AMERICAN LEAGUE
Sean Rodriguez hit a go-ahead two-run homer, helping the Tampa Bay Rays to continue their home dominance over the New York Yankees in a 7-4 victory over the American League East leaders on Tuesday.
Rodriguez, mired in a 17-for-100 slump dating back to May 21, finished with three-for-four.
Photo: AFP
After blowing a three-run lead, New York went ahead 4-3 on Eric Chavez’s RBI single during the fourth. Tampa Bay responded in the bottom half and grabbed a 5-4 lead on Rodriguez’s first homer since May 27 off Ivan Nova (9-3).
James Shields (8-5) gave up four runs and 10 hits over seven innings for the Rays, who have won nine straight at Tropicana Field over the Yankees.
BLUE JAYS 6, ROYALS 3
In Toronto, Adam Lind hit a three-run homer and Brett Cecil won for the first time in three starts as Toronto beat Kansas City.
Lind’s sixth homer was the big blow in Toronto’s six-run fourth inning. The win put the Blue Jays over .500 at 41-40 at the midpoint of the season.
The Royals lost for the fourth time in five games since matching their season high with a four-game winning streak.
Cecil (2-1) allowed three runs and five hits in six-plus innings to win for the first time since June 17 against Philadelphia, his first start after being promoted from minor league Triple-A Las Vegas. The left-hander walked one and struck out three.
INDIANS 9, ANGELS 5
In Cleveland, Ohio, rookie Zach McAllister lasted six innings, overcoming a throwing error and two home runs in the fifth, while Shelley Duncan homered in Cleveland’s win over the Los Angeles Angels.
McAllister (3-1) allowed three earned runs and eight hits as he and the Indians recovered after blowing a four-run lead.
Duncan homered in the fourth off an ineffective Dan Haren (6-8). Jose Lopez had three hits and Michael Brantley two RBIs for Cleveland.
Rookie Mike Trout hit a three-run homer and Albert Pujols had a solo shot, but he also made a crucial error in the fifth for the Angels, who lost for just the fourth time in 13 games.
WHITE SOX 19, RANGERS 2
In Chicago, Kevin Youkilis, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios homered in the first inning off Roy Oswalt, while All-Star Chris Sale won his 10th game as Chicago routed Texas.
Playing in his first home game with the White Sox since his trade from Boston on June 24, Youkilis had three hits and drove in four runs in a meeting of division leaders that saw Chicago score their most runs this season.
A.J. Pierzynski, not chosen for the American League All-Star team managed by Texas’ skipper Ron Washington, hit a three-run homer off reliever Yoshinori Tateyama — his 15th of the season — to cap a nine-run fifth inning and make it 16-0. Seven of the runs in the inning were unearned, thanks to an error by Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler.
TWINS 8, TIGERS 6
In Detroit, Michigan, Josh Willingham and Trevor Plouffe hit homers in a five-run third, while Ryan Doumit had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, lifting Minnesota over Detroit.
Joe Mauer had three hits, including a solo homer to lead off the ninth that gave the Twins a two-run lead and helped earn a season-high, five-game winning streak.
Jeff Gray (5-0) gave up only one hit in two innings after starter Nick Blackburn gave up six runs and eight hits over four innings.
Kyle Waldrop and Tyler Robertson each pitched another inning of scoreless relief, while Glen Perkins pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save in six chances.
ATHLETICS 3, RED SOX 2
In Oakland, California, Coco Crisp hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to go with his leadoff homer in the first innings as Oakland rallied to beat Boston.
The A’s got singles from Chris Carter and Brandon Hicks, before pinch-hitter Brandon Moss’ tying single against Alfredo Aceves (0-6). Then Crisp delivered his third career walkoff RBI and Oakland’s first game-ending sacrifice fly since Dan Johnson had one on May 15, 2007, against Kansas City.
Jerry Blevins (2-0) worked 1-2/3 innings for the victory.
The Red Sox squandered a scoring chance in the top of the ninth with two base running blunders, including Ryan Kalish caught trying to steal third.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin
Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Heath Bell in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 13-12 win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
Livan Hernandez (2-1) pitched the 10th and picked up the win. He struck out John Buck, got Scott Cousins to fly out to center, but Jose Reyes connected on a 3-1 pitch and homered into the second tier above the Marlins bullpen in right. Donovan Solano struck out to end the inning.
Bell (2-4) came on in the bottom of the 10th. Carlos Gomez walked. Norichika Aoki sent a 3-2 pitch to the warning track in center, but Cousins caught it.
Ryan Braun, who hit a three-run homer in the sixth, struck out and on the play Carlos Gomez stole second. Ramirez hit a 0-1 pitch off the wall in center. His offense lifted the Brewers, who had blown a seven-run lead.
PIRATES 8, ASTROS 7
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Drew Sutton hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth as Pittsburgh improved to eight games over .500 for the first time in 20 years with a win over Houston.
Acquired via waivers last week, Sutton homered for the first time since Oct. 3, 2010, lifting the Pirates to their sixth walkoff win of the season, the second via a home run.
The Pirates rallied from deficits of 4-0 and 6-2 to take a 7-6 lead on a Garrett Jones two-run homer in the seventh, but with Houston down to their last strike in the ninth, pinch-hitter Jason Castro drove in Jed Lowrie with a double.
Andrew McCutchen continued his recent torrid pace by going three-for-four with a home run, taking over the National League batting lead at .360.
METS 11, PHILLIES 1
In New York, Jonathon Niese had a two-run single to back his fine performance on the mound, as David Wright hit a three-run homer to break open New York’s romp over Philadelphia.
Niese (7-3) pitched a season-high eight innings and gave up three hits, one a homer to Carlos Ruiz. His hit in the second inning put New York up for good.
Daniel Murphy finished a homer short of the cycle, doubled twice, drove in four runs and made a leaping catch and diving stop at second base.
NATIONALS 9, GIANTS 3
In Washington, All-Star shortstop Ian Desmond hit his 14th home run as Washington became the latest team to beat up on Tim Lincecum, pounding the struggling right-hander hard early and often.
The opener of the three-game series between first-placed teams was barely a contest. Jordan Zimmermann (5-6) pitched a rain-shortened six innings and again enjoyed the generous run support that had evaded him for so long, ensuring the Nationals would wake up on with a 3-1/2 game cushion over the New York Mets atop the National League East.
BRAVES 10, CUBS 3
In Atlanta, Georgia, newly chosen All-Star Chipper Jones delivered his first five-hit game in a decade, driving in four runs to lead Atlanta over Chicago.
Jones was added to the All-Star roster before the game. The 40-year-old third baseman replaced injured Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp.
Jones went five-for-five for his third career five-hit performance and his first since Aug. 11, 2002.
ROCKIES 3, CARDINALS 2
In St Louis, Missouri, Jeff Francis worked five solid innings before the Colorado bullpen took over, while Tyler Colvin hit a three-run homer in a win over St Louis.
Matt Holliday hit his 14th homer for the Cardinals. Carlos Beltran was none-for-three with a walk to end a nine-game RBI streak in which he drove in 15 runs.
Matt Belisle retired four in a row to end the eighth, the biggest out coming on Holliday’s ground-out with two runners on.
PADRES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 5
In Phoenix, Arizona, Chase Headley doubled in three runs as San Diego roughed up Arizona rookie Trevor Bauer on his home debut, winning their fourth straight and sending the Diamondbacks to their fourth loss in a row.
Padres starter Andrew Cashner left the game after two innings with a strained muscle in his right side. Leading 2-0 at the time, the Padres scored five in the fourth to break the game open.
Ross Ohlendorf (2-0) went 2-1/3 innings to get the victory. Arizona’s Jason Kubel hit his eighth career grand slam. Yonder Alonso hit a two-run homer for San Diego.
REDS 3, DODGERS 1
In Los Angeles, Luis Cruz doubled home the go-ahead run in his second game with Los Angeles and stole home on the next pitch, leading the Dodgers to a victory over Johnny Cueto and Cincinnati.
It was 1-1 in the seventh inning when James Loney singled with one out. Cruz followed with a drive to the gap in left-center and Loney barely getting his foot on the plate after catcher Ryan Hanigan stuck out his left leg to block him.
Cruz continued to third on the relay from shortstop Zack Cozart, then broke for the home plate as Tony Gwynn Jr tried to put down a suicide-squeeze bunt. Cueto’s pitch sailed off the tip of Hanigan’s glove and to the backstop.
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