AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena broke out of a form slump to hit a three-run homer during a five-run fourth inning that set up the Rays’ 8-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon moved Pena up from the middle of the lineup to the leadoff spot in an attempt to help him turn his form around. Pena had been on an 0 for 18 slide, with a batting average this month of a paltry .116.
Pena’s homer off Drew Hutchison (3-2) was estimated at 452 feet. He finished with two hits in five at-bats.
Drew Sutton had RBI double and Chris Gimenez hit a run-scoring grounder as the Rays took a 6-0 lead in the fourth. Gimenez also had a fifth-inning RBI single.
Rays reliever Wade Davis (1-0) gave up one run in two innings.
ORIOLES 4, RED SOX 1
In Baltimore, Maryland, Brian Matusz allowed just two hits and struck out nine batters in 6-1/3 innings to steer Baltimore past Boston.
Matusz (4-4) won his third straight start. He walked only one and matched his career high in strikeouts.
Steve Tolleson hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Wilson Betemit also had a two-run shot in the eighth.
Boston fell back into sole possession of last place in the American League East.
RANGERS 3, MARINERS 1
In Seattle, Washington, Elvis Andrus lined a two-strike pitch for a two-run triple, making the difference in Texas’ win over Seattle.
Andrus’ triple in the third came when Seattle starter Hector Noesi (2-5) hung a breaking ball and Andrus drove it to the wall in left-center to give the Rangers the lead. Josh Hamilton followed by hitting an RBI double which landed on the chalk of the left-field line.
Hamilton also made two tremendous catches in center field. In the first inning he chased down Casper Wells’ two-out bases-loaded drive and made the catch on the warning track. He then robbed Alex Liddi of at least a double with a leaping grab crashing into the wall leading off the third.
Rangers starter Matt Harrison (5-3) retired 20 of 24 batters between the second and seventh innings.
INDIANS 5, TIGERS 3
In Cleveland, Ohio, Chris Perez, greeted by a standing ovation from the time he left the bullpen, worked another scary ninth inning for his 14th save as Cleveland ended a 10-game losing streak to Detroit.
Perez had been critical of recent booing and called the Indians’ major league-worst attendance “an embarrassment” for a first-place club. He allowed two runners on base in the ninth before a strikeout and a groundout ended it.
Perez hasn’t blown a save since opening day.
Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez (5-3) cautiously worked through the meat of Detroit’s lineup and lasted six innings as the first-place Indians beat the AL Central favorites and Tigers starter Rick Porcello (4-3).
ANGELS 4, ATHLETICS 0
In Oakland, California, C.J. Wilson and Ernesto Frieri combined on a one-hitter as Los Angeles closed down Oakland.
A day after losing their third consecutive one-run game, Los Angeles took a four-run lead after three innings and coasted the rest of the way to give Wilson (5-4) his first win in nearly three weeks.
Albert Pujols homered for the third time in seven days while Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick had RBI singles for the Angels.
A’s starter Graham Godfrey (0-4) did not last long in his return to the majors and remains winless this season.
In other AL play it was:
‧ Twins 9, White Sox 2
‧ Yankees 3, Royals 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, CINCINNATI, Ohio
Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips drove in three runs with a pair of homers, leading the Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.
Rookie shortstop Zack Cozart also homered off Brandon Beachy (5-2) as the Reds got the best of another high-powered game. The teams have combined for 10 homers in two games, seven of them by Cincinnati.
The Reds moved a season-high four games over .500 with their fourth straight win.
Cincinnati starter Mat Latos (3-2) gave up five hits in seven innings to win his third straight decision. Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the ninth for his second save, a day after his arrest for speeding.
DODGERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 7
In Phoenix, Arizona, Ivan de Jesus hit a two-run double with two outs in the ninth to give Los Angeles the lead and Dee Gordon went airborne to turn a game-ending double play in the bottom of the inning as the Dodgers rallied past Arizona.
The Diamondbacks, who squandered a five-run lead going into the seventh, took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth on Lyle Overbay’s homer off Josh Lindblom (2-0).
However J.J. Putz (0-3) couldn’t close it for Arizona, allowing De Jesus to drive a double to center and make it 8-7.
With runners on first and third in the bottom of the ninth, Jason Kubel grounded to second and Gordon leapt over a late sliding Justin Upton to make a one-hop throw and complete the double play.
NATIONALS 5, PHILLIES 2
In Philadelphia, Jordan Zimmermann (3-4) gave up only one run in six innings to steer Washington past Philadelphia.
Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel homered, while Bryce Harper tripled, singled and drove in two runs for the Nationals, who beat the Phillies for the sixth straight time in Philadelphia — something that had never been done in the franchise’s 43-year history.
Philadelphia lost their season-worst fourth straight.
Phillies starter Roy Halladay (4-4) continued his indifferent season, going six innings and allowing five runs.
METS 3, PIRATES 2
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lucas Duda smacked a go-ahead RBI-single in the top of the eighth inning to lift New York over Pittsburgh.
Mike Baxter, batting leadoff for the first time in his career, doubled off Juan Cruz (1-1) with one out in the eighth then came home two batters later when Duda’s line drive glanced off the glove of the first baseman and rolled into right field.
Mets starter R.A. Dickey (6-1) struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings, giving up one run to move into a tie with a host of others for the most wins in the majors. Frank Francisco pitched the ninth for the save.
In other NL play, it was:
‧ Cardinals 4, Padres 0
‧ Giants 6, Brewers 4
‧ Marlins 7, Rockies 6
‧ Aatros 2, Cubs 1
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