AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
The Tampa Bay Rays’ extraordinary start to the American League season got even better with a 4-1 win at the Oakland Athletics on Friday.
At 22-7, the Rays are off to the best start to a season since the New York Yankees began 23-6 in 2003. Tampa Bay won its fifth straight and improved to 13-1 on the road.
Tampa Bay starter David Price (4-1) threw seven innings, allowing only one unearned run.
Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez (3-2) ceded three runs over seven innings, walking five.
YANKEES 10, RED SOX 3
In Boston, Massachusetts, New York’s Nick Swisher hit a three-run homer before the Yankees added six runs in a wild sixth inning that carried them over Boston.
The Yankees have won their past five games by a combined score of 37-12.
New York starter Phil Hughes (4-0) allowed two runs in seven innings.
Boston starter Josh Beckett (1-1) gave up nine runs in five-and-one-third innings and knocked Robinson Cano out of the game when he hit him on the knee in the sixth.
He also plunked Derek Jeter in the back in that inning and even hit his own catcher, Jason Varitek, with a pitch that forced him out of the game with a cut left forearm.
Jeter played in his 2,165th game for the Yankees, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig for second place in club history. Mickey Mantle is first with 2,401.
BLUE JAYS 7, WHITE SOX 4, 12 INNINGS
In Chicago, Alex Gonzalez hit the tiebreaking three-run homer in the 12th inning as Toronto beat Chicago for its sixth straight win.
Gonzalez’s shot off J.J. Putz (0-2) came after Vernon Wells walked with two outs and Lyle Overbay singled. He then drove a fastball about 10 rows deep in left field for his ninth homer.
John Buck went deep twice for the Blue Jays.
That made a winner of Scott Downs (1-3) who pitched two scoreless innings.
In other AL play, it was:
• Rangers 4, Royals 1
• Angels 8, Mariners 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
Rookie Ike Davis and Rod Barajas both homered twice, with Barajas hitting his second in the ninth inning to give the New York Mets a 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants in the National League on Friday, notching their eighth straight home win.
Davis hit solo homers in the second and fourth innings for the first multihomer game of his major league career and did a 360 degree flip into the dugout to catch a foul ball to end the top of the ninth with runners at the corners.
Davis also started the winning rally, walking with one out in the bottom of the ninth against Sergio Romo (0-3). Barajas then hit a high drive down the left-field line for his ninth homer this season.
Francisco Rodriguez (2-0) was handed a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth but allowed a tying solo homer to John Bowker.
CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 3
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Yadier Molina doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning with his fourth hit, lifting St Louis over Pittsburgh.
The Cardinals took advantage of several Pirates defensive lapses and a key fielding mistake.
Joe Mather, pinch running in the ninth after Matt Holliday singled off Evan Meek (1-1) for his fourth hit, arrived well behind the throw as he tried to steal second, but snuck his right hand in ahead of Aki Iwamura’s tag. Molina followed with his double.
St Louis’ Ryan Franklin (2-0) got the final four outs for the victory despite throwing a tying wild pitch in a wild eighth inning, when five of the Pirates’ six batters reached base but only one scored.
DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 5
In Los Angeles, Matt Kemp tripled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, ending a 14-game RBI drought and lifting Los Angeles over Colorado.
Dodgers reliever Jeff Weaver (1-1) pitched one-third of an inning with a walk to earn the victory on his return from a back strain.
L.A. closer Jonathan Broxton gave up a leadoff single in the ninth but finished with two strikeouts to earn his second save. Colorado’s Matt Daley (0-1) was the loser.
PHILLIES 7, BRAVES 0
In Philadelpia, Pennsylvania, the 47-year-old Jamie Moyer became the oldest player in major league history to throw a shutout as Philadelphia beat Atlanta.
Phil Niekro was the previous oldest at 46 years, 188 days when he tossed a four-hitter for the New York Yankees in 1986.
Moyer (4-2) struck out five and faced one batter over the minimum to earn his 262nd career victory. He allowed only two hits, both leadoff singles to Troy Glaus in the second and eighth innings. He recorded his 10th career shutout and 32nd complete game.
Braves starter Derek Lowe (4-3) allowed seven runs in five innings.
In other NL play:
• Marlins 4, Nationals 2
• Cubs 14, Reds 7
• Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 2
• Padres 7, Astros 0
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