MAJOR LEAGUES
Drew Stubbs hit a two-run homer in the 14th inning as the Cleveland Indians outlasted the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Tuesday night to gain ground in the American League playoff race.
Lonnie Chisenhall got the Indians going with a one-out single in the 14th off Joe Blanton (2-14), the Angels’ seventh pitcher. Stubbs, the Indians’ No. 9 hitter, was 0-for-4 with a walk before connecting for his first homer since July 4.
Michael Bourn singled and scored from second on Blanton’s throwing error for the Angels, who have lost eight of 10. Los Angeles stranded 17 runners, including 13 after the sixth inning and two in the final frame.
Carlos Santana hit a tying homer in the seventh for the Indians, who managed just four hits in the first 12 innings.
In New York, Jayson Nix hit a tying homer in the seventh inning and a game-ending single in the ninth, lifting the Yankees to 3-2 win in a night match for their second comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the day.
In the opener, Robinson Cano and Chris Stewart each hit three-run homers to rally the Yankees from four runs down to an 8-4 win.
The Twins had a 6-3 win over the Tigers despite the late scratching of All-Star Joe Mauer, who experienced dizziness in batting practice, while the Rays won for the sixth time in seven games with a 7-4 victory over the Orioles and the White Sox edged the Royals 2-0.
In Oakland, California, Nick Franklin hit a home run and drove in three runs as the Mariners rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Athletics 7-4.
Yasiel Puig ended a slump and silenced speculation that he is in trouble with his first swing on Tuesday night for the Dodgers in Miami.
He came off the bench to hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and help Los Angeles beat the Marlins 6-4 on Tuesday night.
Puig was held out of the starting lineup after going hitless in his past 11 at-bats. He also drew a fine when he arrived late for pre-game drills, raising more questions about the 22-year-old Cuban’s maturity.
He entered the game in the sixth inning in a double switch, batted for the first time leading off the eighth and needed only one pitch to break a four-all tie. Puig pulled a ball that landed on top of the wall before bouncing over for his 12th home run since breaking into the majors on June 3.
“I’d like to have a guy like that coming off the bench,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said wryly.
The Mets had a 5-3 win over National League East leaders Atlanta in New York, with rookie Zack Wheeler pitching shutout ball into the seventh inning and improving to 3-0 this year against the team with the best record in the majors.
Jorge de la Rosa pitched into the seventh to win his third straight start, leading the Rockies to a 5-3 win in Philadelphia.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Paul Goldschmidt set a club record with his third grand slam of the season and became the first NL player to drive in 100 runs, powering Arizona over the Reds.
Meanwhile, the Nationals had a 4-2 win over the Cubs at Chicago, the Brewers beat the Cardinals 6-3, the Rangers beat the Astros 4-2 and the Pirates thumped the Padres 8-1.
In San Franciso, California, Brayan Villarreal walked Marco Scutaro with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Giants a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Villarreal threw four straight balls to Scutaro in his debut with the Red Sox, giving the defending World Series champions a rare reason to celebrate this summer.
The Red Sox could not hold a 2-0 lead and lost for the fifth time in seven to fall behind Tampa Bay in the race for the AL East lead.
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