AMERICAN LEAGUE
Texas’ Derek Holland struck out seven and pitched into the eighth inning, guiding the Rangers to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox in the American League on Wednesday.
Holland (7-5) allowed five hits in 7-2/3 innings, and came out of the game soon after a stretch when he retired 20 of 22 batters.
Texas took advantage of a couple of wild throws by Boston pitcher Josh Beckett to score the go-ahead run.
Elvis Andrus was hit on the left forearm by a pitch to reach base with one out in the seventh. He got to third on a single by Adrian Beltre and scored to break a 3-3 tie when Beckett (5-9) threw a wild pitch that bounced several feet wide of the plate.
RAYS 10, ORIOLES 1
In Baltimore, David Price allowed one run over seven innings to earn his major league-leading 14th victory, leading Tampa Bay to an easy win over Baltimore.
Price (14-4) struck out 10 and walked none. He has won a career-high six straight decisions.
Ryan Roberts homered and scored three runs in his debut for the Rays, who scored their 10 runs in the first five innings; more than they had scored in the previous four games combined.
Orioles rookie Miguel Gonzalez (2-2) gave up a leadoff homer in the first and took the loss.
ATHLETICS 16, BLUE JAYS 0
In Toronto, the visitors inflicted Toronto’s heaviest-ever shutout defeat and won a season-high seventh straight game.
Coco Crisp hit two home runs and Yoenis Cespedes had two RBI doubles for the A’s, who are 16-2 this month.
Things got so out of hand that the Blue Jays used catcher Jeff Mathis to pitch the ninth inning and he gave up two runs.
Oakland starter A.J. Griffin (3-0) pitched six scoreless innings, striking out nine. He has a 2.25 ERA.
Toronto starter Ricky Romero (8-7) lasted only 1-1/3 innings in the shortest start of his career. He lost his sixth decision in a row.
In other AL play, it was:
‧ Angels 11, Royals 6
‧ Yankees 5, Mariners 2
‧ Tigers 5, Indians 3
‧ White Sox 8, Twins 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
Washington ace Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 batters in seven innings as the Nationals won 5-2 on Wednesday, completing a series sweep of the free-falling New York Mets.
Strasburg (11-4) gave up four hits in matching his career-best for innings, done seven times.
Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa hit consecutive homers, while Espinosa also doubled and scored on one of the Mets’ two errors in the Nationals’ fifth straight win.
The Mets’ 1-11 slide after the All-Star break is approaching their record for futility to start the second half of a season.
The 1962 Mets won just one of their first 15 games en route to a 40-120 season.
New York starter Jeremy Hefner (1-4) labored through six innings, giving up three runs n his fourth big league start.
CARDINALS 3, DODGERS 2, 12 innings
In St Louis, Rafael Furcal singled home the winning run with two outs in the 12th inning as St Louis edged Los Angeles.
Lance Berkman, who left a day earlier with a bruised knee after being hit by a pitch, drew a one-out walk in the 12th from Jamey Wright (4-3). Matt Carpenter singled with two outs and Furcal drove home pinch-runner Joe Kelly.
The loss dampened the Dodgers debut of Hanley Ramirez. The All-Star infielder, acquired the previous night from Miami, tripled on the first pitch he saw with his new team. He went 2 for 4 with a walk, scoring once and hitting the RBI single in sixth that made it 2-2.
Cardinals reliever Fernando Salas (1-3) pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his first victory in more than a year.
REDS 5, ASTROS 3
In Houston, Drew Stubbs delivered another huge hit in the ninth inning; a two-out, two-run double that rallied Cincinnati past Houston and to their season-high seventh straight win.
In other NL play, it was:
‧ Braves 7, Marlins 1
‧ Padres 6, Giants 3
‧ Pirates 3, Cubs 2
‧ Phillies 7, Brewers 6, 10 innings
‧ Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 2
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