AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, NEW YORK
The New York Yankees regained their batting stroke on Tuesday after slugging a pair of home runs to power past the Detroit Tigers 6-2 and keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays atop the American League East.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano supplied the long ball to back the pitching of C.C. Sabathia, who improved his record to 16-5 as the Yankees pushed their season mark to 73-46.
Tampa Bay matched the Yanks for best record in Major League Baseball by drubbing the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 10-1.
The Bronx Bombers, who had lost their last two games scoring just one run and registering only eight hits, did their damage without slugger Alex Rodriguez, who sat out after leaving Monday’s contest with a strained left calf muscle.
New York was helped by a lack of control from Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who slipped to 13-8.
The hard-throwing righthander labored through 35 pitches in the first inning, yielding two hits, two walks and two runs that scored on a line single to left by Nick Swisher.
Verlander lasted just five innings with his pitch count at 114. He gave up three runs on five hits while walking five.
Yankees captain Derek Jeter said the Pinstripers cashed in opportunities created by the Tiger pitcher’s wildness.
“He’s no fun to face, but we took advantage early when [he] had trouble with his control,” Jeter said about Verlander.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi praised the performance by Sabathia, who took the American League lead in wins by limiting Detroit to two runs on five hits over seven innings.
“He’s been huge for us,” New York’s skipper said about his big lefthander. “C.C. is just so consistent. When we needed a win, he went out and got it.”
Sabathia withstood the shock of seeing his first pitch of the game sail over the leftfield fence by former Yankees minor leaguer Austin Jackson that gave Detroit a short-lived 1-0 lead.
New York had lost five of their previous eight games to lose their division lead over the Rays.
The Tigers, who had won three in a row, fell to 58-61.
RAYS 10, RANGERS 1
In St Peterburg, Florida, Matt Garza pitched seven scoreless innings for his first win since last month, guiding the Tampa Bay Rays to a rout of the Texas Rangers.
Garza (12-7), who threw Tampa Bay’s first-ever no-hitter on July 26, had 10 strikeouts, including that of AL batting leader Josh Hamilton with runners on second and third to end the third inning.
Evan Longoria had a single, double and triple and three RBIs for the Rays, who remain tied for the AL East lead. The victory gave manager Joe Maddon his 400th career win.
Carl Crawford hit a two-run homer during a five-run seventh that extended Tampa Bay’s lead to 10-0.
The AL West-leading Rangers remained eight games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.
Texas starter Tommy Hunter (9-2) ceded a 3-0 lead to the Rays in the first.
TWINS 7, WHITE SOX 6, 10 INNINGS
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jim Thome hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Minnesota over his old team.
After Delmon Young’s leadoff single against Matt Thornton (3-4), Thome smashed a pitch over the right-field bleachers to send his new team and the fans at sold-out Target Field into a frenzy.
Ron Mahay (1-1) took the win for the Twins, who stretched their lead in the AL Central to four games.
Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez had hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th.
RED SOX 6, ANGELS 0
In Boston, Ryan Kalish hit his first career grand slam as Boston cruised past Los Angeles.
Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz (14-5) pitched seven scoreless innings for his fourth consecutive victory and Boston’s first shutout since Buchholz helped blank the Dodgers on June 20.
Angels starter Jered Weaver (11-8) allowed six runs over five innings in his first loss in four starts.
ATHLETICS 6, BLUE JAYS 2
In Oakland, California, the hosts ended a four-game skid by beating Toronto.
Dallas Braden (8-8) allowed one earned run in seven innings.
Jack Cust drove in the go-ahead run for the A’s.
Toronto’s Brian Tallet (2-5) lost in relief of starter Brandon Morrow, who lasted four innings.
ROYALS 2, INDIANS 1
In Kansas City, Missouri, Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to guide Kansas City to a tight win over Cleveland.
Greinke is 7-3 in his past 12 starts after starting the season 1-8. Greinke (8-11) held the Indians to one run over six innings, lowering his ERA to 3.90.
Yuniesky Betancourt homered in the fifth to tie the score. Wilson Betemit put the Royals ahead to stay by leading off the sixth with his sixth home run.
Indians rookie Jeanmar Gomez (3-1) was handed his first loss in five big league starts. Cleveland wasted several scoring opportunities, stranding 12 and going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Royals closer Joakim Soria earned his 34th save, which tied for the AL lead. He has converted 27 consecutive chances.
MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 0
In Baltimore, Maryland, Luke French pitched seven-plus scoreless innings, steering Seattle to victory over Baltimore.
French (2-3) allowed no hits over the first five innings. He got the first out of the sixth before Josh Bell bounced a single to left.
Matt Tuiasosopo had an RBI double in the fifth and a three-run homer in the ninth. He came into the game with a .155 batting average, one homer and two RBIs in 71 at-bats.
Orioles hard-luck starter Kevin Millwood (2-13) gave up one run over eight innings in one of his best outings of the season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, PHILADELPHIA
The Philadelpia Phillies took a one-game lead over San Francisco in the National League wild-card race with a 9-3 win over the Giants on Tuesday.
Roy Oswalt (8-13) pitched seven sharp innings, allowing three runs and striking out seven.
Placido Polanco had four hits for Philadelphia, while Pat Burrell homered in his first regular-season game at Citizens Bank Park since 2008.
Giants starter Barry Zito (8-7) allowed four runs in five-plus innings.
DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 0
In Los Angeles, the hosts returned from a tough road trip to blank Colorado.
Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw (11-7) pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out six. He has not allowed a run against the Rockies in the past 26 innings he’s pitched against them at Dodger Stadium.
Scott Podsednik and James Loney had two-run doubles during a five-run fifth for the Dodgers, whose road trip had resulted in Jonathan Broxton being removed from the closing role.
BRAVES 10, NATIONALS 2
In Atlanta, Georgia, Diory Hernandez sparked Atlanta with a pinch-hit homer as the Braves downed Washington.
Atlanta won for the sixth time in seven games. All-Star Martin Prado returned from the disabled list with three hits and Mike Minor (1-0) claimed his first big league win, although he trailed at the time he left.
Hernandez homered off Scott Olsen (3-5), who gave up three runs and three hits in five innings.
In other NL play, it was:
• Padres 1, Cubs 0
• Brewers 3, Cardinals 2
• Reds 6, Diamondbacks 2
• Astros 4, Mets 3
• Marlins 6, Pirates 0
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