Major League Baseball
Tampa Bay snaps seven-game losing streak ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer and James Shields allowed one run over seven innings to help Tampa Bay snap a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Toronto on Friday night.
Zobrist hit his fourth homer off A.J. Burnett (10-9) to give the Rays a 2-1 lead in the seventh.
Shields (8-6) gave up four hits, two walks and had four strikeouts for Tampa Bay, which started Friday a half-game behind AL East-leading Boston.
Grant Balfour got the final four outs for his fourth save.
Burnett went seven innings, giving up two runs and five hits.
Yankees 7, Athletics 1
NEW YORK – Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer and Alex Rodriguez also connected for New York.
Richie Sexson had an RBI single in his first at-bat with the Yankees, and Mike Mussina (12-6) pitched six effective innings to tie for most wins in the AL.
Orioles 7, Tigers 4
BALTIMORE – Luke Scott homered twice and Baltimore also got home runs from Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff.
Scott hit a solo shot in the second off Armando Galarraga and a game-clinching, two-run drive off Bobby Seay in the eighth.
Twins 6, Rangers 0
MINNEAPOLIS – Glen Perkins pitched six innings for Minnesota as Texas was shut out for the first time this season.
Perkins (7-2) allowed three hits to a team that entered the game leading the majors in most offensive categories, including batting average, runs, hits, slugging percentage and total bases.
It was the first time Texas has been shut out since last Aug. 19, when former Twins ace Johan Santana struck out 17 at the Metrodome.
White Sox 9, Royals 5
CHICAGO – Jermaine Dye’s two-run single highlighted a six-run first inning that featured seven Chicago hits.
Dye went 3-for-4 with a walk, Carlos Quentin homered and Mark Buehrle pitched seven innings for the White Sox.
Buehrle (7-8) allowed four hits, including a three-run homer to Billy Butler that got Kansas City within 7-4 in the sixth.
Reds 5, Mets 2
CINCINNATI – Bronson Arroyo allowed four hits over eight innings Friday night, and Cincinnati snapped New York’s 10-game winning streak.
The Mets’ run ended one win shy of the franchise record.
The Reds scored four times in the fifth off John Maine (8-7) despite getting only two balls out of the infield. Ken Griffey Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk, Brandon Phillips lofted a two-run single into shallow right field, and Edwin Encarnacion got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Phillies 4, Marlins 2
MIAMI – Jamie Moyer beat Florida for the 10th time in as many career starts, allowing two runs and four hits in six innings.
All of the 45-year-old Moyer’s games against the Marlins have come in the past three years. He defeated them for the third time since June 1, and his ERA in five lifetime starts in Miami is 1.34.
Ryan Howard hit his 29th homer, most in the majors, and Geoff Jenkins added his eighth homer and singled home a run for the Phils, who took over sole possession of first place in NL East with the Mets’ loss.
Braves 7, Nationals 6
ATLANTA – Brian McCann’s three-run double gave Atlanta the lead in the third inning, and the Braves survived a ninth-inning rally.
Tim Hudson (10-7) gave up nine hits and five runs in 6 2-3 innings, but he improved to 8-1 in 12 career starts against Washington.
The Nationals, trailing 7-5, scored a run in the ninth against Mike Gonzalez. Pinch-hitter Felipe Lopez hit a one-out single and moved to third on a double by Willie Harris. Lopez scored on Paul Lo Duca’s grounder to second, sending Harris to third.
Astros 2, Cubs 1
HOUSTON – Hunter Pence drove in the game-winning run with a double off Bob Howry in bottom of the ninth inning for Houston.
Carlos Lee hit a solo homer and Brian Moehler pitched seven effective innings for the Astros, who have won four of their last five games.
Miguel Tejada led off the ninth with a ground-rule double and Pence lined the first pitch he saw from Howry (3-3) to the gap in left center.
Cardinals 11, Padres 7
ST. LOUIS – Yadier Molina’s two-run single with the bases loaded broke an eighth-inning tie for St. Louis.
Greg Maddux allowed six runs in four innings for San Diego, the shortest outing for the 42-year-old right-hander since last September. He is 0-5 in 13 starts since May 16, tying the longest victory drought of his career.
Copyright Associated Press 2008