Sat, Apr 25, 2009 page19

• Cleveland batter Kansas relief

  SIZABLE SLUGGER: The Royals’ Mahay had retired 16 straight going into the eighth, but an infield error and Grady Sizemore’s three-run homer won it for the Indians

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  AMERICAN LEAGUE

  AP, CLEVELAND

  

  Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furca leaps over Houston Astros runner Miguel Tejada while throwing to first for a double play during a game in Houston, Texas, on Thursday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Grady Sizemore greeted reliever Ron Mahay with a tie-breaking, three-run homer in the eighth inning for the Cleveland Indians to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 in the American League on Thursday.

  Royals starter Gil Meche (1-1) had retired 16 straight batters and took a 2-1 lead into the eighth. An error by second baseman Alberto Callaspo let the tying run score and finished Meche.

  Sizemore followed with his sixth home run.

  MARINERS 1, RAYS 0

  At Seattle, Ichiro Suzuki lined James Shields’ second pitch of the game for a home run and ace Felix Hernandez helped his injury-riddled Seattle team with a seven-inning gem.

  The first-place Mariners finished their initial homestand of the season 5-4.

  Hernandez (3-0) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven in his first scoreless outing since last June — 23 starts ago.

  Shields (2-2) was nearly as good as Hernandez after allowing Suzuki’s 28th career home run leading off a game.

  ORIOLES 6, WHITE SOX 2

  At Baltimore, Maryland, Adam Eaton took a four-hitter into the eighth inning to earn his first victory with Baltimore as the Orioles roughed up Chicago’s Bartolo Colon.

  Eaton (1-2) allowed six hits and struck out nine in seven-and-a-third innings. He left with runners at the corners in the eighth and Jim Thome ruined the shutout bid with a two-out, two-run single off Jim Johnson.

  Colon (1-1) gave up five runs, eight hits and two walks in three innings, his shortest start since July 2007. Colon permitted 10 of 19 batters to reach base.

  BLUE JAYS 5, RANGERS 2

  At Toronto, Alex Rios hit a two-run homer and Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay also connected as Toronto beat Texas.

  Josh Hamilton and Chris Davis hit solo shots for Texas, with six of the game’s seven runs coming on homers.

  Blue Jays pitcher Scott Richmond (2-0) won consecutive starts for the first time, allowing two runs and six hits in six innings.

  Texas starter Kevin Millwood (1-2) gave up four runs and five hits, including three homers.

  ANGELS 10, TIGERS 5

  At Anaheim, California, Matt Palmer pitched into the seventh inning to earn his first major league victory and Torii Hunter hit a go-ahead home run as the Angels beat Detroit.

  Palmer (1-0) threw 100 pitches in six-plus innings in his fourth big league start. He was charged with five runs — four earned — and six hits, walking three and striking out one. After giving up a leadoff homer to Brandon Inge in the second, the 30-year-old right-hander allowed two more singles in the inning before retiring his next 12 batters.

  Edwin Jackson (1-1) gave up six runs — three earned — and eight hits in five-plus innings.

  NATIONAL LEAGUE

  AP, PHILADELPHIA

  Dave Bush held the Philadelphia Phillies hitless into the eighth inning for the Milwaukee Brewers to cruise past the World Series champions 6-1 on Thursday.

  Several innings after World Series MVP Cole Hamels was forced to leave after getting hit in the left shoulder by Prince Fielder’s line drive, Bush (1-0) became the sixth pitcher to take a no-hit bid into the late innings this season. All of them were broken up.

  Pinch-hitter Matt Stairs homered off the foul pole in right field and Bush left soon after to a standing ovation.

  Hamels (0-2) left the game after three innings with what the team called a bruise. He has a 9.69 ERA through three outings.

  CARDINALS 12, METS 8

  At St Louis, Missouri, Albert Pujols homered twice as St Louis completed a three-game sweep of New York at home for the first time since 2004.

  Rick Ankiel homered and doubled twice and Skip Schumaker hit a pair of RBI doubles as the Cardinals punished Livan Hernandez while winning their seventh in a row at home.

  The Mets lost their fourth straight overall.

  Carlos Beltran had three hits, including a three-run homer, after moving up two spots in the Mets’ batting order to the third slot.

  REDS 7, CUBS 1

  At Chicago, Aaron Harang allowed only one unearned run over seven innings and Joey Votto homered, doubled twice and singled as Cincinnati handed Chicago its first series defeat of the season.

  For the first time since 2004, the Cincinnati Reds won three series on the same road trip.DODGERS 2, ASTROS 0

  At Houston, Texas, Chad Billingsley pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning and Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake each drove in a run to lead Los Angeles over Houston.

  Billingsley (4-0) has won his first four starts of the season, the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Kazuhisa Ishii won his first six in 2002.

  He was helped by double plays that ended the second, fifth and sixth innings.

  Billingsley retired Ivan Rodriguez to start the eighth inning before he was chased on a single by Michael Bourn. In seven-and-a-third innings, Billingsley struck out five and walked two in his 100th major league appearance. He was replaced by Jonathan Broxton, who finished for the save.
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