Major League Baseball
Uribe leads White Sox to 6-2 win over Cubs CHICAGO (AP) – Juan Uribe homered and had five RBIs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Friday after the two central combatants in a brawl earlier this season chatted and shook hands.
Cubs catcher Michael Barrett apparently apologized to A.J. Pierzynski in the outfield before the game and the two were seen shaking hands. Barrett punched Pierzynski in the jaw after the White Sox catcher ran him over at the plate on May 20. Barrett returned Friday from the resulting 10-game suspension.
Uribe had a two-run, bases-loaded single in the first, a run-scoring double in the third and a two-run homer off reliever Roberto Novoa in the eighth.
The White Sox jumped on Sean Marshall (4-7) for three first-inning runs but the Cubs got two back in the bottom half against Jon Garland (7-3), who went six innings for the win.
Back-to-back, two-out doubles by Joe Crede and Uribe made it 4-2 in the third.
Yankees 2, Mets 0
NEW YORK – Five pitchers combined on a one-hitter for the Yankees, and Jason Giambi homered in a rain-delayed 2-0 victory over the suddenly slumping Mets.
Endy Chavez’s leadoff single in the sixth inning against Ron Villone (2-1) was the only hit for the visiting Mets. He was picked off first, and the Mets didn’t manage another baserunner.
Andy Phillips added an RBI single, sending the Mets to their fourth straight defeat. The NL East leaders hadn’t dropped three in a row all season before getting swept in Boston this week.
Orlando Hernandez (4-8) pitched seven effective innings against his former team, returning to the mound following a 63-minute delay in the fourth.
Mike Mussina held the Mets without a hit for the first four innings before the rain delay cut his outing short after 53 pitches, costing him a chance at his 10th win
Devil Rays 11, Nationals 1
WASHINGTON – Carl Crawford hit two two-run homers and Rocco Baldelli, Jorge Cantu and Damon Hollins also homered for Tampa Bay, which set a season high for runs and tied their season best with 17 hits. Tim Corcoran (2-0) allowed three hits in seven shutout innings in his third career start with Tampa Bay. He struck out eight and walked three.
Washington, reeling after a 1-8 road trip to Boston, Baltimore and Toronto, had its worst loss of the season. The Nationals lost their fourth straight.
Blue Jays 8, Phillies 1
TORONTO – Lyle Overbay homered twice and had five RBIs in the first two innings as Toronto won its season-high fourth straight. Overbay hit a three-run homer off Adam Bernero (0-1) in a four-run first inning, and added a two-run shot off Bernero in a four-run second.
Eric Hinske also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won seven of nine to move to 11 games above .500 (45-34).
Staked to an 8-0 lead in the second, Casey Janssen (6-6) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing five hits, while striking out three and walking three.
Reds 9, Indians 8
CINCINNATI – Adam Dunn’s grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer Bob Wickman vaulted Cincinnati over Cleveland, which was victimized again by a threadbare bullpen.
The Reds trailed 7-0 after seven innings, unable to get anything going against starter Paul Byrd. Then, one of the AL’s least-dependable bullpens let it get away.
Rafael Betancourt gave up Austin Kearns’ solo homer and a pinch-hit, three-run shot by Juan Castro, turning it into a game in the eighth. Indians manager Eric Wedge brought Wickman (1-4) into the game in a non-save situation in the ninth to hold a four-run lead.
Marlins 5, Red Sox 2
MIAMI – Dontrelle Willis yielded two runs in seven innings, Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs and Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla each scored twice to help the Marlins snap Boston’s 12-game winning streak.
Boston played error-free defense for the 17th consecutive game, setting a major league record, one better than the St. Louis Cardinals’ run in 1992.
The Marlins scored three times in the first and twice more in the second to spoil Jason Johnson’s Red Sox debut. Johnson (3-9), who was obtained from Cleveland in a trade on June 21, allowed eight of the first 11 batters to reach base – and five scored.
Braves 5, Orioles 3
ATLANTA – Marcus Giles broke a sixth-inning tie with a two-run single and Chuck James won his second straight start for the Braves.
James, a rookie left-hander, shut out the Orioles through five innings before giving up sixth-inning homers to Jeff Conine and Corey Patterson. But James (2-0) got the win when the Braves answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. James gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.
Twins 8, Brewers 2
MINNEAPOLIS – Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter hit consecutive home runs and Brad Radke sailed through seven innings as Minnesota won its eighth straight.
Terry Tiffee hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who have won 18 of 20 – including 11 straight at the Metrodome – and improved to 14-2 in interleague play. Their 28-10 mark at home is baseball’s best, and this is their second eight-game winning streak in the last three weeks.
Rangers 3, Astros 1
ARLINGTON, Texas – Mark Teixeira scored the go-ahead run after ending the longest hitless streak since the start of his career and Texas ended a season-worst five-game losing streak.
Teixeira ended an 0-for-17 stretch when he led off the seventh against Roy Oswalt (6-4) with a bloop double that dropped between center fielder Willy Taveras and second baseman Chris Burke, who collided and were shaken up on the play. Neither left the game. After an intentional walk, Ian Kinsler singled and Brad Wilkerson walked with the bases loaded to make it 2-1.
Vicente Padilla (7-5) allowed four hits over eight innings. Akinori Otsuka worked the ninth for his 16th save.
The Astros are 1-6 on their road trip, and have lost four straight. They scored for the first time in three games. Oswalt allowed three runs and nine hits in his first complete game this season.