Thursday, July 27, 2006
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Twins 7, White Sox 4
CHICAGO -- Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer each hit two-run homers as Minnesota completed a three-game sweep and move into a second-place tie with the White Sox. All-Star left-hander Mark Buehrle (9-9) lost his fifth straight start, allowing 10 hits and seven runs in 5 1/3 innings. Morneau and Jason Bartlett had three hits each, and the Twins had 16 in all. Nick Punto singled twice, extending his career-high hitting streak to 18 games. Carlos Silva (6-9) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save.
Angels 15, Devil Rays 6
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Juan Rivera hit a pair of two-run doubles, including one during a 10-run second inning for Los Angeles. Maicer Izturis had two hits and drove in three runs in the second, when the Angels took a 12-4 lead. The 10 runs and nine hits in the inning were season highs for Los Angeles. Angels right-hander Bartolo Colon left after one inning with right elbow irritation. He allowed four runs and four hits, including homers by Rocco Baldelli and Ty Wigginton. Casey Fossum (4-4) gave up seven runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Athletics 5, Red Sox 1
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Frank Thomas homered twice and drove in four runs to help Dan Haren win for the first time in six weeks, and Oakland avoided a three-game sweep. Thomas hit a solo homer in the fourth and a three-run shot in the fifth, both off Kyle Snyder, for his 21st and 22nd of the year. Haren (7-9) pitched seven innings; after Coco Crisp's two-out single in the second, he retired the next 14 Boston batters before Manny Ramirez doubled in the seventh.
Orioles 4, Royals 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Adam Loewen earned his first major league victory and Jeff Conine homered in his first four-hit game of the season. Loewen, a 22-year-old left-hander from Canada making his seventh big league start, held the Royals to one run and six hits over five-plus innings. He struck out five and walked three.
Yankees 8, Rangers 7
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning as New York completed a three-game sweep. After the Rangers scored four times in the eighth to go ahead 7-6, Derek Jeter led off the ninth with a single up the middle against closer Akinori Otsuka (2-4). Giambi followed with his 29th homer, a towering shot that landed in the seats in right.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Mets 1, Cubs 0
NEW YORK -- Jose Valentin hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning as New York snapped a three-game skid. Mark Prior threw 5 2/3 hitless innings before departing after 103 pitches. Mets rookie John Maine who tossed seven innings of three-hit ball. Prior and reliever Will Ohman held the Mets without a hit for six innings before Valentin blooped a one-out single off Roberto Novoa in the seventh.
Cardinals 6, Rockies 1
DENVER -- Jeff Suppan went six innings and gave up five hits and Aaron Miles hit his first home run of the season. Suppan (8-5) is 3-0 against the Rockies this season and 5-1 in his career. He struck out three and walked two before leaving with two outs in the seventh following Yorvit Torrealba's solo homer.
Padres 10, Dodgers 3
LOS ANGELES -- Jake Peavy homered, doubled, drove in four runs, and won his first game in almost two months. Peavy (5-10) threw 129 pitches over seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits. Adrian Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 17 games with his 19th home run for San Diego.
Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 4
PHILADELPHIA -- Chase Utley hit a three-run homer to extend his hitting streak to 26 games and David Dellucci hit a solo shot to help Philadelphia beat Arizona. Utley's 19th homer of the season in the second inning tied him for the fourth-longest hitting streak in Phillies history and the longest in the majors this season.
Braves 6, Marlins 5
ATLANTA -- Andruw Jones, who missed three games with a sore back, led off the eighth inning with a tying homer and Adam LaRoche followed with a two-out shot. The Marlins, battling back from a 3-0 deficit, went ahead for the first time when Dan Uggla's solo homer off John Smoltz made it 5-4 in the top of the eighth. New Braves closer Bob Wickman, making his first appearance at Turner Field, worked a scoreless ninth for his second NL save and 17th overall.
Nationals 4, Giants 3
WASHINGTON -- Austin Kearns' bases-loaded sacrifice fly off San Francisco closer Armando Benitez capped a two-run rally in the ninth inning and lifted Washington to its fifth consecutive victory. Benitez (4-2) came on to start the ninth with a 3-2 lead. But the right-hander walked leadoff batter Robert Fick, and after striking out Alfonso Soriano, gave up an infield single to Felipe Lopez. Ryan Zimmerman's RBI single tied the game. It was Benitez's sixth blown save this season, in 19 chances. The Giants were 40-4 when leading after eight innings this season. Saul Rivera (1-0), Washington's fourth reliever, threw a perfect ninth for his first major league victory.
Astros 8, Reds 5
HOUSTON -- Lance Berkman homered twice and Craig Biggio added a solo shot as Houston rallied from a four-run deficit. Berkman's first homer, a three-run shot, capped a six-run fifth inning off Bronson Arroyo (9-7). Berkman added a solo homer in the seventh for his fourth multi-homer game of the season. The Astros came back from four runs down for the second time this season and snapped a four-game losing streak at home. They also ended a four-game skid to the Reds, who've lost seven of nine road games. Arroyo dropped to 0-4 since winning at New York on June 19. He tied a career high by giving up three homers. Andy Pettitte (9-10) couldn't hold the lead but ended up with the win. He allowed Rich Aurilia's 13th homer in the second, the 21st home run given up by Pettitte this year.
Associated Press
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