MAJOR LEAGUES
Detroit’s Max Scherzer became the third American League pitcher to reach a dozen wins this season by leading the Tigers to a 6-4 win at the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday in a clash of two of the top three American League teams.
The victory maintained the Detroit Tigers’ comfortable seven-game lead at the top of the American League Central Division, while the Angels fell three games behind majors-leading Oakland in the American League West. The Athletics opened out the gap by routing Houston.
Photo: Richard Mackson-USA Today
Among other results, Milwaukee maintained their narrow advantage in the tightly-fought National League by comfortably defeating the New York Mets.
Scherzer (12-3) won his fourth straight decision to tie Detroit teammate Rick Porcello and New York Yankee Masahiro Tanaka on 12 wins.
He allowed six hits over seven innings and struck out 11. It was the fourth time this season and 22nd in his career that he had double digits in strikeouts.
Nick Castellanos drove in the tying and go-ahead runs for the Tigers with a double in the sixth inning.
Joe Nathan earned his 21st save in 26 chances.
Milwaukee’s Matt Garza bounced back from his horrendous previous start to pitch an impressive eight innings and guide the Brewers to a 9-1 win over the Mets.
Garza (7-7), who gave up five runs in just one-third of an inning on Saturday at Washington, conceded only two hits in an impressive start. The Mets had only 31 at-bats for the game, four over the minimum.
Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Khris Davis all hit homers for the Brewers, who took a 6-0 lead after three innings to set up a fourth straight win.
Oaklkand’s Brandon Moss hit a grand slam to help power the Athletics to a 13-1 rout of Houston.
Jed Lowrie had three hits and drove in a run for the A’s, who have the best record (63-38) in baseball and are a season-best 25 games over .500.
Oakland starter Jeff Samardzija (2-1) gave up a leadoff single, but then retired 10 straight before a home run put Houston on the scoreboard. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.
Miami’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning to give the Marlins a 3-2 win at Atlanta.
Braves closer Craig Kimbrel (0-2), pitching with the game tied 2-2 to begin the ninth, struck out one batter and had Marcell Ozuna struck out, too, but the pitch bounced away from the catcher, allowing Ozuna to run to first. Ozuna advanced to second on another wild pitch and scored on Saltalamacchia’s single to center field.
Miami starter Henderson Alvarez (7-5) gave up just two runs and one walk in eight innings.
The Marlins are 13-3 in his past 16 starts.
Kansas City’s Nori Aoki hit a single to drive home Lorenzo Cain in the 14th inning, giving the Royals a 2-1 win over Cleveland.
It was a tough defeat for the Indians, as starter Corey Kluber had not allowed a runner on base into the seventh inning, retiring the first 19 batters he faced.
Aaron Crow (5-1), the seventh Kansas City pitcher, earned the victory — striking out the side in a perfect 14th.
Toronto’s Marcus Stroman and two relievers combined to limit Boston to one hit, leading the Blue Jays past the Red Sox 8-0.
Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings to steer the Phillies to a 2-1 win over San Francisco.
Chicago’s Hector Noesi allowed three hits over 7-2/3 innings to lead the White Sox to a 5-2 win over Minnesota.
The New York Yankees made it six wins from seven games by defeating Texas 4-2, with Brandon McCarthy pitching six solid innings.
San Diego’s Tyson Ross struck out a career-high 11 to direct the Padres to a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.
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