AMERICAN LEAGUE
Mark Trumbo crushed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 9-8 victory over the New York Yankees.
It was a seventh consecutive win for the Angels, who overcame the loss of pitcher Jered Weaver to a back injury after just 12 pitches of an ominous first inning.
Photo: AFP
“It felt like somebody stabbed me in the back,” Weaver told reporters after sustaining the injury by stumbling off the mound following a pitch. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. I’ll have X-rays tomorrow to see if anything serious happened. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
The visiting Yankees (26-22) scored three times in the top of the first, before Los Angeles answered with four runs in the bottom as both teams battled until the final inning.
Trumbo was the lead-off batter in the ninth and he wasted little time blasting a pitch from losing reliever Cory Wade to clinch victory.
Trumbo finished three-for-five with two RBIs, while Kendrys Morales and Howard Kendrick added three RBIs for the red-hot home side, who are back to level at 25-25 following their tough start to the season.
“A walk-off home run is about as good as it’s going to get,” Trumbo said. “We started slow, but we’re getting hot right at the right time. We have a lot of confidence right now and we’re going to keep it rolling.”
New York’s loss snapped a five-game winning streak.
Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson homered for the Yankees, who fell behind 8-5 before scoring three runs in the seventh to tie the game.
Angels reliever Jordan Walden tossed the final two scoreless innings to record the win.
WHITE SOX 2, RAYS 1
In St Petersburg, Florida, Chris Sale struck out a career-high 15 and Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer as the Chicago White Sox extended their winning streak to six games with a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sale (6-2) gave up one run, three hits and walked two in 7-1/3 innings, while finishing one strikeout shy of the team record Jack Harshman set against Boston on July 25, 1954.
Sale matched Detroit’s Max Scherzer for the most in a game this season, set on May 20 against Pittsburgh.
Chicago took a 2-1 lead during the sixth when Gordon Beckham singled and scored on Dunn’s homer off Matt Moore (1-5).
RANGERS 4, MARINERS 2
In Arlington, Texas, Mike Napoli and Nelson Cruz both homered before combining on a big defensive play, while Matt Harrison pitched eight strong innings to lead Texas past Seattle.
Napoli homered for the second game in a row when he hit a tiebreaking, three-run shot in the sixth off reliever Steve Delabar (1-1). Cruz went deep in the second to help the Rangers win their fourth straight game.
Harrison (6-3) struck out five and walked none. Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.
Brendan Ryan hit an RBI triple in the eighth and was thrown out trying for an inside-the-park homer on a relay that went from Cruz to second baseman Ian Kinsler to Napoli.
RED SOX 7, TIGERS 4
In Boston, Felix Doubront pitched six innings of four-hit ball, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered as Boston downed Detroit.
The victory was tainted by an injury to 2008 American League Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia, who left in the fifth inning with a jammed right thumb.
The Tigers played most of the game without manager Jim Leyland and third-base coach Gene Lamont, ejected following a disputed foul tip in the second.
Monday’s other results:
‧ Twins 5, Athletics 4
‧ Indians 8, Royals 5
‧ Blue Jays 6, Orioles 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
Ty Wigginton drove in a career-high six runs with a homer and a pair of two-out hits, while Cole Hamels won his eighth straight decision to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets 8-4 on Monday.
A day after the Phillies lost Roy Halladay to shoulder soreness after two innings, Hamels (8-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in eight innings to match St Louis’ Lance Lynn for the major league lead in wins.
Philadelphia won for the fifth time in six following a season-long four-game losing streak.
David Wright went none-for-four and is hitless in 14 at-bats.
Bobby Parnell (1-1) lost as the Mets’ three-game winning streak ended.
CARDINALS 8, BRAVES 2
In Atlanta, Georgia, Lance Lynn (8-1) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings as St Louis extended Atlanta’s losing streak to eight games.
Atlanta are on their worst skid since losing nine straight from April 21 to April 29, 2010. The Braves have given up seven runs or more in four straight games for the first time since five in a row from July 26 to July 30, 2008, according to STATS LLC.
Daniel Descalso hit a two-run homer.
Atlanta’s Tommy Hanson (5-4) gave up six runs and eight hits in 3-1/3 innings.
MARLINS 5, NATIONALS 3
In Miami, Giancarlo Stanton hit his 11th home run this month, one short of the Marlins’ record, in a win over Washington.
Stanton tied the score in the sixth with his 12th homer of the year, Logan Morrison homered and scored twice, while Hanley Ramirez had three hits and a sacrifice fly.
Struggling closer Heath Bell pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in 12 chances. Bell had failed to finish the ninth in his previous two outings.
Jordan Zimmermann (3-5) hit his first career homer, but he could not hold on to a 3-1 lead.
CUBS 11, PADRES 7
In Chicago, Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead home run as Chicago ended their 12-game losing streak with a victory over San Diego.
The Cubs’ skid was their worst since they opened the 1997 season with 14 straight losses.
Winds were blowing at gusts of up to 56kph on a 90-degree day at Wrigley Field and the ball was flying. There were eight home runs, including four by each team and two from San Diego’s Chase Headley, and a total of 17 extra-base hits.
Chicago trailed 7-6 in the sixth inning when Soriano launched a drive off Alex Hinshaw (0-1) over the right-field bleachers onto Waveland Avenue.
Soriano had three hits and drove in three runs.
Ian Stewart and Starlin Castro each homered and drove in three for the Cubs. Darwin Barney also homered and David DeJesus tripled twice.
Monday’s other results:
‧ Giants 4, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Pirates 4, Reds 1
‧ Brewers 3, Dodgers 2
‧ Rockies 9, Astros 7, Game 1
‧ Rockies 7, Astros 6, 10 innings,
Game 2
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
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