Yankees, Tigers split doubleheader
DETROIT (AP) – Phil Hughes was sharp for seven innings and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 8-0 Wednesday to split a day-night doubleheader. Hughes (5-0) struck out eight. Joba Chamberlain pitched the eighth and Mariano Rivera closed the game.
Jeremy Bonderman (1-2) struck out a season-best seven in a season-long seven innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk.
Alex Rodriguez’s two-out single in the first scored Brett Gardner, who singled and stole his 16th base this season. Mark Teixeira’s two-out single in the third brought home Derek Jeter, who walked and stole second.
Detroit won the opener 2-0 thanks to pitcher Rick Porcello and a two-run sixth.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2: BOSTON – Shaun Marcum pitched two-hit ball for seven shutout innings and Travis Snider homered, doubled and drove in all three runs, helping the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox.
Toronto had lost its previous five games against Boston this season. The Blue Jays closed a 10-game road trip at 7-3.
Marcum (2-1) allowed just two singles to David Ortiz, struck out six and walked one. Scott Downs pitched a scoreless eighth and Kevin Gregg got the final three outs for his 10th save despite allowing J.D. Drew’s RBI double and Adrian Beltre’s run-scoring single.
Tim Wakefield (0-2) was the tough-luck loser for Boston, which finished a 10-game homestand at 7-3. Wakefield recorded his 2,000th career strikeout.
Twins 3, White Sox 2: MINNEAPOLIS – Denard Span and the Minnesota Twins picked up Carl Pavano this time, pecking away at John Danks to beat the Chicago White Sox.
Span had two singles and a walk to give the Twins a lift at the top of the lineup. Minnesota finished another 6-3 homestand at Target Field.
The Twins were shut out in each of Pavano’s last two outings. Pavano (4-3) put up his fourth straight start allowing two earned runs or less.
Pavano went seven innings, giving up six hits, and left the game in the capable relief arms of Brian Duensing, Matt Guerrier and Jon Rauch, who pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save. Danks (3-2) took the loss.
Rays 4, Angels 3: ANAHEIM, Calif. – David Price pitched into the seventh inning to win his third straight decision, and the Rays scored twice on passed balls by backup catcher Ryan Budde in a victory over the Angels.
Price (5-1) allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. The left-hander struck out six and walked three.
Rafael Soriano, the sixth Tampa Bay pitcher, threw a perfect ninth for his ninth straight save.
Orioles 5, Mariners 2: BALTIMORE – Brad Bergesen took a three-hitter into the eighth inning, Luke Scott homered and scored twice, and the Orioles beat the Mariners.
Adam Jones had three hits and Miguel Tejada drove in two runs for the Orioles, who defeated Seattle for the first time in five tries this season. Baltimore (10-24) became the last team in the majors to reach double figures in wins.
It was the ninth loss in 11 games for the light-hitting Mariners, who rank last in the AL in runs and 13th in batting average.
Rockies 4, Phillies 3, 10 innings: DENVER – Miguel Olivo went 5 for 5, including a leadoff home run in the 10th inning in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. The second game was postponed because of rain and snow with no makeup date announced.
Phillies ace Roy Halladay took a 3-1 lead into the seventh, but the Colorado native wound up with a no-decision after Brad Hawpe’s tying, two-run triple.
Olivo sent Chad Durbin’s first pitch far over the left-field wall, then flipped his bat in celebration. Olivo began the game in a 2-for-28 slump.
Joe Beimel (1-0) threw 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Durbin (0-1) took the loss on a cold, damp and windy day that followed an overnight snowfall.
Astros 9, Cardinals 6: ST. LOUIS – Wandy Rodriguez carried a one-hitter into the sixth inning and Lance Berkman homered for the second straight game.
Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan endured a second straight two-error game and his fielding miscue in the fourth helped the Astros score five unearned runs to go ahead 6-1. Jeff Keppinger’s three-run double and Berkman’s fourth homer of the season that glanced off the right-field foul pole came on consecutive pitches from Kyle Lohse (0-3).
Rodriguez (2-4) allowed four earned runs on five hits in six innings.
Matt Lindstrom got the last out for his eighth save in eight tries, allowing an RBI double to Pujols before Matt Holliday lined out.
Nationals 6, Mets 4: NEW YORK – Roger Bernadina hit his first two major league homers, including a tiebreaking shot off Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth inning, and made a marvelous catch to lead the surprising Washington Nationals past the New York Mets.
Starting pitcher Craig Stammen drove in three early runs with a pair of hits for the Nationals, who took two of three from New York to win their third straight series.
Tyler Clippard (7-1) worked a hitless eighth, shaking off the loss he took Tuesday night when the Nationals squandered a four-run lead in the eighth. Matt Capps tossed a perfect ninth for his big league-best 14th save in 14 chances.
Cristian Guzman singled off Rodriguez (2-1) with one out in the ninth. One out later, Bernadina, known for speed but not power, homered into the Washington bullpen in right-center for his third hit of the game.
Cubs 4, Marlins 3: CHICAGO – Carlos Silva stayed away from major trouble and Marlon Byrd hit an RBI double.
Mike Fontenot, benched when Chicago gave 20-year-old Starlin Castro the shortstop job, added a two-run double to help the Cubs win for only the second time in nine games.
Silva (4-0) went 6 1-3 innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks. The 31-year-old righty, an effective pitcher for Minnesota from 2004-07 but a 5-18 flop in two years with Seattle, allowed baserunners in all but one inning. Ronny Paulino hit a tying, two-run single with two outs in the fourth.
Carlos Marmol worked 1 1-3 innings for his fifth save. Chris Volstad (3-3) allowed four runs in six innings for the Marlins, who are still looking for their first three-game winning streak this season.
Braves 9, Brewers 2: MILWAUKEE – Brooks Conrad homered, doubled and drove in four runs while subbing for injured Chipper Jones, and Atlanta roughed up Milwaukee’s bullpen once again.
Jason Heyward hit a hard shot off first baseman Prince Fielder’s glove for a go-ahead double in the seventh inning.
With Jones out of the starting lineup because of a sore groin, Conrad hit a two-run homer in the eighth and added a two-run double off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth. Jones pinch-hit in the ninth and had an RBI double off Hoffman.
It was 2-all in the seventh when the Braves scored twice off reliever Manny Parra (0-2).
Derek Lowe (5-3) was untouchable early on, holding the Brewers hitless through the first four innings before allowing a leadoff single to Casey McGehee in the fifth.