AMERICAN LEAGUE
Right-hander Roy Halladay gave up just five hits and pitched a complete game to record his major-league-leading seventh win of the season and guide the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old issued a first-inning single to Johnny Damon and did not allow another baserunner until Damon’s double in the seventh as he improved to 7-1 for the American League East-leading Toronto (23-12).
PHOTO: EPA
A two-run double by Scott Rolen off former Blue Jay pitcher A.J. Burnett, who walked two batters to load the bases, launched a three-run burst for Toronto in the fourth and gave Halladay all the support he required.
An eighth-inning home run by second baseman Aaron Hill, his ninth of the season, followed by an RBI-single by Rolen, provided the rest of the Blue Jays attack.
Alex Rodriguez singled home Damon in the seventh for the Yankees’ (15-17) only run.
Halladay, who led the American League with nine complete games last season, needed just 103 pitches. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.
“He was extremely good tonight. Every time you looked up he was 0-1, 0-2,” Yankees manager Joe Giradri told reporters about how the efficient Halladay consistently got ahead in the count and put his hitters on the defensive. “His cutter was outstanding, his sinker was very good and his curveball was good as well.
“Interesting thing is I thought our guy [Burnett] threw good, too. A.J.’s two walks in that [fourth] inning were what really hurt him,” Girardi added about the free passes he issued Vernon Wells and Adam Lind after a double by Alex Rios.
Burnett (2-1) gave up five runs on seven hits with four walks in seven-and-two-third innings for the loss.
The crowd of 43,737 at the Rogers Center roared their approval of the Jays and Halladay and equally enjoyed jeering Burnett, who left Toronto as a free agent to sign a five-year, US$82.5 million deal with the Yankees.
Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui left the game in the top of the fifth with tightness in his right hamstring.
RED SOX 4, ANGELS 3
In Anaheim, California, Jason Varitek drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the ninth inning to give Boston a last-gasp win over Los Angeles.
J.D. Drew homered for Boston, and also led off the ninth with a single, scoring one out later when Varitek hit a line drive to right-center.
The Angels’ bullpen has given up runs in 20 of 29 appearances with five blown saves, a 2-9 record and a major league-worst 6.90 ERA.
In Tuesday’s other games it was:
• Rangers 7, Mariners 1
• Twins 6, Tigers 2
• Athletics 12, Royals 3
• Orioles 7, Rays 5
• White Sox 7, Indians 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, PHILADELPHIA
Pitcher Park Chan-ho won his first game with Philadelphia, leading the Phillies to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League on Tuesday.
Park has rebounded nicely after a dreadful start this season, delivering his second straight effective start. He walked none and gave up just two runs in six innings.
Jayson Werth stole home in the seventh inning and tied a team record with four steals in one game.
The Dodgers fell to 1-4 without suspended slugger Manny Ramirez, with their lead in the NL West Division cut to three games.
BREWERS 6, MARLINS 3
In Milwaukee, Prince Fielder hit a pair of two-run homers and Rickie Weeks and Mike Cameron hit solo shots in Milwaukee’s win over Florida.
It was the first time this season the Brewers hit four homers in a game.
Milwaukee is now five games over .500 after a 4-9 start.
Fielder, who had been hitless in his previous 10 at-bats, singled in the second and hit his first homer in the fourth inning to cut Florida’s lead to 3-2.
Weeks tied it with his homer in the fifth and, after a single, Fielder hit a towering shot for his seventh homer this season and his 14th career multihomer game, giving Milwaukee a 5-3 lead.
METS 4, BRAVES 3, 10 INNINGS
In New York, Carlos Beltran drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th inning as New York pipped Atlanta.
Beltran also scored the tying run in the ninth for the Mets, who have won eight of nine. They were down 3-0 in the eighth but fought back to notch their first win this season, at the 12th attempt, when trailing after seven innings.
In Tuesday’s other games it was:
• Pirates 7, Cardinals 1
• Reds 3, Diamondbacks 1
• Cubs 6, Padres 2
• Giants 9, Nationals 7
• Rockies 12, Astros 1
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