NL East-leading Phillies pad lead over Braves
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Roy Oswalt and two relievers combined on a one-hitter and NL East-leading Philadelphia beat Atlanta 1-0 on Wednesday night, the Phillies’ 10th straight win that increased their lead over the Braves to six games. Raul Ibanez hit an RBI double with two outs in the eighth inning for the only run, helping the two-time NL champions reduce their magic number for clinching their fourth straight division title to four. It was the Phillies’ first home sweep over the Braves since 2001.
Oswalt allowed the hit – a clean double by Martin Prado in the fourth – and walked one in seven innings.
Atlanta began the day with a one-game lead over San Diego in the wild-card race.
Ryan Madson (6-2) pitched a perfect eighth for the win. Brad Lidge finished for his 26th save.
Jonny Venters (4-3) pitched the eighth and allowed the run on one hit.
Cubs 2, Giants 0
CHICAGO – Randy Wells pitched 7 2-3 innings and Kosuke Fukudome homered to lead Chicago.
Leading San Diego by a half-game in the NL West and Colorado by 2 1/2 coming in, the Giants were shut out for the fourth time in their last five losses. It was the eighth time in 11 games they scored two runs or fewer.
The Cubs have won seven of their last eight games, the lone loss 1-0 on Tuesday to the Giants on Buster Posey’s home run.
After Wells walked Travis Ishikawa and allowed a double to Cody Ross with two outs in the eighth, Cubs closer Carlos Marmol struck out Freddy Sanchez to end the inning. Marmol struck out the side in the ninth for his 34th save.
The Cubs have allowed 15 runs in their last 11 games, throwing four shutouts during that span.
Wells (8-13) scattered six hits and struck out six with one walk.
Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez (11-9) allowed two runs, one earned, in 5 2-3 innings.
Mariners 6, Blue Jays 3
TORONTO – Jose Lopez hit three home runs, Michael Saunders added a two-run drive and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lopez hit a solo shot off Kyle Drabek (0-2) in the second inning, led off the sixth with a drive against reliever Brian Tallet and connected off reliever Shawn Camp in the eighth. It was his first multihomer game of the season and fourth of his career.
Lopez, who has 10 home runs, hit all three homers to left field.
Vernon Wells had a solo shot, Toronto’s major league-best 233rd.
Red Sox 6, Orioles 1
BOSTON – David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs, John Lackey ended a career-worst four-game losing streak and the Boston Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Baltimore Orioles.
Josh Reddick also homered for Boston – his first of the season – as the Red Sox avoided being swept in Fenway Park by the Orioles for the first time since 1994.
Twins 5, Indians 1
MINNEAPOLIS – A day after becoming the first major league team to clinch a playoff berth this year, the Minnesota Twins rested most of their regulars and beat the Cleveland Indians behind the pitching of Nick Blackburn to complete a three-game sweep.
Tigers 4, Royals 2
DETROIT – Miguel Cabrera’s leadoff single started a three-run fifth inning and the Detroit Tigers held on to beat the Kansas City Royals.
Max Scherzer (12-10) gave up two hits and struck out eight over 7 2-3 innings. Ryan Perry got the final out of the eighth and Phil Coke pitched a shaky ninth.
White Sox 4, Athletics 3
OAKLAND, Calif. – Mark Teahen hit a go-ahead double with two outs in the ninth right after pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay’s tying RBI single and the Chicago White Sox rallied past the Oakland Athletics to end a season-worst eight game skid.