AMERICAN LEAGUE
Max Scherzer pitched into the seventh inning and Delmon Young homered as the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Thursday to avoid a four-game series sweep.
Scherzer (5-3) retired nine consecutive batters before Nick Punto led off the seventh with a walk, forcing the right-hander from the game. He allowed three runs and seven hits in his third consecutive victory, closing out a strong month for him.
Photo: Reuters
Young hit a solo drive in the eighth to make it 5-3, then added a run-scoring single in the ninth.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his 10th homer for Boston, who were seeking their first four-game sweep against the Tigers since 2004. Josh Beckett (4-4) allowed four runs and a season-high 10 hits in seven innings.
The Red Sox opened last month with eight losses in nine games to drop to 12-19 on the year, but they closed out the month with a 14-6 run to pull within three of the division lead.
Photo: AFP
Young and Quintin Berry each had three hits for Detroit, who finished with 14 overall. Berry also scored two runs and stole two bases.
Saltalamacchia connected in the second inning and Scott Podsednik doubled in Ryan Sweeney to make it 2-0. Detroit responded with three runs in the third, capped by Prince Fielder’s two-out RBI single.
Saltalamacchia tied it with a two-out RBI single in bottom half, but the Tigers grabbed the lead for good when Miguel Cabrera singled in Berry in the fifth.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, DENVER, Colorado
Carlos Gonzalez homered again, and Michael Cuddyer and Jordan Pacheco had three hits each as the Colorado Rockies beat the Houston Astros 11-5 on Thursday.
Gonzalez, who homered in his last three at-bats on Wednesday, hit a three-run shot in the first inning against Bud Norris. He was intentionally walked in the second, doubled in the fourth and singled in the eighth. Gonzalez’s 14th homer made him the first Rockies player to go deep in four consecutive at-bats. It was the 22nd time a major league player has homered in four consecutive plate appearances.
The talented left-fielder is 13-for-20, with six homers and 10 RBIs in his last five games.
Marco Scutaro also homered for the Rockies, who pounded out 15 hits while completing the four-game sweep. Colorado finished the series with 40 runs and 56 hits after scoring just 20 runs in their previous five home games.
Jeremy Guthrie (3-3) earned his first win since April 22.
J.D. Martinez homered for the Astros, who have lost six straight.
BREWERS 6, DODGERS 2
In Los Angeles, California, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Gomez each hit a two-run homer and Zack Greinke pitched effectively for six innings as Milwaukee completed a four-game sweep of Los Angeles.
The Brewers played without National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ryan Braun, who was scratched because of tightness in his right Achilles tendon.
The Dodgers also played without their No. 3 hitter, Matt Kemp, and will be without the slugger for at least a month. The All-Star center-fielder, who was runner-up to Braun in last year’s MVP voting, was placed on the 15-day disabled list after reinjuring his left hamstring on Wednesday night.
Greinke (7-2) allowed a run and nine hits in his Dodger Stadium debut, striking out seven and walking one. Chad Billingsley (2-4) struck out eight in six innings for Los Angeles, but yielded four runs and six hits.
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