MAJOR LEAGUES
The Los Angeles Angels clinched the American League (AL) West title on Wednesday, getting seven dominant innings from C.J. Wilson in a 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
C.J. Cron hit a three-run homer for the major league-leading Angels (95-57), who wrapped up their first division crown since 2009 when Oakland lost to Texas about an hour after Los Angeles’ game ended.
Photo: AFP
The Angels had already secured a playoff spot on Monday. They have won 12 of 14.
Howie Kendrick sparked the Angels’ five-run rally in the seventh by scoring from first base when Chris Denorfia misplayed David Freese’s single to right for an error.
In Denver, Colorado, Justin Morneau equaled a season high with six RBIs — five in an eight-run first inning against Carlos Frias — as the Colorado Rockies routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 16-2.
The loss left the National League (NL) West-leading Dodgers two games ahead of San Francisco.
Morneau had a three-run homer and a two-run single in the first to help the Rockies chase Frias (0-1) after just two outs. Morneau and Carlos Gonzalez are the only Colorado players to drive in five runs in an inning.
San Francisco pinch-hitter Matt Duffy had a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning as the Giants beat the Diamondbacks 4-2.
Duffy’s one-out hit came on a full count against closer Addison Reed (1-6). Pablo Sandoval walked with one out, Brandon Crawford singled for his fourth hit and pinch-hitter Brandon Belt walked, setting up Duffy.
Sergio Romo (6-4) pitched one inning and Duffy batted for him. Santiago Casilla got his 17th save.
In St Petersburg, Florida, Derek Jeter ended a 0-for-28 slump that was the second-worst of his career as the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2.
The retiring Yankees captain lined a single off Alex Cobb leading off the sixth inning. Jeter had an 0-for-32 stretch in April 2004.
Jeter, who lives in nearby Tampa, went 1-for-4 and scored a run in his final game at Tropicana Field. He got a loud ovation from the announced crowd of 26,332 before grounding out in his last at-bat in the seventh.
Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer as the Kansas City Royals downed the Chicago White Sox 6-2 to cut Detroit’s AL Central lead to a half-game.
The Royals are to face the Tigers in a weekend series in Kansas City.
In other games, Danny Santana tripled, doubled and drove in two runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 8-4, the St Louis Cardinals shutout the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0, the Cleveland Indians blanked the Houston Astros 2-0, the Baltimore Orioles downed the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 and the Pittsburgh Pirates trounced the Boston Red Sox 9-1.
The Atlanta Braves scored three runs off Christian Bethancourt’s single in the sixth inning in a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 3-1, the Texas Rangers thrashed the Oakland Athletics 6-1, the Miami Marlins edged the New York Mets 4-3 and the Philadelphia Phillies were 5-2 winners over the San Diego Padres.
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