AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Athletics scored eight runs in the final three innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 on Sunday.
Adam Rosales finished two-for-three with four RBIs and delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning to give the Athletics a 4-3 lead.
Oakland (5-2) trailed 3-1 through six innings before scoring three times in the seventh, three more in the eighth and twice in the ninth.
Starter Dallas Braden surrendered two runs to the Angels (2-5) in the first inning, but settled to pick up his first win of the season after pitching six innings and allowing three runs.
“We feel like we’re a frontrunner and we feel like we can compete with anybody,” Braden told reporters. “If we can continue to do what we’ve done so far, which is win the series, we’ll be OK. It’s a great way to start the month and obviously a great way to start the season.”
Athletics’ reliever Tyson Ross took over from Braden in the seventh and got the save despite allowing a solo home run to Juan Rivera in the ninth.
Oakland had been slow to get going, but they exploded in the seventh when Mark Ellis sparked things with an RBI double. He also added an RBI single in the ninth and scored twice.
The Angels bullpen suffered at the hands of the Athletics’ bats, after starter Joe Saunders left having allowed four runs in six innings.
Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu both had two hits and an RBI each for Los Angeles, who are off to a difficult start to the season having won just two of their first seven games.
Hideki Matsui, last year’s World Series MVP, who left the New York Yankees to join the Angels, finished 0-for-3.
RED SOX 8, ROYALS 6
In Kansas City, Missouri, Red Sox left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was helped off the field after colliding with third baseman Adrian Beltre in the ninth inning of Boston’s win over the Kansas City Royals.
Ellsbury and Beltre were chasing Mitch Maier’s foul fly-ball when they ran into each other. Ellsbury remained on the grass for several minutes and it wasn’t clear if he’d be able to play at Minnesota yesterday.
Beltre had three hits and three RBIs. Dustin Pedroia got four hits, including a home-run.
Jose Guillen homered twice and drove in four runs for the Royals.
Sunday’s other results:
• White Sox 5, Twins 4
• Tigers 9, Indians 8
• Yankees 7, Rays 3
• Rangers 9, Mariners 2
• Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, HOUSTON, TEXAS
Roy Halladay struck out eight in his first National League complete game as the Philadelphia Phillies completed a sweep of the winless Houston Astros with a 2-1 victory on Sunday.
Halladay (2-0) scattered seven hits and retired the last nine batters he faced.
Houston dropped to 0-6. The two-time NL champion Phillies improved to 5-1.
Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run. Philadelphia mustered only six hits, their first game under 10 hits this season.
Halladay threw 111 pitches, including 83 for strikes, and earned his 150th career victory.
Sunday’s other results:
• Diamondbacks 15, Pirates 6
• Nationals 5, Mets 2
• Reds 3, Cubs 1
• Marlins 6, Dodgers 5
• Rockies 4, Padres 2
• Giants 6, Braves 3
• Brewers 8, Cardinals 7
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