Tue, Sep 27, 2011 page20

• Red Sox win 7-4 to edge ahead in wild-card race

  • Reuters, NEW YORK
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  MAJOR LEAGUES

  The Boston Red Sox kept their noses in front in the American League wild-card race after Jacoby Ellsbury’s three-run homer in the 14th inning gave them a 7-4 win over the New York Yankees in the second game of a double header on Sunday.

  The win snapped a four-game losing streak, which included a 6-2 loss in opener of the double bill, and allowed the Red Sox to remain one game ahead of the charging Tampa Bay Rays in the Amercian League wild-card race with three games remaining.

  

  Boston Red Sox batter Jacoby Ellsbury watches the ball as he follows through on his swing after he hit a three-run homer against the New York Yankees in the 14th inning of the second game of a day-night doubleheader in New York on Sunday.

  Photo: Reuters

  Tampa Bay hit four home runs, including an inside-the-park drive by Ben Zobrist, to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 and keep the heat on Boston.

  “Any time you’re in a run for the wild card and you allow your team to get a win, it can’t really get too much bigger,” Ellsbury said. “We’ve got to win these games to get in the playoffs. I view it as these are playoff games for us.”

  After losing the first game in New York, the Red Sox looked set for another defeat when starter John Lackey gave up three runs in the first inning.

  However, he settled and gradually found form to match Yankees starter Ivan Nova into the seventh inning, when both exited the game having allowed four runs each.

  Five Red Sox relievers combined to pitch eight scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, with Franklin Morales picking up the win and Felix Doubront earning the save.

  “Franklin was phenomenal,” said Red Sox reliever Jonathan Papelbon, who pitched 2-1/3 innings. “Everybody contributed tonight, from top to bottom. Now we’ve got to go ball in Baltimore. That’s what we’ve got to do.”

  Yankees reliever Scott Proctor gave up the home run to Ellsbury and took the loss.

  In the National League wild-card chase, the St Louis Cardinals continued to track down the Atlanta Braves, closing the gap to one game.

  The Atlanta Braves lost 3-0 to the Washington Nationals, while the Cardinals rallied to defeat the Chicago Cubs 3-2.

  Yadier Molina hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to draw the Cardinals level with the Cubs and Rafael Furcal delivered the victory with a solo home run in the eighth.

  Sunday’s other results:

  ‧ Athletics 6, Angels 5

  ‧ Rangers 12, Mariners 5

  ‧ Tigers 10, Orioles 6

  ‧ Twins 6, Indians 4

  ‧ Royals 2, White Sox 1

  ‧ Phillies 9, Mets 4

  ‧ Brewers 9, Marlins 5

  ‧ Diamondbacks 5, Giants 2

  ‧ Dodgers 6, Padres 2

  ‧ Rockies 19, Astros 3

  ‧ Reds 5, Pirates 4

  WANG CHIEN-MING

  STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA

  Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed early yesterday that his team is trying to seal a new deal with Wang Chien-ming, who made a great comeback after a serious shoulder injury.

  Taiwan’s Wang proved he is still sharp in the big leagues after closing his first comeback season with four wins out of 11 starts, with reporters from Washington to Taiwan chasing after team executives over news of an extension deal.

  “We have had a dialogue long before this,” Rizzo said a day after Wang’s four-strikeout, no-walk outing.

  Rizzo confirmed that the team is seeking to keep Wang on the rotation.

  “We have started the process,” he said.

  Wang’s contract with the Nationals expires at the end of this season. The team will have exclusivity five days after the World Series ends to seal the deal. The World Series starts on Oct. 19 and is scheduled to finish before November.

  “I don’t think the exclusivity gains us anything or costs us anything. I think there is a good relationship there. We are just going to try to hammer out a fair deal, if we can,” Rizzo was quoted as saying on MASNsports.com.

  Wang limited the Atlanta Braves to only one run on four hits in his last start this season. After being sidelined for two years because of shoulder surgery and rehabilitation, he pitched a combined 62-1/3 innings over 11 starts and had an ERA of 4.04.
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