INTERLEAGUE PLAY
Tampa Bay reliever Joel Peralta — playing with a suspension pending — served up a tie-breaking, two-run double to Washington’s Danny Espinosa in the sixth inning which lifted the Nationals to a 5-2 win over the Rays in interleague play on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Peralta (0-3) learned that he had been penalized by Major League Baseball for eight games after being caught with pine tar in his glove on Tuesday. Peralta is appealing the decision and can keep playing until a final decision is reached.
Washington starter Gio Gonzalez (9-3) pitched six innings on a steamy night.
ATHLETICS 4, DODGERS 1
In Oakland, California, Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning for his first career game-ending shot as Oakland beat Los Angeles for a three-game sweep.
Cespedes connected off Josh Lindblom (2-1), sending a drive just inside the left-field foul pole.
Oakland has won eight of nine after holding the National League’s best team to eight hits over the three-game series.
Oakland’s Ryan Cook (2-1) took the win after relieving Travis Blackley, who allowed only one run in eight innings.
TIGERS 2, CARDINALS 1, 10 INNINGS
In Detroit, Quintin Berry hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 10th inning to give Detroit a win over St Louis.
Ramon Santiago and Jhonny Peralta hit one-out singles off Victor Marte (0-1), who then grazed Austin Jackson’s jersey with a pitch. Berry followed with a base hit up the middle through a drawn-in infield.
Joaquin Benoit (1-1) got the win. The Detroit bullpen shut out St Louis after Jacob Turner allowed a run and four hits in five innings.
Prince Fielder homered for the Tigers.
RED SOX 6, MARLINS 5
In Boston, Daniel Nava singled in the go-ahead run to cap a three-run eighth inning which lifted Boston to a tight win over Miami, completing a sweep.
Boston tied the game with a two-run homer by Will Middlebrooks — who drove in four runs — off Edward Mujica (0-3). Ryan Kalish then singled, raced to third on a groundout and scored on Nava’s single up the middle.
Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 21 opportunities. Scott Atchison (2-0) allowed one hit over the seventh and eighth.
Boston won their fifth straight game and matched their season-best mark of three games over .500.
The Marlins have lost 13 of 15.
In other interleague play, it was:
‧ Pirates 9, Twins 11
In NL action, it was:
‧ Rockies 4, Phillies 11
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