AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay’s Matt Garza took a perfect game into the seventh inning, and Evan Longoria homered and drove four runs as the Tampa Bay Rays trounced the Boston Red Sox 13-0 in the American League on Thursday.
Jacoby Ellsbury fouled off an 0-2 pitch and took two balls before hitting a pitch past Garza leading off the seventh. The crowd of 20,341 gave the AL Championship Series MVP a standing ovation, and the right-hander got back on track by getting Dustin Pedroia to ground into a double play. Garza (2-2) threw 75 of his 108 pitches for strikes, walked one and struck out 10.
PHOTO: AFP
Longoria had a three-run double off Josh Beckett (2-2) and hit his sixth homer of the season — a solo shot in the sixth inning — off Hunter Jones. Michel Hernandez also hit first career homer off Beckett, who allowed seven runs and 19 hits in four-and-two-third innings.
ROYALS 8, BLUE JAYS 6
At Kansas City, Missouri, John Buck tripled twice and drove in five runs as Kansas City turned six double plays in beating Toronto.
The Royals took three of four from the Blue Jays, who hit town on Monday leading the AL East with the best record in the majors.
Kansas City tied a club record by turning six double plays for the first time since 1972.
ATHLETICS 4, RANGERS 2
At Arlington, Texas, Dallas Braden pitched five scoreless innings and Ryan Sweeney made a game-saving catch for Oakland.
Texas had two on in the eighth when Ian Kinsler hit a towering flyball to straightaway center. Sweeney retreated, leaped and stuck his glove above the 2.4m wall to make the play.
Braden (3-2) allowed five hits and walked four, but managed to work his way out of trouble.
Matt Holliday hit his first homer with Oakland in the ninth.
YANKEES 7, ANGELS 4
At New York, Melky Cabrera spoiled Angels manager Mike Scioscia’s strategy, hitting a tiebreaking single in the eighth that led New York to their third straight win.
After an intentional walk to Nick Swisher loaded the bases with one out, Cabrera hit an RBI single on the first pitch from Justin Speier (0-1) for a 5-4 lead. Ramiro Pena followed with a two-run double for his first RBIs in the majors.
Phil Coke (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth for the win. Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
The loss left the Angels at 9-12 last month, ending their run of 15 straight months at .500 or better. That was longest active streak in the majors.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Jorge Cantu hit a three-run double in the 10th inning, after Florida tied it on a throwing error in the eighth, as the Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs 8-2 in the National League on Thursday.
Alfredo Amezaga doubled and scored on Ryan Theriot’s fielding error for the go-ahead run in the 10th and Cantu homered and drove in four runs for the Marlins. Florida tied it in the eighth when Carlos Marmol threw away Maybin’s sacrifice attempt.
Renyel Pinto (2-0) got one out for the win.
Amezaga led off the 10th with a drive Aaron Heilman (2-1) that popped out of a diving Reed Johnson’s glove for a double. Wes Helms walked before Amezaga scored when Theriot couldn’t come up with Derrek Lee’s throw to second for the force on Emilio Bonifacio’s grounder.
Maybin then laid down a perfect bunt to the first base side, scoring Helms.
BREWERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1
At Milwaukee, the Brewers jumped on Arizona’s pitchers for a four-run seventh after being shut out for six innings by Max Scherzer, then held on for the win.
It was another momentum-building victory for the Brewers, who got their longest outing of the season from starter Jeff Suppan. Coming off a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh, Milwaukee has won eight of its last nine games after a rough start to the season.
Mark DiFelice (2-0) got the win in relief, and new Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his second save.
Scherzer struck out seven in a dominant outing but was denied his first career victory after leaving with a 1-0 lead. Tom Gordon (0-1) wound up taking the loss.
CARDINALS 9, NATIONALS 4
At Washington, Rick Ankiel hit a tiebreaking RBI double in a five-run ninth inning as St Louis beat Washington for their eighth win in 10 games.
Albert Pujols hit his eighth homer for St Louis in the first inning, belting a two-run shot to finish an at-bat that featured two of Daniel Cabrera’s four wild pitches.
Chris Perez (1-1) got the last two outs of the eighth inning for the win. Ryan Zimmerman homered, extending his hitting streak to a Nationals-record 19 games as Washington lost for the seventh time in 10 games. Julian Tavarez (0-2) wound up allowing two runs on two hits and two walks, retiring just one batter in the ninth inning.
DODGERS 8, PADRES 5
At Los Angeles, Manny Ramirez followed Orlando Hudson’s two-run homer with a long ball of his own as Los Angeles scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on an error by catcher Nick Hundley.
The Dodgers improved to 7-0 at Chavez Ravine in the opener of an 11-game homestand. It’s their best start at home since 1947, when the Brooklyn Dodgers started out 8-0 at Ebbets Field in Jackie Robinson’s rookie year.
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