AMERICAN LEAGUE
Adrian Gonzalez spoiled Kevin Youkilis’ return to Fenway Park, hitting a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
Boston traded Youkilis on June 24, sending the three-time All-Star and cash to Chicago for utilityman Brent Lillibridge and a minor league pitcher. Youkilis went three for four with two doubles in his first game back at his longtime home.
Photo: AFP
Carl Crawford returned to Boston’s lineup after missing the first 89 games this season with left elbow and wrist injuries, going one for three with a walk.
Crawford and David Ortiz opened the eighth with consecutive walks against Leyson Septimo (0-1). Gonzalez then hit a drive into the seats above the Green Monster for his seventh homer of the season.
YANKEES 6, BLUE JAYS 3
In New York, Raul Ibanez hit a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning as New York beat Toronto after Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista left the game with a wrist injury.
Ibanez connected on a 3-1 pitch from Jason Frasor for a no-doubt drive into the first row of the second deck in right field to snap a two-all tie.
Bautista injured his left wrist on a swing in the eighth and was removed from the game. He hit a long foul ball against David Robertson and immediately grabbed his wrist, dropping into a crouch outside the batter’s box.
After the game, the Blue Jays said Bautista did not break a bone. However, he has a tendon injury and will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity.
Russell Martin also homered for the Yankees. Adam Lind connected for Toronto. Aaron Loup (0-1) took the loss.
TWINS 19, ORIOLES 7
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Denard Span had three hits and five RBIs, plus two spectacular catches in center field to help Minnesota stop their five-game losing streak with a victory over Baltimore.
Ben Revere made two remarkable running grabs himself in right field to go with four hits and three RBIs. Joe Mauer homered and drove in two runs, while Justin Morneau had four of Minnesota’s 20 hits.
In other AL play, it was:
‧ Tigers 8, Angels 6
‧ Indians 3, Rays 2
‧ Mariners 9, Royals 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, CINCINNATI, Ohio
Miguel Montero drove in four runs with a bases-loaded double and a solo homer on Monday, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 win shortly after the Cincinnati Reds learned they will have to try to hold onto first place in the NL Central without Joey Votto.
An MRI found the All-Star first baseman has torn cartilage in his left knee that will require surgery and sideline him for three to four weeks.
The slumping Diamondbacks scored four runs in the first off Bronson Arroyo (4-6), who lasted a season-low three innings. The Reds had gotten impressive starts during a six-game winning streak that boosted them into first.
MARLINS 5, NATIONALS 3
In Miami, Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer, while Carlos Lee drove in two runs as Miami beat Washington to earn a split in the four-game series.
Carlos Zambrano (5-7) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings to pick up his first win since June 3.
Heath Bell pitched a scoreless eighth, while Mike Dunn pitched the ninth to record his first career save. Dunn allowed a two-out single to Bryce Harper and walked Ryan Zimmerman before striking out Adam LaRoche to end the game.
Zimmerman reached base five times and was a triple short of hitting for the cycle.
PHILLIES 3, DODGERS 2
In Los Angeles, Ryan Howard homered for his first RBI of the season, while Joe Blanton pitched eight effective innings as Philadelphia edged Los Angeles.
Jimmy Rollins also went deep, while Jonathan Papelbon retired pinch-hitter Adam Kennedy on an easy popup with a runner at third to end it. The last-place Phillies have won three straight.
Howard missed Philadelphia’s first 84 games because of the ruptured left Achilles tendon he sustained while grounding out to end last year’s NL division series against St Louis. His leadoff homer in the fourth was his first RBI in six games and 18 at-bats since coming off the disabled list.
ROCKIES 5, PIRATES 4
In Denver, Colorado, Dexter Fowler hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning as Colorado overcame a tying three-run homer by Pedro Alvarez to get the rain-soaked victory.
Wilin Rosario had two hits and scored the winning run for Colorado.
Neil Walker had three hits, while Andrew McCutchen added two for the Pirates, who have lost three of four.
Rosario led off the ninth with a single against Jason Grilli (1-3) and moved to third on a one-out single by pinch-hitter Jason Giambi. Fowler hit a deep fly to McCutchen in center field, while Rosario slid home ahead of the throw.
CARDINALS 3, BREWERS 2
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Allen Craig hit a bloop RBI single off closer John Axford to put St Louis in front, helping the Cardinals rally for an important victory.
Milwaukee was leading 2-0 going into the ninth but Axford struggled with his control right away, eventually loading the bases with two outs and surrendering a tying, two-run single to Matt Holliday.
In other NL play it was:
‧ Astros 2, Padres 0
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
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
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB