MAJOR LEAGUES
Detroit’s Rajai Davis hit his third career grand slam in the ninth inning to lift the Tigers to a 5-4 home win over Oakland in Monday’s clash of the top two teams in the American League (AL).
In other key matches, the Los Angeles Dodgers moved to the top of the National League (NL) West standings with a victory over Cleveland, Atlanta beat the New York Mets to keep their nose ahead of Washington in the tight NL East race and Seattle hit four home runs in a victory over Houston.
Photo: AFP
Oakland closer Sean Doolittle (2-2) was given a three-run lead to work with in the ninth, but that was not enough. Nick Castellanos and Alex Avila started the inning with singles before Eugenio Suarez struck out.
Doolittle then walked Austin Jackson — just the second walk he has issued this season — to load the bases for Davis’ game-winning shot.
Athletics’ starter Scott Kazmir left the game in the sixth, one pitch after appearing to grab at his hip, but Dan Otero replaced him and kept the game tied through seven innings.
A team spokesperson said that Kazmir was “fine.”
The Dodgers moved above idle San Franciscio to the top of the NL West by edging Cleveland 1-0.
LA starter Dan Haren (8-4) gave up just one hit and one walk in seven innings to celebrate the 11th anniversary of his major league debut.
The only run of the game came from a pinch-hit single by Dodgers rookie Clint Robinson in the seventh, with Indians starter Corey Kluber (7-6) an undeserving loser, having conceded one run in 6-2/3 innings.
Atlanta scored four runs in the eighth inning against an error-strewn Mets defense, producing a comeback 5-3 win.
Errors by pitcher Jeurys Familia (1-3), center fielder Juan Lagares and third baseman Eric Campbell in the eighth helped the Braves rally from a 3-1 deficit and notch their fifth straight win.
Atlanta stayed half a game ahead of Washington atop the NL East.
Seattle’s Robinson Cano had a three-run shot in the seventh inning as the Mariners recorded four homers in a game for the first time this season and beat Houston 10-4.
Mike Zunino had a two-run drive in the second, Michael Saunders added a pair on his long ball in the fourth and Brad Miller homered two batters later.
The Mariners’ heralded prospect Taijuan Walker (1-0) allowed two home runs before settling down to strike out six in six innings in his season debut after a shoulder injury.
Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar tied a career high with four RBIs via two doubles as the Royals won 6-1 at Minneapolis.
Salvador Perez homered for Kansas City, who improved to 43-39; their best record at this stage of a season since 2003.
The Twins have lost six of their past seven games to drop into last place in the AL Central.
Baltimore’s Steve Pearce hit two of his side’s four home runs to power the Orioles to a 7-1 win over Texas.
Washington’s Adam LaRoche homered, while Ryan Zimmerman had three hits, and Ian Desmond added two doubles and three RBIs as the Nationals defeated Colorado 7-3.
San Diego’s Everth Cabrera’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning scored the game’s only run as the Padres managed a 1-0 win over Cincinnati despite having only one hit for the game.
Tampa Bay squandered a late lead and needed three extra innings to edge the New York Yankees 4-3, with Logan Forsythe hitting the winning single with two outs in the 12th inning.
Chicago’s Jake Arrieta held Boston hitless until there were two outs in the eighth inning, and guided the Cubs to a 2-0 win over the Red Sox in the opener of only the second series between the teams at Fenway Park since 1918.
The AL matchup between the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox was postponed due to rain.
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