AMERICAN LEAGUE
The hard-hitting Texas Rangers flexed their muscles yet again to thump the Los Angeles Angels 13-6 on Sunday and improve their American League-best record.
Red-hot slugger Josh Hamilton, who had hit nine home runs in his last six games, was limited to a single and a double good for three runs, but Nelson Cruz picked up the slack with a grand slam in the third inning to pace a 19-hit Texas attack.
Photo: Reuters
The sold-out crowd at Rangers Ballpark of nearly 47,000 roared their support and for the second time in the series went home happy with a voucher for a free taco, guaranteed once Texas scored their 10th run of the game.
Defending league champions Texas (23-12) dealt Jered Weaver his first defeat of the season in taking two of three against the Angels (15-20), a popular preseason choice to challenge the Rangers in the West.
Weaver, aiming to become the first American League pitcher to reach six wins, left with a 5-1 record after yielding 10 hits and eight runs in three and one-third innings on the mound.
The Rangers became the first Major League Baseball team to exceed 200 runs scored this season, led by Cruz, who went 4-for-5 with four runs batted in and three runs scored. Elvis Andrus also chipped in and enjoyed a 4-for-5 night at the plate.
Mark Trumbo, Vernon Wells and Kendrys Morales homered for the losers.
The starter and winner for the two-time defending American League champions was Neftali Feliz (3-1). The converted closer pitched six innings and gave up two runs on four hits and struck out five.
MARINERS 6, YANKEES 2
In New York, Andy Pettitte made his much-anticipated return to the Yankees, getting lavished with adoration while pitching into the seventh inning, despite giving up a pair of two-run homers in New York’s loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Nearly lost amid the excitement over Pettitte’s first major league appearance since retiring after the 2010 season was party crasher Kevin Millwood’s performance for Seattle — helped by three double plays. The 37-year-old Millwood (1-4) gave up three hits in seven innings and got his 2,000th career strikeout as Seattle avoided a three-game sweep.
The Yankees tried to prevent their old pal Pettitte from taking the loss with a rally in the eighth against four Seattle relievers. Robinson Cano was walked with two outs by Charlie Furbush with the bases loaded to make it 4-2. Mark Teixeira, though, struck out to end the inning.
In other AL play, it was:
Rays 9, Orioles 8
Tigers 3, Atheletics 1
Red Sox 12, Indians 1
Royals 9, White Sox 1
Twins 4, Blue Jays 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, CINCINNATI, Ohio
Joey Votto hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for his third home run of the game, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a rain-delayed 9-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Votto hit solo homers in his first two at-bats and finished a big day with his second career slam with two outs in the ninth.
Washington came into the game with only 15 homers allowed all season, fewest in the majors. Votto broke out of his power drought and helped the Reds avoid a sweep with three perfect swings.
The last one came against struggling closer Henry Rodriguez (1-3), who had trouble with his control on the wet mound. Rodriguez walked two batters to load the bases with two outs, then left a 2-2 pitch up and over the plate to Votto.
The 2010 National League most valuable player had not homered since April 30 and had only two coming into the game. He finished with a career-high six RBIs and the second three-homer game of his career.
The last player to hit a game-ending home run in a three-homer game was Albert Pujols for St. Louis against Cincinnati on April 16, 2006, according to STATS LLC.
MARLINS 8, METS 4
At Miami, Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-out grand slam to cap a ninth-inning rally by the Miami Marlins, who beat an angry Frank Francisco and the New York Mets.
The walk-off victory was the second in the three-game series for the Marlins, who have won 10 of their past 12 games.
It was the first time in 14 years that there were two walk-off slams on one day, according to STATS LLC. Mo Vaughn connected for Boston and Steve Finley for San Diego on April 10, 1998.
The Marlins trailed 4-2 when Emilio Bonifacio led off the ninth with his second triple of the game against Francisco (1-3). John Buck walked and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs followed with an RBI single.
Francisco was then replaced, and he walked slowly toward plate umpire Todd Tichenor, shouting angrily. Manager Terry Collins stepped between Tichenor and Francisco, who waved his index finger and then his cap at the ump before finally heading to the dugout. Francisco was ejected even though he was already out of the game.
In other NL play it was:
Phillies 3, Padres 2
Braves 7, Cardinals 4
Dodgers 11, Rockies 5
Giants 7, Diamondbacks 3
Cubs 8, Brewers 2
Pirates 3, Astros 2
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set