MAJOR LEAGUES
Detroit pitcher Max Scherzer became the first man to begin a season 12-0 in 27 years as the Tigers took down the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 on Friday.
Miguel Cabrera also starred in the win, belting two home runs in a four-for-four display, but Scherzer stole the show by striking out nine and claiming another win.
Photo: Reuters
The 28-year-old becomes Major League Baseball’s first 12-0 starter since Roger Clemens opened the 1986 season with 14 straight wins for the Boston Red Sox.
The win moved the Tigers to 43-35, maintaining their place at the top of the American League Central, while the Rays dropped to 41-39 to sit fourth in the tight AL East.
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Braves won the battle of National League division leaders, shutting out the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0.
Julio Teheran struck out 10 over six innings, allowing just four hits and one walk, and Andrelton Simmons homered to push the East leading Braves (46-34) past the West pace-setters, who fell to 42-37.
Washington left it late but rallied past the New York Mets for a 6-4 win.
Ryan Zimmerman tied the game with a three-run double in the eighth before Ian Desmond drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth to improve the Nationals to 40-39 and drop the Mets to 32-44.
Baltimore’s Nate McLouth broke a tie with a solo homer in the seventh to give the Orioles (45-36) a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees (42-37).
Pittsburgh’s (49-30) winning streak extended to seven games with a 10-3 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers (32-46).
Michael Cuddyer hammered a two-run homer to lift his hitting streak to 25 games and help Colorado (40-41) to a 4-1 result over the San Francisco Giants (38-41).
The Cleveland Indians took care of the Chicago White Sox 19-10 in the first game of a double-header before backing up to win the night game 9-8, thanks to a four-run ninth inning.
The two wins pushed the Indians to 42-38 while the White Sox fell to 32-45.
Oakland were 6-1 winners over St Louis as the A’s rode Bartolo Colon’s eighth straight win to move half a game behind Texas in the AL West at 47-34, leaving the Cardinals a game behind Pittsburgh at 48-31.
Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers (36-43) were embarrassed on home turf, falling 16-1 to Philadelphia (39-42), who pounded out 21 hits.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
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