MAJOR LEAGUES
Torii Hunter had two of his three hits in a six-run third inning as the Detroit Tigers beat Kansas City 9-5 on Monday to move within a game of the American League (AL) Central-leading Royals.
Nick Castellanos had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Victor Martinez had three hits, while Hunter scored twice and drove in a run.
Photo: AFP
Detroit’s Justin Verlander (13-12) allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings.
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie (10-11) allowed eight runs, six earned, and 10 hits in 2-2/3 innings. Guthrie has given up 14 earned runs in his last 6-2/3 innings against Detroit.
Lorenzo Cain hit an inside-the-park home run for Kansas City in the seventh inning. Eric Hosmer had three hits and drove in a run.
Photo: AFP
ORIOLES 4, RED SOX 0
In Boston, Nelson Cruz had a pair of hits and Miguel Gonzalez pitched into the seventh inning, helping Baltimore open a double-digit lead in the AL East.
The Orioles lead the division by 10 games and the second-place Yankees have 21 games to play. Baltimore’s previous double-digit lead in the division was in 1979.
Gonzalez (9-7) allowed six hits in 6-1/3 innings. Steve Pearce also had two hits for Baltimore, who have won nine of their past 12 games.
Boston’s Joe Kelly (1-2) allowed three earned runs and six hits in 6-1/3 innings. He also hit two batters and struck out six.
ANGELS 12, INDIANS 3
In Cleveland, Ohio, Jered Weaver became the AL’s first 16-game winner, while the Angels did all their damage against Danny Salazar in one inning for their fifth-straight win.
Albert Pujols hit a three-run shot in the ninth for the Angels, who hit four homers and are a major league-best 88-55. Weaver (16-8) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.
Kole Calhoun hit a two-run homer and David Freese had a three-run drive in the fifth off Salazar (6-7), who shut out Detroit last week and had not given up a run in 21 consecutive innings.
The AL West-leading Angels diverted to Cleveland on their only scheduled day off during a long trip to play a game that was rained out on June 18.
Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run homer and had an RBI single as the Indians, who swept the White Sox over the weekend, had their winning streak stopped at four.
WHITE SOX 5, ATHLETICS 4, 12 INNINGS
In Chicago, Tyler Flowers hit a tying solo homer in the ninth inning and then another drive in the 12th to give the White Sox the win.
Flowers’ game-ending homer came against Jesse Chavez (8-8). The White Sox were a strike away from a loss when Flowers connected against Eric O’Flaherty in the ninth. Oakland closer Sean Doolittle was unavailable because of an intercostal strain.
Javy Guerra (2-3) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory.
Oakland lost for the ninth time in 11 games, but remain atop the AL wild-card race.
MARLINS 6, BREWERS 4
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Giancarlo Stanton hit his National League (NL)-leading 37th homer, tying the Marlins record for career homers.
Stanton, who also leads the league with 105 RBIs, matched Dan Uggla’s team mark with 154 homers.
Marcell Ozuna and Garrett Jones added back-to-back shots for Miami, who won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak from Aug. 16 to Aug. 19.
Milwaukee lost for the 12th time in 13 games. Yovani Gallardo (8-9) allowed five earned runs and nine hits in 3-2/3 innings.
Brad Penny (2-1) worked a season-high six innings for Miami. Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his 33rd save.
NATIONALS 2, BRAVES 1
In Washington, Doug Fister pitched seven shutout innings, leading Washington to the victory in the opener of a three-game series between the top teams in the NL East.
Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon each drove in a run for the Nationals, who increased their division lead over Atlanta to eight games.
The Braves trail the Pirates by 1.5 games for the second NL wild card.
Fister (13-6), who had lost three straight starts, allowed two singles and three walks. Drew Storen struck out the side in the ninth for his second save in two days.
Mike Minor (6-10) allowed two runs and seven hits in six-plus innings for the Braves.
PIRATES 6, PHILLIES 4
In Philadelphia, Starling Marte hit a two-run homer to lead Pittsburgh to their fourth consecutive win.
Jeff Locke (7-4) struck out nine over seven strong innings to help the Pirates keep their grip on the second NL wild card. They entered with a half-game lead on Milwaukee and Atlanta.
Locke and Kyle Kendrick (8-12) were in a pitcher’s duel until Pittsburgh scored four runs in the eighth. The Pirates are 65-50 since May 2.
Mark Melancon tossed a scoreless ninth for his 27th save.
CARDINALS 5, REDS 0
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Carpenter broke a scoreless tie with his two-run single for St Louis in the seventh inning, and Matt Adams added a three-run homer.
St Louis have won nine of 10, going from two games out to a season-high 4.5 games up in the division. The Cardinals are 10-3 against the Reds this season and 40-24 against the NL Central overall.
Shelby Miller (9-9) gave up three hits while pitching into the eighth in his first victory in three starts against Cincinnati this season. Two relievers finished the three-hitter.
Carpenter’s single off Manny Parra (0-3) left Cincinnati’s bullpen 0-14 since the All-Star break, part of Cincinnati’s 16-33 slide over that time. The Reds have dropped eight of their past 10 and fallen 10 games under .500 for the first time since 2009.
In other play, it was:
‧ Blue Jays 8, Cubs 0
‧ Mets 3, Rockies 2
‧ Dodgers 9, Padres 4
‧ Mariners 4, Astros 1
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