mlb roundup | Thursday’s other games

AMERICAN LEAGUE

White Sox 5, Rays 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — While the Tampa Bay Rays have been the hottest team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox haven’t exactly been slouches. The AL Central leaders won the first Tropicana Field game between teams in sole possession of first place in their divisions, cooling off the AL East-leaders before of a crowd of 12,636. John Danks (4-4) allowed one run and six hits in six innings to beat Edwin Jackson (3-4) for the second time this season.

Twins 5, Royals 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kevin Slowey pitched a six-hitter and Carlos Gomez had four hits and two RBIs, leading the Twins over the punchless Royals, who lost their 11th in a row. The 11-game skid is the longest in the majors this year and Kansas City’s worst since a 13-game skid May 12-25, 2006. Slowey (2-4), in his 17th major league start, did not allow a runner as far as second base until David DeJesus and Alex Gordon doubled in the ninth. The right-hander struck out six and walked none. Until Gordon’s RBI double in the ninth, he had pitched 14 straight scoreless innings for the Twins, who are 5-1 on a six-game trip to Detroit and Kansas City.

Blue Jays 12, Athletics 0

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jesse Litsch held down Oakland’s offense just as he did in a shutout of Kansas City in his previous start. Litsch won his fifth straight decision and extended his scoreless streak to 16 innings, Rod Barajas had three doubles and drove in three runs, and the Blue Jays took the rubber game. Litsch (7-1), coming off a seven-hit shutout of Kansas City on Saturday, hasn’t lost in seven starts since a defeat at Tampa Bay on April 22.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Mets 8, Dodgers 4

NEW YORK — David Wright hit two homers off Brad Penny and the newly inspired Mets dampened Joe Torre’s return home. Always popular in town, Torre managed his first game in New York since parting ways with the Yankees last October. Many fans in the crowd of 52,886 at Shea Stadium stood and cheered when he made a pitching change in the seventh inning, and Torre waved and doffed his cap. Wright drew two big ovations for his first multihomer game of the season and eighth of his career. He picked on a familiar victim, improving to 11-for-19 (.579) with four home runs and five walks against Penny (5-6).

Padres 5, Nationals 2

SAN DIEGO — Jody Gerut hit a three-run homer with one out in the eighth inning to lift the Padres, who took two of three in the matchup of last-place teams. Gerut’s second homer of the season came three batters after Washington’s Ryan Langerhans made a spectacular leaping catch to rob Kevin Kouzmanoff of a home run leading off the eighth inning. Langerhans got his glove above the wall to snag Kouzmanoff’s drive.

Braves 8, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE — Mark Teixeira homered and drove in four runs and reliever-turned-starter Jorge Campillo’s first career hit scored two more to lift the Braves. Chipper Jones also continued his sizzling start, going 2-for-4 with two walks to raise his major league leading average to .420 and help the Braves avoid being swept for the third time this season.

Cardinals 3, Astros 2

ST. LOUIS — Kyle Lohse carried a shutout into the seventh inning and Albert Pujols homered to cap a 6-for-10 series. Chris Duncan has a two-run single with the bases loaded in the first for the Cardinals.

Associated Press