth inning, doubled off Jose Mijares (0-1) to start the ninth. After two fly outs, Juan Pierre walked and Alex Burnett relieved, before Ramirez lined a single to center.
RANGERS 7, ATHLETICS 6
In Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton hit a game-ending, two-run homer to help the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 and extend their winning streak to six games.
Hamilton connected on a 2-0 pitch from closer Andrew Bailey (0-2) with two outs in the ninth, sending a long drive into the second deck in right field. It was Hamilton’s fourth hit of the game and his 11th homer of the season.
The winning homer comes during an emotional stretch for Hamilton, who two nights earlier tossed a ball into the stands toward a local firefighter, who tumbled over the rail and fell about 6m to concrete below. The man died less than an hour after the fall.
In the other AL games, it was:
‧ Blue Jays 5, Indians 4, 10 inn
‧ Red Sox 4, Orioles 0
‧ Royals 13, Tigers 6
‧ Angels 9, Mariners 3
‧ White Sox 4, Twins 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, LOS ANGELES
The Los Angeles Dodgers got their first hit with two outs in the ninth inning and still beat the San Diego Padres 1-0 when Dioner Navarro singled in Juan Uribe for the unlikely victory.
Uribe was down to his last strike when he drove a pitch from Luke Gregerson (2-2) over the head of left fielder Chris Denorfia for Los Angeles’ first hit and only the second hit of the game for either team. The Padres have never had a no-hitter in their 43-year history.
Navarro then looped a 3-1 pitch into short right-center to give the Dodgers three consecutive shutout victories for the first time since July 1991. Los Angeles have won nine of their past 19 games and seven of those victories have been shutouts — including the past five.
Aaron Harang started for San Diego and worked six innings, finishing with six strikeouts and three walks. Josh Spence came on and struck out his only batter, Andre Ethier, before Chad Qualls escaped a jam to keep the game scoreless.
BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 1, 11 INNINGS
In Philadelphia, Alex Gonzalez hit an RBI single and Brian McCann added a two-run homer in the 11th to lift the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was the second straight extra-inning game for the teams, following Philadelphia’s 3-2 victory in 10 innings on Friday.
The Braves (54-37) have won 10 of 12 and closed the Phillies’ lead in the NL East to two-and-a-half games. Philadelphia (56-34) remains one win shy of tying the club record for victories in the first half.
Philadelphia starter Cliff Lee accounted for the Phillies’ only run with his first career homer off Tommy Hanson, but both pitchers were gone by the end.
Pinch-hitter Eric Hinske led off the 11th for the Braves with a walk off Michael Stutes (3-1) and pinch-runner Wilkin Ramirez went to second on Jordan Schafer’s sacrifice. First baseman Ryan Howard could have gotten the second out, but failed to make a tough over-the-shoulder catch of Gonzalez’s foul pop fly. Two pitches later, Gonzalez lined a single to center, scoring Ramirez and putting the Braves ahead 2-1.
In the other NL action, it was:
‧ Cubs 6, Pirates 3
‧ Rockies 2, Nationals 1
‧ Marlins 6, Astros 1
‧ Reds 8, Brewers 4, 10 innings
‧ Cardinals 7, Diamondbacks 6
‧ Giants 3, Mets 1
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