NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee threw a shutout to give the Phillies a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in Thursday’s clash of National League divisional leaders.
Lee threw a seven-hitter, while Hunter Pence and John Mayberry hit back-to-back home runs for Philadelphia.
Photo: AFP
Lee (11-7) was commanding in his first regular-season start against the Giants in two years, striking out eight, including Cody Ross four times, while not walking a batter.
Lee set down 10 straight at one point in his major league-leading fifth shutout of the season.
Lee lost twice to the Giants in last year’s World Series pitching for Texas.
Photo: AFP
Hunter Pence had three hits and drove in two runs and is hitting .360 (9 for 25) since joining the Phillies from Houston. He ended a 19-game, 67-at-bat homerless drought when he connected on Madison Bumgarner’s first pitch in the second inning.
John Mayberry followed immediately with another homer.
Bumgarner (6-11) retired 13 of 14 following Mayberry’s blast and went eight innings.
Cardinals 7, Marlins 4
In Miami, Albert Pujols hit his 25th home run of the season and finished a triple shy of the cycle, powering St Louis past Florida.
Pujols came into the game only 1 for 14 on the Cardinals’ road trip. He walked and scored in the first inning, singled and scored in the third, homered in the fourth and doubled in the sixth.
The Cardinals’ David Freese was hit on the helmet by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third inning. It put the Cardinals ahead 4-3, but Freese left the game with a mild concussion and a bruise.
In a further casualty, Marlins second baseman Omar Infante broke his right middle finger diving for a ground ball in the third.
St Louis reliever Kyle McClellan (9-6) pitched three scoreless innings to take the win.
Florida starter Clay Hensley (1-4) lasted just 2-1/3 innings and allowed six runs.
Cubs 7, Pirates 6
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carlos Pena hit one of Chicago’s three home runs and walked with the bases loaded during a three-run eighth-inning rally that lifted the Cubs over Pittsburgh and to a season-best fifth straight win.
Pena, Geovany Soto and Blake DeWitt homered to give Chicago 10 long balls in the four-game sweep, the Cubs’ first in Pittsburgh in 52 years.
The Pirates — in first place in the NL Central 10 days ago — have lost a season-worst seven consecutive games.
Pittsburgh reliever Daniel McCutchen (3-3) came to the mound in the eighth and did not retire any of the three batters he faced: All of them scored.
Chicago reliever Jeff Samardzija (6-4) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win, while Carlos Marmol worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save in the past five days.
In other NL action, it was:
‧ Rockies 6, Nationals 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, DETROIT, Michigan
Rangers pitcher Alexi Ogando defeated Detroit for the third time this season, leading Texas to a 5-2 victory in a clash of divisional leaders on Thursday.
Ogando (11-5) allowed two runs over 6-1/3 innings. He has allowed just three earned runs in 21 innings against Detroit for a 1.29 ERA.
Texas added three runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Mike Napoli and Ian Kinsler, as well as a sacrifice fly by Endy Chavez.
Detroit starter Brad Penny (7-9) took the loss, giving up five runs in 6-2/3 innings.
Yankees 7, White Sox 2
In Chicago, Ivan Nova struck out a career-high 10 as New York completed a four-game sweep of Chicago.
The Yankees have won seven straight to pull level with Red Sox ahead of the three-game series between the archrivals at Fenway Park.
Russell Martin hit a three-run homer in the ninth to break open the game and send Chicago to their sixth straight loss. He drove in four runs. Robinson Cano homered, singled, walked and scored a pair of runs for the Yankees.
Nova (10-4) pitched 7-2/3 innings and won his sixth consecutive decision. He held Chicago to one run and did not walk a batter.
White Sox pitcher Phil Humber (8-8) lost his fourth straight start, giving up four runs in 6-1/3 innings.
Rays 7, Blue Jays 6, 12 innings
In St Petersburg, Florida, Robinson Chirinos hit a tying single in the 11th inning, then delivered a two-out single in the 12th that lifted Tampa Bay over Toronto.
The Rays twice rallied in extra innings. Desmond Jennings’ solo homer in the 10th made it 4-4 and Chirinos tied it again the next inning with his two-out single off Shawn Camp (1-2).
Tampa Bay loaded the bases in the 12th on B.J. Upton’s triple and two intentional walks. One out later, Chirinos grounded the game-winning single off Camp past the diving shortstop.
Evan Longoria hit a three-run homer for Tampa Bay. Jose Bautista hit his major league-leading 33rd home run for Toronto.
Rays reliever Brandon Gomes (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning for his first major league win.
In other AL action, it was:
‧ Angels 7, Twins 1
‧ Royals 9, Orioles 4
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