AMERICAN LEAGUE
Jon Lester shut down the Yankees for seven innings, while Adrian Gonzalez provided an early lead with a two-run homer as the Boston Red Sox beat New York 4-1 on Saturday for a badly needed win.
Yankees nemesis Pedro Ciriaco was four for four, raising his average against New York this year to .517 (15 for 29), while Boston reliever Craig Breslow and catcher Ryan Lavarnway became what is thought to be the first all-Yale battery in the major leagues since 1883.
Photo: AFP
The fourth-place Red Sox won for the fourth time in 11 games as they try to right their foundering season.
Lester (7-10) won consecutive starts for the first time since mid-May, allowing five hits and two walks.
Curtis Granderson homered for New York. David Phelps (3-4), making his second spot start while C.C. Sabathia is on the disabled list, gave up three runs and seven hits in 6-2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked none.
ORIOLES 3, TIGERS 2
In Detroit, Michigan, Chris Davis hit a three-run homer to help Baltimore snap Detroit’s four-game winning streak.
Adam Jones and Matt Wieters opened the seventh inning with consecutive singles off Rick Porcello (9-8).
Davis then drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for his 19th homer, snapping the scoreless tie.
Zach Britton (2-1) allowed six hits, struck out five and walked three in seven sparkling innings as Baltimore won for the fourth time in six games.
Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run single off Pedro Strop with two out in the eighth, trimming Detroit’s deficit to one. However, Peralta was caught in a rundown to end the inning, while Jim Johnson got three outs for his 36th save.
RAYS 10, ANGELS 8
In Anaheim, California, pinch-hitter Carlos Pena delivered a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning, while Evan Longoria also hit a two-run shot as Tampa Bay overcame an eight-run deficit to beat Los Angeles.
Jake McGee (4-2) earned the win with a perfect seventh, while Fernando Rodney got three outs for his major league-leading 38th save. The Rays, held to one hit over the first four innings by C.J. Wilson, rallied from an 8-0 hole with seven runs in the fifth against the All-Star left-hander.
Rodney ended the game by striking out Erick Aybar and retiring pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis on a grounder with runners at second and third.
Ben Zobrist hit a three-run double off Wilson. Tampa Bay tied it in the sixth with an unearned run against Jason Isringhausen, while Pena hit his 16th homer off Kevin Jepsen (2-2) after a leadoff single by Jeff Keppinger.
ROYALS 9, WHITE SOX 4
In Kansas City, Missouri, Mike Moustakas hit a three-run shot as Kansas City beat Chicago, overcoming Adam Dunn’s 400th career homer.
Moustakas connected in the eighth and drove in four runs for Kansas City, which have won four of five. Alcides Escobar had four infield singles.
Chicago trailed 5-2 before Dunn drove a 2-2 pitch from Tim Collins over the wall in left-center in the eighth. Kevin Youkilis, who singled with one out for his 1,000th career hit, was aboard for Dunn’s major league-best 35th homer of the season.
Dunn is one of 11 active players with 400 homers and No. 50 to reach the mark overall.
In other AL play, it was:
‧ Rangers 2, Blue Jays 1
‧ Athletics 8, Indians 5
‧ Mariners 3, Twins 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ST LOUIS, Missouri
Yadier Molina had three hits and two RBIs in his return to the St. Louis lineup, leading the Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
St Louis bounced back from Friday night’s 2-1 loss in the series opener and pulled within a game of Pittsburgh for the second NL wild-card spot. Jaime Garcia is expected to come off the disabled list to start Sunday’s series finale against Pirates right-hander Jeff Karstens.
Molina also scored a run after missing the previous three games with a sore back. He hit a two-run double off Erik Bedard (7-13) in the fifth inning to give the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.
Shane Robinson also had a two-run double for St Louis.
METS 2, NATIONALS 0
In Washington, Jonathon Niese pitched into the eighth inning, while Ike Davis hit a two-run homer in the seventh to lead New York over Washington.
Nationals starter Edwin Jackson (7-8) yielded two hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out 11.
Niese (10-6) retired his last seven batters, while Frank Francisco worked a perfect ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances. Niese, who is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA in six games against Washington, allowed five hits and struck out seven without a walk.
REDS 5, CUBS 3, 1ST GAME
CUBS 9, REDS 7, 2ND GAME
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Brett Jackson hit his first career home run to help Brooks Raley earn his first major league win, leading Chicago over Cincinnati for a split of their day-night doubleheader.
David DeJesus also homered, while Starlin Castro had three hits and two RBIs for the Cubs. Raley (1-2) allowed four runs, three earned and five hits in 5-1/3 innings.
Carlos Marmol earned his 15th save in 17 chances.
Ryan Ludwick went deep twice and drove in three runs for the Reds. Todd Redmond (0-1) gave up four runs, seven hits and five walks in 3-1/3 innings.
In the opener, Johnny Cueto remained perfect under the sun, while Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier hit a go-ahead homer for the second straight game.
Xavier Paul and Miguel Cairo added their first home runs of the season as the Reds roughed up another Cubs starting pitcher. They hit three homers off Travis Wood in a 7-3 win on Friday night and three more off Jeff Samardzija (8-11) on Saturday.
Aroldis Chapman allowed a run — his first in 24 appearances — but held on for his 29th save.
DIAMONDBACKS 12, ASTROS 4
In Houston, Texas, Aaron Hill hit a three-run homer in a nine-run fifth inning, while Chris Young had four hits as Arizona routed Houston.
After the game, the struggling Astros fired manager Brad Mills, hitting coach Mike Barnett and first base coach Bobby Meacham. Mills was in his third season as manager.
The Astros have the worst record in the majors at 39-82.
Young also drove in three runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Justin Upton added two hits for the Diamondbacks, while Ryan Wheeler hit his first major league home run.
DODGERS 6, BRAVES 2
In Atlanta, Georgia, Hanley Ramirez drove in four runs with two homers, including the first of three straight shots by Los Angeles in the second inning against Atlanta.
A crowd of 42,219 attended Major League Baseball’s sixth Civil Rights Game. Commissioner Bud Selig sat with Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier for players, and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who broke the color barrier for managers.
Ramirez, James Loney and Luis Cruz hit consecutive homers in a span of four pitches from Ben Sheets (4-3). Ramirez added a three-run drive in the sixth. The four homers were the Dodgers’ only hits.
In other NL play, it was:
‧ Giants 8, Padres 7
‧ Phillies 4, Brewers 3
‧ Marlins 6, Rockies 5
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