AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore’s Adam Jones had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs as the Orioles took advantage of five Tampa Bay errors to beat the Rays 5-3 on Saturday.
Bill Hall hit a solo homer for the Orioles, who struck out 12 times but scored three unearned runs to beat their nearest rival for top spot in the American League East division.
Baltimore starter Brian Matusz (2-4) gave up two earned runs in 5-2/3 innings.
Tampa Bay starter Matt Moore (1-3) walked four and allowed four runs in 4-1/3 innings.
ANGELS 4, RANGERS 2
In Arlington, Texas, Kendrys Morales hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to lead Los Angeles over Texas.
Angels starter C.J. Wilson worked into the sixth to become the first major leaguer in 11 seasons to start consecutive games. He had faced only five batters before a rain delay in the series opener.
Mark Trumbo launched a towering two-run homer for the Angels off Matt Harrison (4-3).
Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton hit his majors-leading 18th homer and ninth in six games.
Los Angeles reliever David Carpenter (1-1) took the win, facing only two batters after replacing Wilson before the Angels took the lead in the seventh.
ATHLETICS 3, TIGERS 1
In Oakland, California, Brandon McCarthy matched a career high by pitching 10 strikeouts after missing his previous start with shoulder soreness, leading Oakland past Detroit.
He scattered four hits over seven innings to silence concerns about another serious injury setback. McCarthy (3-3) had struck out 10 batters only twice before.
Jonny Gomes, Cliff Pennington and Daric Barton each drove in a run for the Athletics.
Tigers starter Doug Fister had his scoreless streak ended at 11 innings when Gomes singled in the first. Fister (0-1) took the loss despite allowing only one run in six innings.
YANKEES 6, MARINERS 2
In New York, Phil Hughes won consecutive starts for the first time this season, steering New York past Seattle.
Hughes (3-4) allowed one run and one walk in 7-2/3 innings.
New York’s Raul Ibanez homered against his former team for the second straight day.
Former Yankees prospect Hector Noesi (2-4) lasted seven innings for the Mariners, allowing five runs.
In other Al play, it was:
‧ Red Sox 4, Indians 1
‧ Royals 5, White Sox 0
‧ Blue Jays 2, Twins 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ST LOUIS, MISSOURI
Atlanta’s Brandon Beachy allowed only two singles in six innings, and helped himself by driving in a run, as the Braves beat the St Louis Cardinals 7-2 on Saturday.
Beachy (4-1) lowered his ERA to 1.60, fifth best in the National League.
Michael Bourn hit his first homer of the season, and went three for six with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Atlanta did most of its damage against Cardinals starter Adam Wainright (2-4), who lasted just 4-1/3 innings, allowing five runs with five walks.
METS 9, MARLINS 3
In Miami, David Wright homered and singled three times in his fourth consecutive multi-hit game as New York beat Miami.
Wright singled home a run in the first inning, hit a homer in the third, singled and scored in the sixth, and added an RBI single in the ninth, raising his batting average to an NL-best .402. His on-base percentage of .489 leads the majors.
Mets starter R.A. Dickey (5-1) gave up two runs and has allowed only seven in his past four starts. The knuckleballer also earned a painful RBI when he was hit on his pitching hand in the fifth inning with the bases loaded. He stayed in the game as New York made it six wins from seven games.
Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco (4-1) missed a chance to break the team record for career victories and remained on 68. He allowed six runs in 4-2/3 innings.
In other NL play, it was:
‧ Dodgers 2, Rockies 1
‧ Nationals 2, Reds 1
‧ Giants 5, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Pirates 5, Astros 2
‧ Brewers 8, Cubs 2
‧ Padres 2, Phillies 1
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but