AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, ARLINGTON, TEXAS
Pitcher Gio Gonzalez won his third consecutive start as the Oakland Athletics cut their American League West deficit to seven-and-a-half games with an 8-2 victory on Sunday, taking two of three in their series with the division-leading Texas Rangers.
Mark Ellis and Kevin Kouzmanoff homered for the A’s off Colby Lewis (9-11), while Cliff Pennington snapped out of a two-for-24 slide with two singles and a sacrifice squeeze bunt.
Gonzalez (12-8) left with a 7-2 lead after throwing 65 of his 95 pitches for strikes in six innings on another hot day in Texas.
YANKEES 2, WHITE SOX 1
In Chicago, rookie Ivan Nova set aside any worries he had about a Major League Baseball investigation and earned his first career win, while Marcus Thames hit another homer as New York edged Chicago.
It was an impressive outing for Nova (1-0), who allowed one run and five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in five-and-two-third innings.
He outpitched Gavin Floyd in his second start, a day after reports surfaced that the league is investigating him and a former minor league teammate for allegedly injecting each other with B-12 shots. The vitamin is not on the list of banned substances.
Thames led off the second with his fifth homer in five games and ninth overall.
Sunday’s other results:
• Tigers 10, Blue Jays 4
• Royals 6, Indians 2
• Orioles 1, Angels 0
• Mariners 2, Twins 1
• Rays 5, Red Sox 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Brian McCann hit a game-winning homer with help from a video replay, giving the Atlanta Braves a stunning 7-6 victory over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.
It was the first time a game ended using a video review.
Pinch-hitter Matt Diaz tied it with a two-run homer off Leo Nunez (4-3) after Brooks Conrad led off the ninth with a walk. Nunez retired the next two hitters, then McCann drove a 1-2 pitch toward the wall in right.
The ball bounced back onto the field and the umpires initially ruled it was still in play. McCann stopped at second and began arguing that he should have more than a double.
The umpires conferred, then headed toward the Florida dugout to look at a replay that clearly showed the ball struck the top of the wall — right over McCann’s name on an auxiliary scoreboard — and went over. It ricocheted back onto the field off a back wall.
Crew chief Tim McClelland returned to the field, pointed toward McCann with a slight grin and gave the signal for homer.
NATIONALS 4, CARDINALS 2
In Washington, Adam Wainwright struggled for five innings and St Louis lost again, falling to Washington and dropping five games behind Cincinnati in the National League Central.
Wainwright (17-9) failed in his third bid to become the National League’s first 18-game winner. The Nationals tagged him for four runs on six hits and three walks in five innings.
In his last three starts, Wainwright’s ERA has increased from a league-leading 1.99 to 2.30.
John Lannan (6-6) drove in two early runs, then pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning to leave the Cardinals at 2-5 — all against last-place teams — on their 10-game road trip.
Michael Morse hit a two-run homer as the Nationals posted consecutive wins for the first time since July 30 and July 31. Morse had seven straight hits, one short of tying the franchise record.
Sunday’s other results:
• Rockies 10, Dodgers 5
• Reds 7, Cubs 5
• Phillies 5, Padres 0
• Giants 9, Diamondbacks 7
• Brewers 8, Pirates 4
• Mets 5, Astros 1
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More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
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LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
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