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Clemens matches season-high 10 strikeouts in Astros’ 14-1 win

6 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Roger Clemens matched his season high with 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings, and Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane and Mike Lamb drove in three runs apiece to lead the Houston Astros past the Washington Nationals 14-1 Friday night. Houston collected season highs for runs and hits (19) and stretched its winning streak to a season-best six games. It was Washington’s 12th loss in 16 games.

Lane’s career-high four hits included two doubles, Ensberg hit his 26th homer – a two-run shot in the first – and had an RBI single. Lamb added a three-run homer as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, and Willy Taveras had four singles.

Clemens (8-4) lowered his majors-best ERA to 1.40. He gave up just three hits, walked three and hit a batter.

Reds 11, Brewers 6

CINCINNATI – Ken Griffey Jr. tied Mickey Mantle on the career RBI list, and Adam Dunn drove in three runs with two homers as the Reds won their third straight game to tie a season high.

A blown transformer caused a power outage in the top of the seventh inning, leaving only security lights working at the ballpark. The game resumed after a 25-minute delay.

Dunn had a solo homer off Tomo Ohka (6-5) in the third and added a two-run shot in the seventh off Ricky Bottalico, his 27th.

Felipe Lopez and Joe Randa also had homers for the Reds. Griffey singled home a run in the bottom of the first, moving into a tie with Mantle for 42nd on the career list with 1,509.

Dodgers 6, Mets 5

NEW YORK – Jeff Kent homered, doubled and singled, and Los Angeles got its third consecutive victory.

Jayson Werth drove in two runs as the Dodgers built a 6-0 lead for Jeff Weaver, who helped himself with an RBI single.

In six innings of work, Weaver (8-8) allowed five runs and six hits – including a two-run homer by Doug Mientkiewicz and a three-run shot by Carlos Beltran in the sixth.

Yhency Brazoban worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save, breaking the team’s rookie saves record set by Steve Howe in 1980.

Victor Zambrano (4-9) allowed six runs on 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings.

Phillies 8, Padres 6

PHILADELPHIA – Chase Utley hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning for the Phillies.

Ryan Howard homered and drove in three runs for Philadelphia, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Mark Loretta and Brian Giles hit consecutive homers and Geoff Blum had a homer among three hits for the Padres, who lost their fifth straight game.

Aaron Fultz (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings. Paul Quantrill (1-1), retired the first two batters he faced in the 11th before allowing a pinch-hit single to Jason Michaels and Utley’s 11th homer.

Tigers 12, Twins 6

DETROIT – Craig Monroe had a career-high five hits and tied a career best with six RBIs, leading the Detroit Tigers past the Minnesota Twins.

Detroit had a season-high 18 hits, including three doubles by Monroe, and combined to score nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Monroe had a three-run double in the fifth and doubled in two more runs in the sixth.

Juan Castro homered and drove in a career-high four runs, and Jacque Jones homered for Minnesota.

Mike Maroth (8-10) got the win despite allowing six runs and eight hits in six innings. Joe Mays (5-5) gave up a season-high eight runs – seven earned – and 10 hits in four-plus innings.

Mariners 4, Indians 3

CLEVELAND – Ichiro Suzuki’s two-run homer in the eighth inning – only Seattle’s third hit off Scott Elarton – gave Seattle the victory.

Suzuki’s homer bailed out Jamie Moyer, six outs away from losing to Cleveland for the first time since 2000. But he got a no-decision and is 9-0 in his last 12 starts against the Indians.

Devil Rays 7, Orioles 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tampa Bay’s Aubrey Huff hit his first career grand slam and Seth McClung won for the first time in two years.

Damon Hollins hit a solo homer in Tampa Bay’s five-run second when Huff’s 11th gave the Devil Rays a 6-3 lead.

McClung (1-5), who underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery in June 2003, gave up four runs and five hits over five-plus innings. Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his 18th save, allowing a run-scoring single by Melvin Mora.

Rafael Palmeiro hit an RBI single in Baltimore’s two-run first. The hit was Palmeiro’s 3,011th, moving him past Wade Boggs into 23rd place all-time.

Royals 5, Blue Jays 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Runelvys Hernandez, pitching while appealing a 10-game suspension, worked six solid innings to earn his third straight win.

Hernandez was suspended Thursday for his role in last Sunday’s bench-clearing brawl in a game with Detroit. Hernandez hit Carlos Guillen in the head with a pitch, leading to the melee.

Hernandez (8-9) gave up three runs and seven hits. Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

White Sox 8, Red Sox 4

CHICAGO – A.J. Pierzynski and Juan Uribe hit two-out, three-run homers off Tim Wakefield in the sixth inning, helping Jon Garland become the majors’ first 15-game winner.

Garland (15-4) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings, including Johnny Damon’s solo homer in the seventh, as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak.

Wakefield (8-9) gave up nine hits and seven runs in 5 2-3 innings.

Athletics 11, Rangers 10

ARLINGTON, Texas – Nick Swisher drove in four runs with a homer and a double, and Danny Haren won his AL-best seventh straight decision for Oakland.

It was the Rangers’ second 11-10 loss in five days, and this one ended with Michael Young being tagged out at home as he tried to score on a wild pitch.

The Rangers, who lost 11-10 to New York on Monday, scored two runs off reliever Justin Duchscherer in the ninth but he still earned his fifth save. Duchscherer’s pitch to Alfonso Soriano got away from catcher Jason Kendall, who picked it up on a bounce and beat Young to the plate.

Haren (8-7) allowed three runs through the first five batters. He then got a double play, the first of three in four innings.

Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer, his 26th, and had a sacrifice fly for the Rangers. Richard Hidalgo was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer.

Bobby Kielty’s go-ahead hit off Chris Young (8-6) in the third extended his batting streak to 14 games and put the A’s ahead to stay at 5-3.

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