Cincinnati Reds Chapman throws fastest pitch ever recorded

SAN DIEGO – Aroldis Chapman(notes) was summoned from the bullpen one batter too late to make a difference in the game. No matter. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made do by making history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.

The blazing pitch pushed a white-hot pennant race to the back burner. Yes, the San Diego Padres won the game 4-3 to pull ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card race. Sure, the San Francisco Giants all but buried the Colorado Rockies thanks to a dominant performance by Tim Lincecum(notes).

But the lingering memory was of a now-you-see-it, did-I-actually-see-it fastball to Tony Gwynn(notes) in the eighth inning. The pitch was not a fluke: Chapman threw 25 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and every one was at least 100 mph. He didn’t throw a slider. He didn’t throw a changeup. Why would he?
From Walter Johnson to Bob Feller to Steve Dalkowski to J.R. Richard to Nolan Ryan to Stephen Strasburg, blistering velocity is etched forever in baseball lore. Rush Chapman to the head of the list. Has anybody in the history of the game had a comparable 25-pitch sequence?

[Related: MLB pitcher makes a very unfortunate accomplishment]


“I didn’t see it until the ball was behind me,” Gwynn said. “I was trying not to look at the radar reading because I’d be intimidated. I saw how hard he was throwing and just tried to be slow and work my hands.”

The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.

Gwynn’s father, Tony, a Hall-of-Famer and one of baseball greatest hitters, never saw a pitch as fast as the one Chapman threw. Maybe nobody else has, either. Since radar guns were introduced in the 1980s, the fastest pitch recorded was 104.8 mph by Joel Zumaya(notes) of the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game Oct. 10, 2006. Chapman, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2009, was clocked at 104 on Sept. 1 in his second major league appearance and also hit 105 mph with a pitch for Triple-A Louisville earlier this season.

Chapman, speaking through an interpreter with bags of ice strapped across his arm, credited his stepped-up velocity Friday to the fact that he’d pitched only once in the last week. He didn’t allow an earned run in his first eight relief appearances after being promoted Aug. 31, but the Astros nicked him for two runs a week ago. He pitched a scoreless inning on Monday against the Brewers, then had three more days off.

“My arm had been a little sore and the rest helped,” he said. “I felt as good as I did a couple weeks ago. Not the best I’ve ever felt, but I felt good.”

Reds manager Dusty Baker appreciated the moment, but the loss grated on him. Chapman was warming up in the bullpen when Miguel Tejada(notes) delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single in the seventh against Nick Masset(notes) that drove in the Padres’ third and fourth runs. Chapman came in and struck out Adrian Gonzalez(notes) on three fastballs that registered 101, 102 and 103 mph.

Baker had been reluctant to summon Chapman to face Tejada with the bases loaded and the Reds holding a one-run lead, envisioning a wild pitch or a walk.

“A guy throwing that hard, looking back you can say I should have brought him in earlier, but he can’t pitch against everybody all the time,” Baker said.

Asked if that was the hardest he has seen Chapman throw by a small degree, Baker replied, “By a big degree".
Padres officials said the stadium radar gun is not known for inordinately high readings, unlike the Fox TV gun that recorded Zumaya at 104.8. Chapman had three other pitches Friday clocked at 104 mph.

This wasn’t the first time Chapman had pitched at Petco Park. He started for the Cuban team in the World Baseball Classic in the spring of 2009 and was knocked out of the game in the third inning against Japan and took the loss. His fastest pitch was 101 mph.

“I’ve grown up and improved so much since then,” he said. “I remember that night and losing my composure a little. I couldn’t find the strike zone. That seems like a long time ago.”

After defecting during a tournament in the Netherlands in July 2009, Chapman signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January. It was widely predicted that he would sign a much more lucrative deal with a deep-pocket team such as the Yankees or Red Sox, but some teams backed off because of concerns about his maturity.

Fastest Recorded MLB Pitches
Name Team Year MPH
Aroldis Chapman Reds 2010 105
Joel Zumaya Tigers 2006 104.8
Aroldis Chapman Reds 2010 104
Mark Wohlers Braves 1995 103
Armando Benitez Giants 2002 102
Jonathan Broxton Dodgers 2009 102
Neftali Feliz Rangers 2010 102
Bobby Jenks White Sox 2005 102
Randy Johnson Diamondbacks 2004 102
Matt Lindstrom Marlins 2007 102
Robb Nen Marlins 1997 102
Justin Verlander Tigers 2007 102


“We’ve got to make bold moves sometimes,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said at the time.

Now the signing looks genius. And maybe by the time the playoffs begin, Baker will go to Chapman earlier, even with the bases loaded.

“When a guy is throwing that hard, you feel sort of helpless,” Gwynn said. “We’re just glad we had enough runs to win before he came in the game.”

from yahoo sport

A-Rod hits 2 HRs, drives in AL-record

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Alex Rodriguez(notes) hit a three-run homer on his first swing of the season and smacked a grand slam on his last. The New York Yankees slugger was pretty impressive in between, too.

Setting what he hopes will be the tone for a successful playoff run, Rodriguez homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs in a 10-run sixth inning Sunday, helping the AL East champions finish the regular season with a 10-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

“We have one goal and it’s to win 11 games,” he said, looking ahead to the postseason. “If we get to 11 wins, that’s means we’re going to get contributions from everyone.”

On this day, he was a one-man wrecking crew.

Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Wade Davis(notes), giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. He added his 18th career grand slam later in the inning after Andy Sonnanstine(notes) issued an intentional walk to league co-home run champion Mark Teixeira(notes) to load the bases.

“It was awesome. That was a great inning for him and for the team,” Teixiera said. “It’s good to have a nice offensive output like that the last game of the season and give us some momentum.”

The previous AL record of six RBIs in an inning was accomplished 12 times, most recently by Boston’s David Ortiz(notes) on Aug. 12, 2008. The major league record is eight, set by Fernando Tatis(notes), who hit two grand slams in an inning for St. Louis on April 23, 1999.

New York, preparing to open the playoffs at home against Detroit or Minnesota on Wednesday or Thursday, finished with a 103-59 record, its best since 103-58 in 2002.

Tampa Bay dropped to 84-78 after going 97-65 last year and reaching the World Series for the first time.

A-Rod moved into a tie with Mark McGwire for eighth on the career list with 583 homers. It also gave him at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the 13th time— including the past 12 seasons—despite missing the first month with a hip injury.

“Unbelievable,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He needed two homers and seven RBIs to keep his streak alive. It’s really pretty amazing. That’s the player he is.”

A.J. Burnett(notes) (13-9) pitched five innings for the victory, enabling the Yankees to avoid a weekend sweep.

Joba Chamberlain(notes), who could be headed for the bullpen for the first round of the playoffs, tossed a perfect inning in relief as Girardi continued to get the pitching staff ready for the postseason.

Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman will meet Monday to begin discussions on the playoff roster.

A year after making an improbable run to the American League pennant, the Rays finished 19 games behind the Yankees in the division. Evan Longoria(notes) scored both of the runs off Burnett, hitting his 33rd homer in the first and racing home on a passed ball to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead in the fifth.

Rookies Davis (2-2), Jeff Niemann(notes) and David Price(notes) combined for 25 wins and are part of the reason the Rays are optimistic about their prospects of returning to the top of the AL East next year.

“There’s no doubt we’ll be right back in it, and our goal is to get to the World Series again in 2010. Period,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “Nothing else really matters in regard to our goal-setting.”

Rodriguez was sidelined until May 8 after hip surgery, then homered on the first pitch he saw from Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie(notes). He began Sunday with 28 homers and 93 RBIs and said the possibility of extending his 30-100 streak didn’t cross his mind until New York batted around in the sixth.

“I just didn’t think it was realistic at all, so therefore it wasn’t even a goal,” Rodriguez said.

“I was actually talking to (Eric) Hinske and I said I may have one shot. If they load the bases, I might pop one, you never know. I was just joking around, then I hit it.”

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner visited with the team for about an hour in the clubhouse before the game and later said he’s “excited” about the playoffs, which will start later this week.

The 79-year-old Steinbrenner made the trip to Tropicana Field from his home in nearby Tampa for the second time this season. He also met with the players before a Yankees win in St. Petersburg on July 29.

“It was really great to see him. He was in good spirits,” Girardi said. “Said, ‘Just keep it going. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”’

NOTES: Teixeira and Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena(notes) tied for the AL home run title with 39. … Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte(notes) wound up earning $10.5 million of the $12 million available under his contract—$500,000 more than the Yankees’ original offer of $10 million guaranteed that he failed to accept. Pettitte had a $5.5 million base salary, earned $3 million based on innings and $2 million for staying on the active roster the entire season. He missed $750,000 bonuses for 200 and 210 innings, finishing with 194 2-3. … The Rays sat All-Stars Jason Bartlett(notes) and Carl Crawford(notes). Bartlett finished with a career-best .320 batting average, a team record. Crawford, who batted .305, set the previous mark of .315 in 2007.


by the associated press

Smoltz sign's deal with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS — John Smoltz agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, giving the 42-year-old former ace a chance to rejuvenate his career in the middle of a pennant race.

Smoltz joined the NL Central leaders shortly after he cleared waivers, following his release by Boston. He was 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox.

General manager John Mozeliak said Smoltz would likely start Sunday at San Diego, and would probably get at least a few turns in the rotation. The GM said Smoltz didn't ask to start as a "negotiating ploy."

"He had very little demands," Mozeliak said on a conference call. "He had no demands. From everything he had heard about this club, he was excited to take this opportunity. The reason for the start was just to get him work and know what we have."

The Cardinals hope Smoltz can either fill a void as the fifth starter or provide right-handed relief in the bullpen. Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas and Florida also were said to be interested in signing the longtime Atlanta star.

"He's going to do whatever we need the most," manager Tony La Russa said before the Cardinals faced the Dodgers. "It'll be really good for him to come out and stretch out his arm and work on his pitches and let us take a look at him."

One of the best big-game pitchers of his era, Smoltz is expected to join the team Thursday when St. Louis plays at San Diego. The former Cy Young winner is the latest high-profile acquisition — with Matt Holliday — in a makeover that helped the Cardinals stretch their division lead to six games over Chicago.

The risk for the Cardinals is small — Boston is responsible for the bulk of the contract. St. Louis is on the hook only for a prorated share of the major league minimum, about $100,000 through the rest of the season.

The Cardinals lobbied Smoltz with telephone calls from La Russa, pitching coach Dave Duncan and infielder Mark DeRosa, a former teammate in Atlanta and another recent addition in St. Louis.

"These situations are unique because the players out there, you're not really negotiating a salary," Mozeliak said. "What you're trying to do is figure out how a player is going to fit in."

Smoltz is 212-152 with a 3.32 ERA and 154 saves in 21 seasons. An eight-time All-Star, he's the only pitcher in major league history with 200 wins and 150 saves.

Smoltz debuted with the Braves in 1988 and spent his entire career in Atlanta before signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Red Sox in January. Still recovering from shoulder surgery that forced him to miss most of the 2008 season, he didn't pitch until June, and never got on track in Boston.

The Red Sox cut Smoltz on Aug. 7, a day after he lost at Yankee Stadium in one of the worst starts of his career. Left-handed hitters were especially rough on him this year, batting .444 overall.

Smoltz, however, did show flashes of his former sharpness, even in that final start. In that first inning against New York, retired Derek Jeter on a grounder and struck out Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez.

The Cardinals' most pressing need is for a fifth starter behind Chris Carpenter (13-3, 2.27 ERA), Adam Wainwright (14-7, 2.62 ERA), Joel Pineiro (11-9, 3.25) and Kyle Lohse (5-7, 4.58), who has shown signs of coming around from a forearm injury.

Todd Wellemeyer, the fifth starter most of the season until being sent to the bullpen last month, is 7-9 with a 5.67 ERA and is on the 15-day disabled list with elbow inflammation. Mitchell Boggs, who has filled the role in recent weeks, is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA. Overall, the team's fifth starters are 10-16, and there is no immediate help available from the minor leagues.

But the Cardinals also have a need for right-handed help in the bullpen, most notably as a setup man for closer Ryan Franklin. Rookie Jason Motte has struggled in that role with a 5.82 ERA.

Smoltz had said he preferred to go to a team where he could start.

Smoltz also brings intangibles as the Cardinals seek to return to the postseason for the first time since winning the 2006 World Series.

"As soon as it was announced that Boston was doing something with him, Mark (DeRosa) came in and repeated what his reputation is," La Russa said, "and how as a teammate he saw for himself how legitimate he is."

Smoltz holds the record for postseason wins. He is 15-4 with four saves and a 2.65 ERA in the playoffs and World Series.

As a starter, Smoltz has won 14 or more games 10 times, including 1996, when he won the NL Cy Young Award after going 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA for the Braves.

Installed as the closer after missing 2000 and most of 2001 following elbow surgery, he had 10 saves down the stretch in 2001 then 144 saves over the next three seasons — 55 in 2002, 45 in 2003 and 44 in 2004.

by the associated press

Mariners get Bill Hall in trade with Brewers

Mariners get 3B Bill Hall in trade with Brewers
(AP) – 1 hour ago

DETROIT — The Milwaukee Brewers have traded third baseman Bill Hall to the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners sent minor league pitcher Ruben Flores to the Brewers on Wednesday.

Hall, who hit 35 homers in 2006, was designated for assignment by Milwaukee last week after hitting .201 in 76 games this season. He is expected to join the Mariners on Thursday in Detroit.

Flores went 3-2 with a 4.39 ERA in 44 games for two Class A teams.


by the associated press

Yankees 9-1 victory

NEW YORK (AP) — Clumsy defense cost the Mets in the Subway Series again.

In a matter of minutes, New York made three crucial errors that led to a four-run second inning for the Yankees in their 9-1 victory Friday night at Citi Field.

Third baseman David Wright and shortstop Alex Cora uncorked wild throws before first baseman Nick Evans fumbled away a grounder. All those miscues were too much to overcome against Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who was on top of his game against a depleted lineup.

"Where we are now injury-wise, I've said it: We've got to play pretty mistake-free baseball to win," Wright said. "And obviously, we didn't get that tonight. You make those kind of mistakes and CC has the stuff that he had tonight, your chances aren't very good."

The only Mets infielder who didn't make an error during the inning was second baseman Luis Castillo.

Of course, two weeks earlier, it was Castillo who dropped what would have been a game-ending popup by Alex Rodriguez, allowing two runs to score and giving the Yankees a 9-8 win at home.

This time, the mistake-prone Mets made three errors in an inning for the first time since May 20, 2004, when first baseman Mike Piazza, shortstop Kaz Matsui and third baseman Todd Zeile were the culprits in the ninth inning of an 11-4 loss to St. Louis.

"We've played pretty good baseball lately. It's unfortunate that we choose tonight to have that game, but you're going to have games like that," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "Their big guy was very good."

Melky Cabrera led off the second with a slow bouncer to third that Wright barehanded and threw past first, allowing Cabrera to reach second. It was the 10th error of the year for Wright, a Gold Glove winner each of the past two seasons.

One out later, Ramiro Pena hit an opposite-field double to left, driving in the first run. Sabathia, who hadn't batted in a game since last Sept. 28, singled up the middle on the next pitch for his 14th career RBI.

Brett Gardner looped a single down the left-field line, with Sabathia huffing and puffing his way to second. Johnny Damon then hit a sharp grounder to Cora that could have been an inning-ending double play. But the shortstop threw the ball into right field, allowing Sabathia to score.

Mark Teixeria grounded to first, and Evans booted the ball with both his glove and bare hand, knocking it into foul territory as Gardner scored for a 4-0 lead.

"I caught it and I looked at home, looked at the runner too soon, and just lost control of the ball," Evans said. "I should have worried about catching the ball first."

A walk to Rodriguez loaded the bases, and fans applauded when Robinson Cano hit a soft liner to Castillo for the second out. Cabrera's grounder to second ended the inning.

"There was a point there, I started laughing," Mets starter Mike Pelfrey said. "I think CC probably hit the hardest ball that inning.

"It's crazy when that happens. You want the ball to get hit to those guys. They make great plays all the time. That was just weird."

Castillo received derisive cheers in the seventh when he caught consecutive bases-loaded popups without a problem.

But by then, it was too late for the Mets to salvage another night of sloppy defense.


by the associated press

Giants past Rangers 6-4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fred Lewis hit a go-ahead, two-run homer for the Giants shortly after Randy Johnson lost the chance for his 302nd career victory, and the San Francisco bullpen then hung on for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Aaron Rowand and Travis Ishikawa also homered for the Giants, who snapped their three-game losing streak and kept the Rangers winless in all nine games they've played at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark in the past decade.

Marlon Byrd hit a two-run double on the first pitch by Giants reliever Brandon Medders in the sixth to put Texas up 4-3, but Lewis then ended a 2 for 26 slump with a shot onto the arcade above the right field wall.

Michael Young homered for the Rangers, who haven't won in San Francisco since 1998, when the Giants still played at Candlestick Park. The Giants have won nine of 10 overall against the Rangers.

The Giants used five relievers to maintain their lead. Sergio Romo (1-0) was awarded the win after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, while Jeremy Affeldt pitched a perfect eighth before Brian Wilson picked up his 18th save in 21 chances.

Scott Feldman (5-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in his second straight loss after starting the season with five wins in eight starts. Rowand homered on Feldman's second pitch of the night, while Edgar Renteria and Bengie Molina hit run-scoring singles in the third to put San Francisco up 3-0 before Young connected for his 10th homer in the fourth.

The Giants' June surge was interrupted earlier this week by the Los Angeles Angels, who rolled to the first three-game sweep by an opponent in San Francisco this season.

The Rangers' loss Friday night, coupled with the surging Angels' 5-4 win over the Dodgers, pulled the Angels within a half-game of Texas atop the AL West standings.

Johnson had five strikeouts in another solid start at home, where he has picked up five of his six victories this season — all except career No. 300, which occurred in Washington. Sticking to his season-long tendencies, Johnson again gave up a handful of costly extra-base hits, but got inning-ending strikeouts with runners in scoring position three times in the first five frames.

Right after Texas turned an improbable double play on a broken-bat blooper by Travis Ishikawa in the sixth, Lewis capitalized on his first start in a week by hitting his first homer since May 24.

Notes: Home plate umpire Bill Runge was hit in the mask by the barrel of Ishikawa's shattered bat in the sixth. After the Rangers turned an ensuing double play, the Rangers' medical staff briefly consulted with Runge before he continued the game. ... The Rangers' nine straight losses without a win at the Giants' waterfront ballpark are their most in any road park in club history. ... Texas' Omar Vizquel didn't play when he returned to San Francisco for the first time since spending the past four seasons with the Giants.


by the associated press

Rays beat Mets 3-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Pena hit a tiebreaking homer off Johan Santana in the seventh inning Saturday, sending James Shields and the Tampa Bay Rays to a rainy 3-1 victory over the New York Mets.

Shields allowed three hits in seven innings and retired his final 14 batters. He outpitched Santana, who was back in fine form following the worst start of his career.

Both starters were lifted after a 73-minute rain delay in the top of the eighth. Dan Wheeler worked a perfect inning and J.P. Howell got three outs for his fourth save.

Ben Zobrist added a solo homer in the ninth, his 15th in a breakout season for the AL champions.

Santana was tagged for nine runs and nine hits in three-plus innings Sunday, losing 15-0 in the Subway Series finale at Yankee Stadium.

The sluggish performance and diminished velocity on his fastball raised questions about Santana's health, though he insisted he felt fine. After adjusting his mechanics and grip during a recent side session, the ace left-hander looked more like himself Saturday against the top-scoring team in the majors.

Santana (8-5) squandered a 1-0 lead and took the loss, but didn't allow a hit until Jason Bartlett's one-out double in the fifth. He yielded three hits and three walks in 7 1-3 innings.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner showed better zip and command with his fastball, which clocked around 92 mph all game. That's not Santana at his best, but it was a noticeable improvement from Sunday.

His strikeout totals, however, have dropped dramatically. Santana fanned three against Tampa Bay, giving him 11 over his last four starts. He averaged 8.6 strikeouts through his first 10 outings.

Gabe Kapler had an RBI double for the Rays, who snapped a three-game slide.

While Santana pitched well, the Mets reverted back to their early-season trend of not supporting him with much offense. Tampa Bay pitchers retired 19 in a row before Carlos Beltran's two-out single in the ninth. Howell struck out David Wright to end it.

Making his 100th major league start, Shields (6-5) won for the first time in five road outings since April 12 at Baltimore. The right-hander struck out four and walked none. The only run he allowed came on doubles by Ryan Church and Omir Santos in the second.

Five of Shields' wins this season have come after Rays losses. He has stopped a five-game skid and a pair of three-gamers.

With the score tied 1-all, Santana grooved a 92 mph fastball to Pena leading off the seventh and he got all of it.

The booming drive landed about five rows deep in the right-center bleachers, between the 408 and 415 signs, for Pena's AL-leading 22nd home run.

Zobrist, subbing beautifully for injured second baseman Akinori Iwamura, connected off Sean Green in the ninth.

Rain fell for much of the day in New York and the forecast indicated heavy showers were on the way, but the game started right on time.

Despite an occasional drizzle, the first six innings were played in 1 hour, 32 minutes. The downpour began at 6 p.m., just as expected.

Umpires called for the tarp and halted play after Michel Hernandez flied out to start the eighth.

The same storm soon soaked the golf course at Bethpage Black on Long Island, where the third round of the U.S. Open was suspended.

Bartlett's fifth-inning double extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games. Kapler followed with an opposite-field double to right, tying it at 1.

NOTES: The Rays finished with five hits, the Mets got four. ... Tampa Bay LHP Scott Kazmir, out since May 21 with a strained right quadriceps, is scheduled to pitch Monday for Triple-A Durham, which will be his second minor league rehab outing. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Rays by the end of the week. ... RHP Chad Bradford (elbow surgery), on a rehab assignment at Durham, might be about a week from returning, too. ... Jeremy Reed started in LF for the Mets, giving Gary Sheffield a rest. ... Shields and Kazmir are the only pitchers to make 100 starts for Tampa Bay. ... It was the first rain delay in Citi Field history.


by the associated press

Giants beat Rangers 6-4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fred Lewis hit a go-ahead, two-run homer for the Giants shortly after Randy Johnson lost the chance for his 302nd career victory, and the San Francisco bullpen then hung on for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Aaron Rowand and Travis Ishikawa also homered for the Giants, who snapped their three-game losing streak and kept the Rangers winless in all nine games they've played at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark in the past decade.

Marlon Byrd hit a two-run double on the first pitch by Giants reliever Brandon Medders in the sixth to put Texas up 4-3, but Lewis then ended a 2 for 26 slump with a shot onto the arcade above the right field wall.

Michael Young homered for the Rangers, who haven't won in San Francisco since 1998, when the Giants still played at Candlestick Park. The Giants have won nine of 10 overall against the Rangers.

The Giants used five relievers to maintain their lead. Sergio Romo (1-0) was awarded the win after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, while Jeremy Affeldt pitched a perfect eighth before Brian Wilson picked up his 18th save in 21 chances.

Scott Feldman (5-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in his second straight loss after starting the season with five wins in eight starts. Rowand homered on Feldman's second pitch of the night, while Edgar Renteria and Bengie Molina hit run-scoring singles in the third to put San Francisco up 3-0 before Young connected for his 10th homer in the fourth.

The Giants' June surge was interrupted earlier this week by the Los Angeles Angels, who rolled to the first three-game sweep by an opponent in San Francisco this season.

The Rangers' loss Friday night, coupled with the surging Angels' 5-4 win over the Dodgers, pulled the Angels within a half-game of Texas atop the AL West standings.

Johnson had five strikeouts in another solid start at home, where he has picked up five of his six victories this season — all except career No. 300, which occurred in Washington. Sticking to his season-long tendencies, Johnson again gave up a handful of costly extra-base hits, but got inning-ending strikeouts with runners in scoring position three times in the first five frames.

Right after Texas turned an improbable double play on a broken-bat blooper by Travis Ishikawa in the sixth, Lewis capitalized on his first start in a week by hitting his first homer since May 24.

Notes: Home plate umpire Bill Runge was hit in the mask by the barrel of Ishikawa's shattered bat in the sixth. After the Rangers turned an ensuing double play, the Rangers' medical staff briefly consulted with Runge before he continued the game. ... The Rangers' nine straight losses without a win at the Giants' waterfront ballpark are their most in any road park in club history. ... Texas' Omar Vizquel didn't play when he returned to San Francisco for the first time since spending the past four seasons with the Giants.


by the associated press

Cards' 7-1 win over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Khalil Greene hit a late three-run homer, Albert Pujols hit a two-run shot and Chris Carpenter outpitched Brian Bannister to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

St. Louis opened the three-game series between the instate rivals Friday night by pounding out 14 hits in a 10-5 win.

Pujols was a key factor in the first win and had even bigger role in this one, hitting his 24th homer off Bannister (5-4) to put the Cardinals up 3-0 in the sixth inning. Greene sealed it in the ninth, lifting a shot just over the wall in left

That was more than enough the way Carpenter (5-1) pitched.

Coming off his first loss of the season, Carpenter was at his what's-he-going-throw best, hitting the corners with a low 90s mph fastball and buckling the Royals' knees with a chin-to-ankles curveball.

Kansas City hit few hard balls of him, spending most of the game dribbling grounders into foul territory.

Carpenter worked out of a few jams, most notably in the third inning, when he got two weak groundouts and a strikeout to strand Mark Teahen at third after a leadoff triple. Mitch Maier's two-out double in the eighth chased Carpenter, who allowed a run on three hits and struck out six in 7 2-3 innings.

Kansas City cut the lead to 3-1 on pinch-hitter Willie Bloomquist's run-scoring single with two outs in the eighth. Yadier Molina hit an RBI single off Kyle Farnsworth in the St. Louis ninth and Greene made it a six-run game with his shot off John Bale.

Ryan Franklin got four outs for his 17th save in 18 chances.

Another sellout crowd showed up to watch Kansas City's turn to host the Interstate 70 rivalry, though it looked more like a Cardinals home game with all the red in the stands.

Pujols, who attended high school in the area, gave them plenty to cheer about. Of course, he always does against Kansas City. The two-time NL MVP has a career batting average of .385 against the Royals, with 12 homers and 44 RBIs in 41 games.

Pujols hurt Kansas City on Friday night with a two-run single and an intentional walk that set up Ryan Ludwick's first career grand slam. After just missing a homer to center in the first inning, Pujols made sure in the sixth, lining a no-doubt, two-run shot just short of the fountains in left-center off Bannister.

The crowd roared in approval, which Pujols acknowledged with a couple of waves as he made his way to the dugout.

If not for Pujols, Bannister might have ended up with yet another daytime win.

The right-hander, who's 15-5 in 27 career day games, was sharp for the third straight start, allowing three runs — two earned — and six hits in eight innings. It wasn't quite good enough against Carpenter, leading to Kansas City's fourth straight loss.

NOTES: Former Cardinals OF Larry Walker was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ontario, on Saturday. ... Teahen's triple ended an 0-for-11 streak.


by the associated press

Figaro tops Brewers in major-league debut

DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera and Placido Polanco homered and Alfredo Figaro won his major-league debut as the Detroit Tigers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-5 on Saturday.

Figaro, who was called up from Double-A to replace Dontrelle Willis in the rotation, allowed two runs and eight hits in five innings.

Dave Bush (3-4) took the loss, falling to 0-4 in his last six starts. He gave up five runs on seven hits in three innings.

Milwaukee went ahead 1-0 on Craig Counsell's second-inning RBI single, but the Tigers responded with three in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single by Josh Anderson and an RBI triple by Gerald Laird.

Ryan Braun pulled the Brewers within a run with a leadoff homer in the third, but Cabrera's two-run shot made it 5-2 in the bottom of the inning.

The Tigers added two more in the fifth on Polanco's third homer and Brandon Inge's sacrifice fly, and made it 9-2 with another pair of runs in the sixth.

Milwaukee scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth, but Detroit's bullpen held on.

Polanco left the game in the eighth with stiffness in his left leg — he was hit by a pitch two innings earlier. The team said the move was only precautionary.

Notes: To make room for Figaro, the Tigers designated the contract of C Dane Sardinha for assignment. Sardinha hit .097 in 12 games. ... Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that RF Magglio Ordonez could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday's series opener with the Cubs. Leyland also repeated that the benching — Ordonez hasn't played since June 17 — is not related to the contract extension that kicks in if Ordonez gets 215 more plate appearances this season. ... CF Mike Cameron served his one-game suspension stemming from a June 6 ejection in Atlanta.



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Ramirez start minor league Tuesday

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Suspended slugger Manny Ramirez is set to start his minor league stint on Tuesday with Triple-A Albuquerque.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Saturday that Ramirez had agreed to play there. Torre didn't specify how long Ramirez would spend with the minor league club.

Ramirez is serving a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug rules. He is eligible to be reinstated on July 3, when the Dodgers are in San Diego.





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Wood gives game as Cubs rally

CHICAGO (AP) — Andres Blanco hit a tying single and then scored the winning run on Kerry Wood's wild pitch in the 13th inning Saturday as the Chicago Cubs staged another wild comeback and beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5.

Luis Valbuena hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot in the top of the 13th inning, to give the Indians a 5-4 lead. But once again Wood, the former Cubs ace who spent a decade in Chicago, couldn't hold it.

After blowing the save in Friday's 8-7, 10-inning loss by giving up a ninth-inning homer to Derrek Lee, Wood (2-3) gave up a leadoff single Saturday to Kosuke Fukudome. He took off for second as Koyie Hill struck out and made it to third when Indians' catcher Kelly Shoppach threw the ball into center field for an error.

With the infield playing in, Blanco slapped a hard grounder past diving shortstop Valbuena for a single to tie the game. Aaron Miles then dropped a single into shallow left, sending Blanco to third, and Wood uncorked a wild pitch to send Blanco home.

It was Wood's fourth blown save in 12 chances and sent Cleveland to its fifth straight loss. David Patton (3-1), who gave up the homer to Valbuena, got the win.

The Cubs had rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat the Indians on Friday. And they had come back from a 5-1 deficit with two at-bats left to beat the White Sox 6-5 on Thursday.

Pinch-hitter Micah Hoffpauir homered Saturday in the sixth for Chicago and Lee connected in the fifth, his fourth homer in three games. Jhonny Peralta also homered for the Indians.

Valbuena, the No. 8 batter who entered the game with a .204 average, hit a long solo homer to right in the fifth off Cubs starter Ted Lilly. That gave the Indians a 2-0 lead.

Hoffpauir's two-run homer off Tomo Ohka to put the Cubs ahead 4-3 in the sixth on a warm and windy day at Wrigley Field. But Cleveland tied it when Chicago reliever Carlos Marmol walked Peralta with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Peralta led off the sixth with his third homer of the season, a long drive to left that gave the Indians a 3-2 lead.

Cleveland's first two batters of the game, Jamey Carroll and Peralta, hit back-to-back doubles off Lilly for an early 1-0 lead.

Notes: Cleveland LF Mark DeRosa, who hit his leg against a brick wall in the Cubs' bullpen while chasing a foul fly Friday, was scratched from the starting lineup, but came up as pinch-hitter in the eighth and struck out with two runners on. ... Indians' CF Grady Sizemore took batting practice and did some throwing Saturday as he recovers on the disabled list from a sore left elbow. . ... Fukudome doubled in the sixth to snap an 0-for-23 skid and finished with four hits to tie a career high. ... Lee has a 17-game hitting streak.


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Boston beat Atlanta 3-0

BOSTON (AP) — Josh Beckett allowed just five singles for his first shutout since joining the Red Sox, and Jason Varitek doubled twice and scored twice to lead Boston to a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.

Beckett (8-4) rebounded from giving up a season-high 11 hits in his last outing for his first complete game of the year. He struck out seven, walked none and only allowed one runner to reach second base to win for the sixth time in seven decisions.

Varitek helped Boston spoil the homecoming of ex-batterymate Derek Lowe, who spent 7 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox and helped them end their 86-year World Series drought.

In his first appearance at Fenway since the 2004 AL championship series — and his first-ever game against the Red Sox — Lowe (7-5) allowed three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out two.

The Braves lost for the seventh time in 10 games.

Lowe and Beckett were locked in a scoreless game until the fifth, when Varitek doubled off center fielder Nate McLouth's glove and scored on Nick Green's double. J.D. Drew doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on Kevin Youkilis' single to make it 2-0.

Boston scored another in the seventh to chase Lowe, but the Fenway crowd rose to give him a standing ovation as he walked to the visitor's dugout and he waved his cap in appreciation.

The lanky right-hander came to the Red Sox with Varitek in 1997 a lopsided trade for heartbreak closer Heathcliff Slocumb, and together they became the core of the team that would lead the franchise to the '04 World Series title. Lowe, who was bounced from the rotation after struggling down the stretch, earned the victory in the clinching game in all three playoff series.

NOTES: 3B Mike Lowell got the day off and might get another on Sunday because he's "feeling beat up," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. ... Beckett threw just 94 pitches. ... The game lasted a brief 2 hours, 11 minutes. ... Atlanta closes out its nine-game road trip on Sunday.


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Padres over Mariners 4-3

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Adrian Gonzalez matched his career high with four hits, including a homer, and scored the winning run with two outs in the 10th inning as the San Diego Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 Thursday to end their major league-record interleague losing streak at 13.

Gonzalez doubled off Miguel Batista (3-2) and scored on Kevin Kouzmanoff's single to left, beating the throw from Endy Chavez. Gonzalez also homered in the sixth, his first in 13 games, to tie Albert Pujols for the major league lead with 23.

Heath Bell (3-1) threw two innings for the win.

The Padres had lost 10 straight games to Seattle in San Diego, and 16 of 20 overall against the Mariners.

Seattle's Franklin Gutierrez hit two homers for the first time in his career, both off Josh Geer. Gutierrez has six this season.

He homered into the sand play area beyond the fence in right-center with one out in the fourth to tie the game at 2. His second shot landed in the balcony on the second level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner with one out in the sixth to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead.

Gonzalez tied the game with his homer to straightaway center leading off the bottom half. Gutierrez, the center fielder, ran back to the fence and leaped for the ball but it hit off the back of his glove and went over. Gutierrez slapped his glove in frustration.

It was Gonzalez's first home run since June 2 against Philadelphia.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit an RBI double for the second straight game, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead in the first. San Diego went ahead in the bottom half on David Eckstein's RBI double and Gonzalez's RBI single.

Geer allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, struck out six and walked none.

Brandon Morrow made his second straight start for Mariners left-hander Erik Bedard, on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Morrow lasted four innings, allowing two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

NOTES: Chris Young will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday due to inflammation in his right shoulder, meaning the Padres' top two pitchers will be out of action. San Diego ace Jake Peavy went on the DL on Saturday, a day after learning he would be sidelined at least a month because of a strained tendon behind his right ankle. ... Seattle placed 2B Jose Lopez on the bereavement list and called up INF Chris Woodward from the minors. Lopez, who leads the team with 42 RBIs, left the club before Thursday's game to return to his native Venezuela because his sister is seriously ill. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu doesn't expect Lopez back for at least five days. ... Mariners 1B Mike Carp had his first big league start, hit and run. He singled with one out in the first and scored on Griffey's double.




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Orioles over Mets 5-4

BALTIMORE (AP) — Aubrey Huff drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single off Francisco Rodriguez, capping a two-run rally that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the New York Mets 5-4 Thursday night.

Rodriguez entered the game with a 0.56 ERA and 16 saves in 17 tries. After Matt Wieters hit a leadoff double and Nolan Reimold walked, Brian Roberts laid down a bunt, and the throw to third by catcher Omir Santos was too late to nail pinch-runner Felix Pie.

Rodriguez (1-2) then walked Adam Jones to force in a run, and after Nick Markakis struck out, Huff hit a liner to right — his second straight game-deciding hit.

Matt Albers (1-2) pitched the ninth for the Orioles, who were 0-34 when trailing after eight innings.

Rodriguez converted his first 16 save chances with New York before the Yankees beat him when second baseman Luis Castillo dropped a ninth-inning popup Friday night. The right-hander had not yielded an earned run since April 27.

Baltimore took two of three from the Mets, who have lost 10 of 14.

Held to one infield hit through the first five innings by rookie Jason Berken, New York rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Alex Cora got the first hit in each inning and scored twice.

Baltimore closed to 4-3 in the eighth when Huff doubled and scored on a groundout by Luke Scott, and the Orioles completed the unlikely comeback in the ninth.

Robert Andino homered for Baltimore, now 5-17 in series finales this season.

Mets starter Livan Hernandez gave up two runs and eight hits in seven innings. He left with the lead, and although the bullpen gave it away, Hernandez remained unbeaten since April 23.

After putting only one runner in scoring position over the first five innings, the Mets pulled even in the sixth. Singles by Cora and Carlos Beltran preceded a sacrifice fly by David Wright, and after Gary Sheffield singled, Ryan Church hit an RBI single off the right-field wall.

Berken retired the first two batters in the seventh before Cora singled and scored on a double by Daniel Murphy. Beltran followed with a run-scoring single off Danys Baez.

Making his fifth career start, Berken allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. He had a career-high eight strikeouts, getting Wright, Santos and Murphy twice.

Andino put the Orioles up 1-0 in the third with his first home run since April 7, 2008, with Florida.

Baltimore added a run in the fifth when Roberts ended an 0-for-12 skid with an RBI double. But with the bases loaded and one out, Markakis struck out and Huff lined out to Castillo at second base.

NOTES: Baltimore 3B Melvin Mora has hit in 16 of his last 19 games, but has gone 34 straight games without a home run — the third-longest drought of his career. ... The Mets have not made an error this season while Hernandez is pitching.



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Dodgers beat A's 3-2

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Orlando Hudson homered, pinch-hitter Mark Loretta drove in the go-ahead run and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Thursday night to take the rubber game of their interleague series.

Randy Wolf pitched six solid innings as Dodgers manager Joe Torre earned his 2,195th regular-season victory, passing Sparky Anderson for fifth on the career list.

Brad Ziegler (1-3) relieved Oakland starter Vin Mazzaro after six innings, giving up a one-out double in the seventh to James Loney and a walk to Russell Martin. Loretta, hitless in his previous 14 at-bats as a pinch hitter, singled to left field to snap a 2-2 tie.

Wolf allowed a run and five hits. Rookie Brent Leach (2-0) got the victory, getting Adam Kennedy to ground into an inning-ending double play in the seventh after Cory Wade gave up the tying run.

Wolf has 10 no-decisions in 15 starts this season. He allowed two hits over five innings in his previous start at Texas, but a power failure led to a 1-hour, 41-minute delay and the hard-luck left-hander did not return to the mound. The Dodgers scored all of their runs after the game resumed, and won 3-1.

With closer Jonathan Broxton sitting out his second straight game after getting a cortisone shot to treat a sore toe on his right foot, Ramon Troncoso got the final two outs for his fourth save in five attempts after 1 1-3 scoreless innings by Ronald Belisario.

Juan Pierre singled in Russell Martin in the fifth to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Martin led off with an infield hit and advanced on Wolf's sacrifice.

Pierre is batting .323 with 19 RBIs in 38 games since left fielder Manny Ramirez was suspended on May 7 for violating Major League Baseball's substance abuse policy.

In the seventh, Pierre made a costly split-second decision to relay the ball to second on a pinch single by Nomar Garciaparra with one out and the speedy Rajai Davis on first base. Davis looked over his shoulder at Pierre while rounding third and continued home with the tying run. Garciaparra was not credited with an RBI.

Kurt Suzuki hit a two-out RBI double in the third but the Dodgers tied it at 1 in the bottom half. Hudson drove a 1-0 pitch to center field with two out for his fifth homer and the only one allowed by Mazzaro in 25 2-3 innings spanning his first four big league starts.

Mazzaro allowed two runs and five hits in six innings and struck out five. The right-hander set up Oakland's first run with a sacrifice, and got another one his next time up.

Mazzaro also had two in his previous start last Friday at San Francisco, which made him the first A's pitcher with two sacrifices in one game since Ken Holtzman on Aug. 27, 1972 — the year before the American League adopted the designated hitter rule.

NOTES: The A's activated OF Ryan Sweeney from the 15-day disabled list and optioned OF Chris Denorfia to Triple-A Sacramento. Sweeney had been sidelined since June 3 because of a sprained left knee. ... The A's begin another three-game interleague set Friday night at San Diego, where former Oakland president and general manager Sandy Alderson is the Padres' CEO. ... The Dodgers and Angels begin a three-game series down the freeway in Anaheim. The Angels did them a favor this week by sweeping a three-game set at San Francisco.




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White Sox 6-5 at Wrigley

CHICAGO (AP) — Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto hit consecutive homers to tie the game in a four-run eighth inning, then Alfonso Soriano singled home the winning run in the ninth to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory over the White Sox on Thursday.

The crosstown rivals split a rain-shortened, two-game set at Wrigley Field. Their all-time interleague series is tied 34-all.

Pinch-hitter Reed Johnson started the ninth with a single, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on Soriano's two-out single to right-center off Matt Thornton (4-2). Soriano was 14 for 102 before singling in his final two at-bats.

Kevin Gregg (1-1) got the win with a scoreless ninth.

With the Cubs trailing 5-1, Lee hit a three-run homer in the eighth. Soto followed with a solo shot off Scott Linebrink to tie the score and send the crowd into a frenzy. All four runs were unearned after an error on second baseman Chris Getz.

Alexei Ramirez's two-run homer in the seventh off Carlos Zambrano gave the White Sox a 3-1 lead. They tacked on two more in the eighth off Carlos Marmol on an RBI double by Getz and a run-scoring single by Gordon Beckham.

But Linebrink couldn't hold the four-run lead. Getz made his second error of the game on pinch-hitter Micah Hoffpauir's leadoff grounder. After Soriano singled, Linebrink got Ryan Theriot to pop out and struck out Milton Bradley.

But Lee's drive to right-center just cleared the fence for his eighth homer and made it 5-4. Soto then hit a 1-1 pitch to left-center for his fourth homer as the Cubs' stagnant offense finally showed some life.

White Sox starter Gavin Floyd gave up just one run and four hits in seven innings, leaving with a 5-1 lead.

Zambrano, making his first start at Wrigley Field since a May 27 meltdown that led to a six-game suspension, gave up six hits and three runs in seven innings.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the sixth when Brian Anderson foiled some Cubs strategy. After Jermaine Dye doubled, the Cubs elected to intentionally walk A.J. Pierzynski with two outs, but Anderson delivered an RBI single.

The Cubs came right back in the bottom half to tie it on Lee's RBI grounder.

Zambrano was making his first home start since his outburst during a game against the Pirates. After he was ejected for arguing with umpire Mark Carlson over a play at the plate, Zambrano gave Carlson the ejection sign, fired a ball into left field, slammed his glove into a dugout fence and took a bat to a dugout drink dispenser before heading to the clubhouse.

Zambrano kept his composure Thursday, showing just a glimpse of emotion when he struck out in the fifth by angrily exchanging the bat from one hand to the other.

NOTES: Soto had his first career stolen base in the fourth. ... Cubs OF Kosuke Fukudome is in an 0-for-22 slide.




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Nats kick the crap out of the Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) — Craig Stammen and the Washington Nationals really dampened the New York Yankees' day.

After waiting out a 5 1/2-hour rain delay at the start, Stammen earned his first major league victory, Julian Tavarez provided key relief and the last-place Nationals beat New York 3-0 Thursday night in the first game without a homer at the new Yankee Stadium.

Boosted by Ryan Zimmerman's three hits and a bunch of nifty plays, Washington posted its first two-game winning streak since taking three straight May 7-9. Behind Stammen (1-2), the Nationals became the last team in the majors to pitch a shutout this season.

Maybe it was the damp air, or perhaps it had more to do with Stammen's neat 6 1-3 innings, but nobody managed to clear the fences. There had been a whopping 119 home runs through 34 games at the majors' newest launching pad.

Scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m., the game did not begin until 6:31 p.m. because of the same storm system that put an early stop to the first round of the U.S. Open on Long Island. A postponement here seemed unlikely because the teams shared only one mutual off-day the rest of the season for a possible makeup.

There is no official record of the longest rain delay in big league history, but this certainly ranked high at 5 hours, 26 minutes. The start of a pennant-race game in 1999 between Cincinnati and Milwaukee was delayed 5 hours, 47 minutes.

About 10,000 people were sprinkled around the ballpark for the first pitch. When the Yankees announced fans could move down, there was a stampede toward the $2,625 seats in the front row. By the end, the upper deck and bleachers were virtually empty.

Later, the Yankees said all tickets for the game — used or not — could be redeemed for tickets or merchandise this season or in 2010.

Despite the messy weather, it was an extremely crisp game. No pratfalls, no errors and several sharp plays on both sides.

Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner made one of the best, tracking down Austin Kearns' long drive in the eighth. The back of Gardner's head whiplashed against the plexiglas wall, and he was down on the warning track for several minutes. With help from manager Joe Girardi, a woozy Gardner got onto the back of a golf cart and was driven off.

The Nationals' problematic outfield produced two gems. Left fielder Willie Harris made a diving catch on the warning track to rob Alex Rodriguez, and Kearns unleashed a perfect throw from right to cut down Nick Swisher at second.

Stammen worked around six hits, walked none and struck out two in his sixth big league start. The 25-year-old rookie sent the Yankees to their sixth loss in nine games.

Tavarez relieved with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh. He retired pinch-hitter Derek Jeter on a grounder, with shortstop Cristian Guzman skidding to his left to make the stop. Exactly four years ago, Jeter hit the only grand slam of his career.

Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his second save. On Wednesday night, he closed out the Yankees for his first save in the majors since 2006 with Kansas City.

Zimmerman doubled twice and singled off Joba Chamberlain (3-2). He scored twice and drove in a run as the Nationals took a 3-0 lead after five innings.

NOTES: Jeter did not start for the second straight game because of a sore left ankle. ... Washington 2B Ronnie Belliard wasn't feeling well and was scratched from the starting lineup.



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Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers-best ninth victory

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Chad Billingsley earned his National League-best ninth victory, retiring 16 of 17 batters after an early error put the Dodgers behind, and Casey Blake drove in four runs for Los Angeles in a 6-3 victory over AL West-leading Texas on Sunday.

After shortstop Rafael Furcal botched an inning-ending double play with a bad throw that allowed two runs in the first, Billingsley (9-3) set down everybody but former Dodgers bust Andruw Jones until Nelson Cruz had a leadoff single in the seventh.

Jones homered for the second day in a row against the Dodgers leading off the fourth.

Blake had a sacrifice fly in the first and a three-run homer in the third off rookie left-hander Derek Holland (1-4).

It was the most RBIs for Blake in his 117 games since being traded to Los Angeles last July 26, and his best game since matching a career high with seven RBIs in his previous visit to Texas with Cleveland last June.

Texas lost an interleague series at home for the first time since 2006, after winning the opener 6-0. Los Angeles is 7-28 in American League parks the past five seasons.

Jonathan Broxton worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances. The right-hander struck out three consecutive batters after allowing a leadoff single to Michael Young.

Billingsley, lifted after Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled to start the eighth, moved within one victory of injured Toronto starter Roy Halladay for the major league lead.

The Dodgers right-hander, whose 24 victories since April 30, 2008, are second only to Halladay's 28 in that span, scattered five hits and allowed three runs. Only once in his 14 starts this season has he allowed more than three runs.

Cruz was quickly erased in the seventh on a double-play grounder, with Furcal successfully making that relay throw. Saltalamacchia was caught stealing right after Billingsley came out of the game.

Texas had the bases loaded in the first after Billingsley got what should have been an inning-ending double play grounder by Cruz. But Furcal made a high throw to first for an error after stepping on second base.

The Dodgers regained the lead for good on Blake's 10th homer.

Holland, whose only major league victory came in relief, gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out two.

James Loney and Brad Ausmus had run-scoring singles in the seventh, after Blake had a leadoff double.

The Dodgers manufactured a quick run after Juan Pierre led off the game with a walk. Furcal attempted a sacrifice bunt, but ended up with a single when he placed it perfectly between the fielders. Orlando Hudson then had a sacrifice bunt before Blake's sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Dodgers manager Joe Torre got his 2,193th career victory, within one of Sparky Anderson for fifth on the career list. ... Pierre, among the NL leaders with a .343 batting average, was the only Dodgers batter without a hit. He was 0 for 3, but did walk twice and score two runs. ... Rangers 1B Chris Davis, the left-hander who leads the majors with 92 strikeouts in his 59 games, was out of the starting lineup even though Texas was facing a right-handed pitcher. Manager Ron Washington said Davis needed a "mental break." ... Texas played its last scheduled day game at home until Aug. 16.



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Rollins homers in Phillies' 11-6 beats the Red Sox

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Rollins homered as part of a six-run seventh inning to help the Philadelphia Phillies bust the game open late, avoid a three-game sweep and beat the Boston Red Sox 11-6 on Sunday.

Rollins led off the seventh with a tiebreaking home run off Josh Beckett (7-3) that helped turn this one into a rout. Pedro Feliz added a two-RBI double, and Rollins was hit with a pitch and the bases loaded to make it 10-5.

Rollins had three RBIs to salvage the finale and help the Phillies improve to 13-16 at home.

Chan Ho Park (3-1) earned the win in relief.

Beckett failed to hold an early 4-1 lead, then tied the game at five when he hit a solo home run in the sixth. Rocco Baldelli and Nick Green also homered for the Red Sox.

Beckett and two Red Sox relievers completely unraveled in the seventh that led to the end of their five-game winning streak. Beckett surrendered the lead on Rollins' fifth homer of the season. Daniel Bard gave up doubles to Jayson Werth and Feliz. Takashi Saito followed and plunked Rollins, then walked Shane Victorino with the bases loaded for an 11-5 lead.

Park allowed only one unearned run in 2 1-3 innings and Ryan Madson worked the ninth in another busy day for the Phillies bullpen.

J.A. Happ failed to pitch out of the sixth and threw 108 pitches before yielding to Park in a game where the Phillies could have used a long outing from the lefty.

Phillies relievers pitched a combined 16 innings over three straight extra-inning games last week, then tossed another eight on Saturday.

A day off on Monday should give the bullpen a needed break. They can celebrate later Sunday night when the reality TV show "The Pen" debuts on the MLB Network. The show gives an inside look at the Phillies bullpen since spring training.

Happ appeared to catch a break when Red Sox manager Terry Francona shuffled the lineup and kept out some of his regulars. Because of slumps, the National League park or needed rest, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek, J.D. Drew and David Ortiz all were absent from the starting lineup.

Ortiz drew a pinch-hit walk in the eighth and Pedroia was on deck when the game ended.

Raul Ibanez had the day off for the Phillies.

Staked to a 4-1 lead in the fifth, Beckett faltered and the Phillies took the lead. Ryan Howard did the most damage when he ripped a two-RBI double into the right-field corner that made it 5-4.

Beckett tied the game at 5 when he lined his third career homer in the sixth into the left field seats. Beckett's last home run also came at Citizens Bank Park — he homered off righty Brett Myers on May 20, 2006.

Happ had trouble keeping the ball inside the cozy park. Baldelli and Green hit consecutive homers into the left field seats, their third for each, in the second inning for a 2-1 lead. Jacoby Ellsbury added a sacrifice fly later in the innings and Jason Bay drove in AL-best 61st run on a single to center that put the Red Sox ahead 4-1.

The Red Sox left the bases loaded against Happ in third and continued to make the lefty labor through his fifth start of the season.

Park, who opened the season as the Phillies No. 5 starter, kept the Red Sox in check and allowed only an unearned run in the eighth that made it 11-6.

NOTES: Francona said he is close to making a decision on where to pitch RHP John Smoltz. Smoltz, making his way back from shoulder surgery, will pitch Thursday against the Florida Marlins or make another rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Pawtucket. ... The Phillies optioned LHP Sergio Escalona to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled RHP Tyler Walker.



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