Major League Baseball
Sheffield’s bat booms as Tigers sweep Orioles DETROIT (AP) – Gary Sheffield went 4-for-4 with a home run and an RBI single, and Craig Monroe hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning to lead the Detroit Tigers past the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Wednesday.
The Tigers earned their first sweep of the year and have won a season-high four straight. Baltimore has lost four in a row and nine of 10.
Nate Robertson (3-1) gave up two runs and seven hits over 6 2-3 innings. His 2.48 ERA ranks among the AL leaders.
Mariners 3, White Sox 2
SEATTLE – Yuniesky Betancourt hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and Miguel Batista gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings to lead Seattle to its seventh win in eight games.
Jose Guillen also homered and Raul Ibanez had an RBI double to help the Mariners send Chicago to its fourth consecutive loss.
Betancourt hit a 1-0 fastball into Seattle’s bullpen beyond left field off rookie John Danks, who looked to Safeco Field’s closed roof in exasperation. Danks (0-4) allowed six hits and two walks in 6 2-3 innings.
Brewers 4, Cardinals 0
MILWAUKEE – Carlos Villanueva pitched four scoreless innings of relief for injured starter Chris Capuano, helping Milwaukee complete a sweep of the dazed St. Louis Cardinals.
With three consecutive wins over the reigning World Series champions, who still seem to be reeling after the death of reliever Josh Hancock, Milwaukee has won nine of 11 overall and has the best record in baseball at 18-9.
Prince Fielder hit a two-run single off Anthony Reyes (0-5) for the Brewers, who finished their first home sweep of St. Louis since taking four games in April 2002.
St. Louis has lost five in a row. The Cardinals are off Thursday, but players will travel to Tupelo, Miss., to attend a memorial service for Hancock, killed in a highway wreck early Sunday.
The Brewers won despite getting only three innings from Capuano, who took a sharp comebacker off his right calf in the second and pitched one more inning before he was taken out of the game.
Mets 6, Marlins 3
NEW YORK – Oliver Perez struck out a season-high 10 and singled twice to start New York rallies, helping the Mets beat Florida to avoid a three-game sweep.
Jose Reyes scored two runs and Endy Chavez had two RBIs. Perez (3-2) went 2-for-2 at the plate with a sacrifice bunt and scored twice.
The left-hander allowed three runs – one earned – and three hits in 5 2-3 innings. He walked three in his 17th career double-digit strikeout game, and second with the Mets. The other one also came against Florida on Sept. 12, when he whiffed 11.
Dodgers 2, Diamondbacks 1
LOS ANGELES – Mark Hendrickson allowed three hits over six-plus innings and Juan Pierre hit an RBI single after a costly error by rookie center fielder Chris Young in Los Angeles’ victory over Arizona.
Hendrickson (2-0) struck out seven, walked one and allowed only one runner as far as second base. The left-hander has allowed just two earned runs over 16 2-3 innings in three starts since Jason Schmidt went on the disabled list with bursitis in his shoulder.
Braves 4, Phillies 3
ATLANTA – Chipper Jones kept up his torrid hitting with a two-run double and the Atlanta bullpen shut down Philadelphia over the final four innings.
Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer in the sixth off Braves starter Chuck James to tie the game, but the Braves reclaimed the lead on Willie Harris’ run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth.
Chad Paronto (1-0), Tyler Yates, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano each pitched a scoreless inning. Soriano, filling in for injured closer Bob Wickman, earned his second save.
Phillies starter Freddy Garcia (1-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings.
Astros 3, Reds 1
HOUSTON – Roy Oswalt pitched eight stellar innings and rookie Hunter Pence got his first career RBI for Houston.
Oswalt (4-2) allowed four hits and one run to help the Astros, losers of nine of their last 11 games, rebound after Tuesday’s ugly 11-2 loss to the Reds.
The Houston ace didn’t allow a hit until Adam Dunn’s eighth home run in the fifth to make it 2-1. It was Dunn’s third homer in three games.
Dan Wheeler pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five tries.
Reds starter Kyle Lohse (1-2) allowed eight hits and three runs in six innings.