NATIONAL LEAGUE
Tommy Hanson shook off an agonizing start to outpitch Gio Gonzalez as the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Sunday to end a six-game losing streak against their NL East rivals.
Hanson (6-4) gave up homers to the first two batters he faced, with Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper connecting on consecutive pitches. They became the first pair of rookies in modern baseball history to homer in succession leading off a game, the Nationals said in citing the Elias Sports Bureau.
Photo: AFP
Hanson then blanked the Nationals over the next six innings. The right-hander allowed two runs, six hits and no walks in seven innings.
Eric O’Flaherty worked the eighth and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 16th save in 17 tries.
METS 6, CARDINALS 1
Photo: AFP
In New York, Jonathon Niese struck out a career-high 10 batters in six scoreless innings as New York shut down St Louis for the third straight game, getting a homer and three RBIs from rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
Andres Torres added a two-run triple and finished a homer shy of the cycle. Nieuwenhuis, batting leadoff, also had three hits.
Niese (4-2) became the latest New York pitcher to dominate the Cardinals, following Johan Santana’s no-hitter in the series opener Friday night — the first in Mets history — and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey’s seven-hit shutout on Saturday.
The only thing that prevented the Cardinals from being blanked in three consecutive games for the first time since October 1976 was a two-out RBI single by Adron Chambers in the eighth off Elvin Ramirez, who was making his major league debut.
GIANTS 2, CUBS 0
In San Francisco, Barry Zito pitched 8-1/3 scoreless innings for his 150th career win and Joaquin Arias snapped an 18 at-bat hitless stretch with an RBI single that led San Francisco over Chicago.
Zito (5-2) was rarely threatened by the struggling Cubs, allowing just four hits and two walks before leaving to a standing ovation after a one-walk to Darwin Barney in the ninth. Sergio Romo finished for his second save.
Travis Wood (0-2) was the tough-luck loser for the Cubs, allowing just one run and three hits in seven innings as Chicago fell for the 15th time in 18 games. The Cubs have also lost 10 straight road games for their longest skid away from Wrigley Field since dropping 10 in a row in September 2000.
MARLINS 5, PHILLIES 1
In Philadelphia, Carlos Zambrano homered and pitched into the eighth inning and Hanley Ramirez also went deep to lead Miami over the Phillies.
Zambrano (4-3) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out seven in before leaving with two outs in the eighth to win for the seventh time in nine games.
Zambrano leads all pitchers since 1974 with 24 career home runs. He connected against Joe Blanton (4-6).
Heath Bell came on with two on and one out in the ninth and got a pair of groundouts for his 12th save in 16 chances.
In other NL action, it was:
‧ Astros 5, Reds 3
‧ Rockies 3, Dodgers 2
‧ Diamondbacks 6, Padres 0
‧ Pirate 6, Brewers 5
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each homered off Justin Verlander and Phil Hughes pitched a four-hitter to lead the New York Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Jeter homered on the first pitch of the game and Rodriguez hit a long solo shot in the third inning. Hughes (5-5) didn’t need much support in throwing his first career complete game of nine innings — on Aug. 2 last year, he went all six innings in a rain-shortened win over the White Sox.
Hughes struck out eight and walked three. He threw a career-high 123 pitches.
Verlander (5-4) allowed five runs — three earned — and nine hits in 6-1/3 innings. He’s now lost three straight starts for the first time since 2008.
Prince Fielder homered for the Tigers.
RANGERS 7, ANGELS 3
In Anaheim, California, Matt Harrison won his third straight start and Nelson Cruz hit a long two-run homer as Texas beat the streaking Los Angeles Angels to avoid a three-game sweep.
The victory ended a four-game skid by the two-time defending AL champions, who lead the Angels by four-and-a-half games in the West. The clubs play 13 more times during the regular season.
Harrison (7-3) was charged with three runs and four hits in 6-2/3 innings after handing a 5-2 lead to the bullpen.
Dan Haren (3-6) threw 104 pitches over five innings, allowing two runs and seven hits.
TWINS 5, INDIANS 3
In Cleveland, Scott Diamond allowed three unearned runs over seven innings as Minnesota beat the Indians.
Joe Mauer hit an RBI single in the first off Justin Masterson (2-5). The Twins star left in the ninth with a sprained right thumb.
Diamond (4-1) gave up seven hits and didn’t issue a walk. In six starts since being recalled from the minors on May 8, he has walked only four.
Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances as Minnesota took two of three in the series.
Minnesota made three errors, but improved to 5-1 since a five-game losing streak.
BLUES JAYS 5, RED SOX 1
In Toronto, Jose Bautista hit a three-run home run and rookie Drew Hutchison won for the fourth time in five starts as Toronto downed Boston.
In an ill-tempered game that featured four hit batters, plate umpire Mike Winters warned both benches after Boston’s Kevin Youkilis was drilled on the shoulder in the sixth. Youkilis stepped in front of the plate and yelled at Hutchison, but the situation did not escalate.
Daniel Bard (5-6) allowed five runs, walked six, struck out two and hit two batters in 1-2/3 innings, his shortest career start.
Hutchison (5-2) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, matching his career high. He walked one and struck out five.
In other AL action, it was:
‧ Royals 2, Athletics 0
‧ Rays 8, Orioles 4
‧ White Sox 4, Mariners 2
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