NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, LOS ANGELES
PHOTO: AP
Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to give the Atlanta Braves a 2-1 win and back-to-back extra-inning victories over the National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Johnson, who came into the game in the eighth as a pinch hitter, drove a pitch a couple of rows behind the short fence in the right-field corner.
The hit came off Dodgers’ pitcher Guillermo Mota, making his second appearance since last Tuesday’s well-documented dust-up with Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder.
MARLINS 6, PHILLIES 4
In Philadelphia, Florida edged closer to divisional rival Philadelphia.
Cody Ross hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning as Florida moved within five games of the NL East-leading Philies.
Five Marlins relievers held the Phillies to one run over five innings after starter Sean West gave up three in four innings.
CUBS 6, ROCKIES 5
In Denver, Colorado, the hosts’ run of 15 straight wins over NL Central teams was narrowly ended by Chicago.
Kosuke Fukudome and Derrek Lee homered for the Cubs, who remained a game behind St Louis in the NL Central.
In other NL action it was:
• Brewers 12, Astros 5
• Giants 4, Reds 2
• Cardinals 5, Pirates 3
• Padres 3, Mets 1
• Nationals 5, Diamondbacks 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
The Los Angeles Angels edged the Texas Rangers 3-2 to extend its lead in the AL West standings.
Angels pitcher Jered Weaver matched a career high with 11 strikeouts as Los Angeles opened a four-and-a-half game lead over the Rangers.
RAYS 10, MARINERS 4
In Seattle, Tampa Bay broke open the game in the latter innings to record a comfortable win over the home team.
With the game tied 3-3 in the fifth, Evan Longoria hit a 411-foot solo homer to put the Rays ahead. Two batters later, Carlos Pena added a two-run shot.
Tampa Bay then cushioned its lead with four runs in the eighth.
TWINS 11, TIGERS 0
At Detroit, Carl Pavano threw seven scoreless innings in his Minnesota debut, guiding the Twins to a thrashing of Detroit.
It was the second time in a week that Pavano handcuffed the Tigers.
In other AL action it was:
• White Sox 8, Indians 5
• Blue Jays 3, Orioles 2, 10 inns
• Royals 12, Athletics 6
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
The Canterbury Crusaders edged the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in an intense Super Rugby Pacific final battle in Christchurch yesterday to claim their 15th title in 30 years of the Southern Hemisphere competition. Hooker Codie Taylor scored a try and Rivez Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee as the most dominant team in Super Rugby history extended their perfect home playoff record to 32 successive matches since 1998. The Chiefs, who were looking for a first title since 2013, scored first-half tries through George Dyer and Shaun Stevenson, but were unable to register a point after the break and fell to
RSS