AMERICAN LEAGUE
Seth Smith hit a game-leveling homer in the ninth inning and Coco Crisp singled home the winning run in the 12th as the surging Oakland Athletics rallied from four runs down to stun the New York Yankees 5-4 on Sunday and complete a four-game sweep.
Smith homered to center with one out in the ninth off closer Rafael Soriano to help the A’s sweep the Yankees in a four-game series at the Oakland Coliseum for the first time. The Athletics improved to 14-2 this month, the best record in the majors.
Photo: Reuters
The AL East-leading Yankees had not been swept in a four-game series since May 2003 against Toronto.
Derek Norris started the final rally with a one-out single off Derek Jeter’s glove at shortstop. Jemile Weeks followed with a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Oakland’s major league-leading 11th walk-off win.
Crisp’s humpback liner to right off Cody Eppley (0-2) gave the A’s their fifth straight victory.
ANGELS 7, RANGERS 4
In Anaheim, California, Albert Pujols and Bobby Wilson homered, while Mike Trout scored a run in his 14th consecutive game to set an American League rookie record, leading Los Angeles over Texas to win the three-game series.
Dan Haren pitched effectively in his first start off the disabled list for the Angels.
Haren (7-8) threw 95 pitches over six innings, allowing two runs, three hits and three walks, while striking out three.
Nelson Cruz hit his 12th homer in the fourth to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Angels tacked on three runs in the seventh with Wilson’s first homer of the season and Pujols’ 18th, a two-run shot off Alexi Ogando. Pujols’s 463rd career home run put him ahead of Jose Canseco for 32nd place all-time.
ORIOLES 4, INDIANS 3
In Cleveland, Ohio, Zach Britton pitched six shutout innings and J.J. Hardy drove in three runs as Baltimore beat Cleveland for their fifth straight win.
Britton (1-0) gave up four hits in his second start since being recalled from the minors. He struck out five and got 11 other outs on grounders.
Luis Ayala gave up a two-run homer to Cleveland’s Carlos Santana with one out in the ninth. Jim Johnson came on and got two outs for his major league-leading 30th save in 32 chances. He yielded a double to Shelley Duncan and a pinch-hit RBI single to Travis Hafner that made it 4-3.
Hardy hit a two-run homer in the first off Josh Tomlin (5-7) and an RBI single in the seventh against reliever Esmil Rogers. Wilson Betemit also homered for Baltimore.
In other AL play, it was:
‧ Tigers 6, White Sox 4
‧ Blue Jays 15, Red Sox 7
‧ Mariners 2, Rays 1
‧ Twins 7, Royals 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, WASHINGTON
Ryan Zimmerman homered twice and drove in three runs, while Danny Espinosa and Roger Bernadina each had three hits and two RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2 to split a four-game series on Sunday.
After Washington blew a 9-0 lead on Friday night in an 11-10 loss, the teams split a Saturday doubleheader. The Nationals lead the division by 3-1/2 games — as they did when the series began.
Zimmerman’s two-run homer and Danny Espinosa’s double keyed a four-run first off Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens (3-4). Michael Morse had three hits and scored three runs for the Nationals, who had 18 hits.
CARDINALS 7, CUBS 0
In St Louis, Missouri, Lance Lynn won his 12th game with six mostly spotless innings, while Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran homered on consecutive pitches to put the finishing touches to a St Louis victory that completed a three-game sweep of Chicago.
Jon Jay and Tony Cruz hit consecutive two-run doubles off Travis Wood (4-5) in the first for St Louis, who outscored the Cubs 23-1 and outhit them 38-16 for their first sweep over Chicago since June 3 to June 5 last year in St Louis.
Lynn (12-4) has allowed just one run in 19 innings in his last three starts. Fernando Salas and Marc Rzepczynski finished a combined five-hitter as the Cardinals earned consecutive shutouts for the first time since Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, 2010, against the Rockies.
PIRATES 3, MARLINS 0
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jeff Karstens pitched seven crisp innings, and Pedro Alvarez homered as Pittsburgh beat Miami for their fifth consecutive win.
Pittsburgh completed their fourth sweep of the season — all at home — while matching their longest winning streak since Sept. 17 to Sept. 22, 2010. The Pirates (54-40) remained a half-game behind National League Central-leading Cincinnati.
Anibal Sanchez (5-7) took the loss for Miami, who have dropped five straight, scoring a total of seven runs during the slide.
Alvarez’s fourth homer in his last six games and No. 21 for the season came after Casey McGehee led off the seventh with a double, making it 3-0.
In other NL play, it was:
‧ Dodgers 8, Mets 3, 12 innings
‧ Reds 2, Brewers 1
‧ Phillies 4, Giants 3, 12 innings
‧ Diamondbacks 8, Astros 2
‧ Padres 3, Rockies 2
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