David Ortiz jolted out of his batting slump with a grand slam home run that led the Boston Red Sox to an 11-3 win over the Texas Rangers in the American League on Friday.
Ortiz entered the game hitting just .111, the lowest of any regular player in the majors. He went two-for-four with five RBIs. His grand slam was the eighth of his career, seventh with the Red Sox.
Boston pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka stayed unbeaten for the season, giving up five hits in five-and-a-third innings.
PHOTO: AFP
Ortiz’s slam — his first hit at Fenway Park this season — erased Boston’s 1-0 deficit in the third.
Angels 5, Mariners 4
In Anaheim, California, Torii Hunter shrugged off a pre-game car crash to make a leaping catch above the center-field wall with two outs in the ninth inning, denying Seattle a two-run homer and preserving Anaheim’s win.
Hunter doubled his first three times up, driving in three runs for the Angels after his new car was rear-ended near the ballpark.
He was waiting at a stop light about five hours before the game when the accident occurred. No one was seriously injured.
Orioles 8, Yankees 2
In Baltimore, Maryland, Jay Payton and Melvin Mora had two RBIs apiece in a seven-run sixth inning that led Baltimore over New York.
Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera took a four-hitter into the seventh. Cabrera and Yankees starter Phil Hughes were locked in a 1-1 duel before the Orioles sent 11 men to the plate in their most productive inning of the season. Baltimore got seven hits, all of them singles, against three pitchers.
Cabrera was pulled after giving up a lead-off homer in the seventh. The right-hander allowed two runs and a season-low two walks.
Indians 4, Twins 0
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Cliff Lee pitched two-hit ball for eight innings as Cleveland beat Minnesota.
Casey Blake homered and had three RBIs for the Indians.
Lee struck out eight and walked one.
Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano was making his second start in over 19 months after Tommy John surgery following a dominant 2006 rookie campaign. The left-hander threw 88 pitches in five innings, giving up four hits. He tied his career high of five walks set in his first outing.
Tigers 8, Blue Jays 4
In Toronto, Edgar Renteria hit a two-run home run as Detroit handed Toronto their sixth straight home defeat.
The Blue Jays are on their longest home losing streak since 2004.
Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers won for the first time since July. He worked six-and-two-thirds innings, allowing only three hits.
Detroit erased a 4-3 deficit in the seventh.
White Sox 9, Rays 2
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Jim Thome hit his 511th career home run as Chicago downed Tampa Bay.
Thome connected in the third inning for a three-run shot and tied Hall of Famer Mel Ott for 21st place on the all-time homer list with his fourth of the season.
Thome has reached base safely in all 26 games he has played at Tropicana Field.
Pitcher Javier Vazquez won his third consecutive start as Chicago opened a one-and-a-half game lead atop the Central Division. Vazquez gave up two runs over six-and-a-third innings.
Athletics 13, Royals 2
In Oakland, California, Bobby Crosby homered and drove in five runs as Oakland crushed Kansas City to snap a three-game losing streak.
The A’s broke out of a week-long offensive slump with their highest run total of the season, including a four-run sixth inning.
The A’s scored seven runs in their previous seven games before tagging the Royals staff for 15 hits, matching their season high.
Crosby led the onslaught with a bases-loaded double and a three-run homer in the ninth.
Oakland starter Chad Gaudin scattered four hits over seven innings and struck out eight with one walk. After giving up an RBI single in the third, he retired the final 12 batters he faced.
AP, CHICAGO
Chicago pitcher Rich Hill won for the first time in three starts this year as the Cubs edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in the National League on Friday.
Chicago sent the Pirates to their third straight loss.
Hill allowed just one run in five innings.
Pittsburgh’s Nate McLouth hit a solo homer in the eighth to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 16 games.
Mets 6, Phillies 4
In Philadelphia, Johan Santana struck out 10 batters as New York beat Philadelphia for the third straight time.
David Wright went four-for-four with two RBIs.
Santana allowed four hits, outpitching Cole Hamels in a match-up of two of the best left-handers in the majors.
The Phillies closed in to 5-4 in the eighth, but the Mets bullpen held on.
Brewers 5, Reds 2
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Ben Sheets dominated for five innings before a tight pitching arm forced him from the game as Milwaukee held on to beat slumping Cincinnati.
Sheets allowed only a pair of singles, looking very comfortable in a hitter-friendly ballpark where he has never lost. Sheets has given up only three earned runs in four games.
Sheets felt tightness in his right biceps and left in the sixth inning.
Nationals 6, Marlins 4
In Miami, Nick Johnson hit a three-run double and drove in four runs as Washington beat Florida to snap a three-game skid.
Washington, who had lost 12 of 13, had scored only four runs in their three previous games.
Johnson’s timely hit came on a full count.
Braves 6, Dodgers 1
In Atlanta, Georgia, Chipper Jones hit a three-run shot in the fifth to break open the game and lead Atlanta over Los Angeles.
Jones then added a solo homer in the seventh for his second two-homer game in a row.
The three-of-five performance raised his average to .455.
Friday’s other National League results:
• Cardinals 11, Giants 1
• Rockies 11, Astros 5
• Diamondbacks 9, Padres 0
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