Major League Baseball
Florida hangs on for 6-5 win over Los Angeles MIAMI (AP) – Miguel Cabrera singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth inning, and Florida beat Los Angeles 6-5 on Tuesday night.
Pungent smoke from brush fires in southwest Florida rolled into the area shortly before the first pitch and hung over the crowd of 11,124 throughout the game.
Rookie pinch-hitter Eric Reed led off the ninth with a single, hiking his lifetime average to .109 in 55 at-bats. He took second on a passed ball. After a strikeout and a walk, Cabrera singled off Jonathan Broxton (1-1), improving his average with runners in scoring position to .423.
He also hit his eighth home run for Florida, and Miguel Olivo hit his second.
Henry Owens (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.
Astros 7, Reds 6
CINCINNATI – Lance Berkman’s second home run in two nights overshadowed the 568th of Ken Griffey Jr.’s career and lifted Houston to the win.
Trailing 5-4 in the top of the seventh, Berkman lofted an 0-1 pitch from rookie Brad Salmon (0-1) into the seats in left field with Craig Biggio on first base.
Berkman’s homer was his 14th at Great American Ball Park, the most by any opponent. Berkman has 37 career homers and 106 RBIs against Cincinnati, his highest totals against any team.
Brad Lidge (2-0) got the win, striking out the only batter he faced to end the sixth.
After Morgan Ensberg hit an RBI double in the ninth to give Houston a two-run lead, Brandon Phillips hit his sixth homer of the year with one out off closer Dan Wheeler to pull the Reds within 7-6. Wheeler recovered to notch his seventh save in eight opportunities, sending the Reds to their sixth loss in their last seven games.
Griffey’s homer left him one behind Rafael Palmeiro for ninth place on baseball’s career homer list.
Braves 3, Padres 2
ATLANTA – Andruw Jones snapped an 0-for-21 slump with two hits, including an eighth-inning single that drove in the go-ahead run for Atlanta.
He doubled in the sixth to drive in the Braves’ first run.
San Diego reliever Heath Bell (0-1) couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead in the eighth. Edgar Renteria’s triple to right-center drove in Kelly Johnson from first to tie the game. After an intentional walk to Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones followed with a single to center to give Atlanta the lead.
Brewers 6, Nationals 4
MILWAUKEE – Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer and J.J. Hardy homered to extend his hitting streak to 19 games for Milwaukee.
The Brewers, winners of five straight, are 8-1 on their 10-game homestand that ends Wednesday. The Nationals have lost seven in a row.
Milwaukee, with the best record in baseball at 23-10, also spoiled Jason Simontacchi’s return to the majors. Simontacchi (0-1) had not appeared in the big leagues since 2004. He spent the entire 2005 season recovering from shoulder surgery and 2006 in the minors.
Simontacchi, called up earlier Tuesday, who went 20-10 with a 4.77 ERA in three seasons with St. Louis, was finished after the sixth, allowing six hits and a walk. Hardy’s homer in the eighth inning was his ninth this season.
Francisco Cordero allowed his first earned run in 15 2-3 innings this season but got the save, his 14th in as many chances.
Cardinals 4, Rockies 1
ST. LOUIS – Pinch-hitter Scott Spiezio and Adam Kennedy both drove in two runs in a four-run seventh for St. Louis.
Brad Thompson worked five strong innings in his second major league start. He stepped in for the injured Chris Carpenter, who underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow earlier Tuesday. The team’s ace is expected to be out for at least three months.
St. Louis’ rally spoiled a dominant outing from the Rockies’ Taylor Buchholz, who allowed four hits in six scoreless innings while working on six days’ rest. Buchholz entered with an 8.04 ERA and gave up 10 runs in 8 1-3 innings in his previous two starts.
Matt Holliday was 3-for-4 with his sixth home run and two doubles for the Rockies.
Jason Isringhausen finished for his ninth save in 10 chances.
Red Sox 9, Blue Jays 2
TORONTO – Josh Beckett became the first seven-game winner in the majors as Boston beat Toronto 9-2 on Tuesday night, the Blue Jays’ seventh straight loss.
Mike Lowell and Dustin Pedroia each hit three-run homers for Boston while Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis added solo shots. Youkilis later was hit by a pitch above the left knee and left with a bruise.
Beckett (7-0) was tagged for a home run by Alex Rios on the first pitch of the game. He worked seven innings, setting down 14 straight at one stretch. He allowed one run and five hits, walked one, struck out five and lowered his ERA to 2.51.
Youkilis got the Red Sox started with a home run in the first, and Boston led 8-1 by the third.
Victor Zambrano (0-2) gave up eight runs and eight hits in 2 2-3 innings.
Yankees 8, Rangers 2
NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez hit his first homer in 15 days and Andy Pettitte pitched seven sharp innings as New York won its seventh straight over Texas.
Derek Jeter drove in two runs for New York, which has won six of eight. Robinson Cano broke out of a 1-for-21 slump with two doubles.
Pettitte (2-1) allowed one run and seven hits for his first win in five starts since April 10 at Minnesota.
Hank Blalock doubled three times and walked for the Rangers, who were coming off a three-game sweep of Toronto.
Mike Wood (0-1) gave up eight runs and nine hits in four innings.
Tigers 9, Mariners 7
DETROIT – Omar Infante drove in a career-high four runs and Gary Sheffield homered for Detroit in its eighth straight victory.
The Tigers’ streak is their longest of the season and the best current string in the majors.
Richie Sexson’s three-run homer gave Seattle a 3-0 lead in the first, but Detroit tied it the next inning and went ahead with another three-run burst in the fourth.
Infante’s double and triple were the big hits in the three-run innings and his RBI single in the sixth put the Tigers ahead 7-5.
Sheffield gave Detroit a three-run lead in the seventh with his fourth homer in six games.
Jeremy Bonderman (2-0) gave up five runs and seven hits over six innings. Horacio Ramirez (2-2) allowed seven runs and 11 hits over 5 2-3 innings.
Orioles 8, Devil Rays 3
BALTIMORE – Jeremy Guthrie allowed one run over six innings to earn his second major league victory for Baltimore, which got home runs from Nick Markakis and Jay Gibbons.
Melvin Mora drove in two runs and Miguel Tejada had three hits for the Orioles, who led 5-1 after three innings against struggling Tampa Bay starter Jae Seo (1-3).
Guthrie (2-1) gave up six hits, struck out two and walked none in his second start of the season.
Carlos Pena went 4-for-4 with an RBI for the Devil Rays, who have lost nine of 11 against Baltimore dating to last season.