Major League Baseball
Braun homer ruins Randy Johnson’s big night MILWAUKEE (AP) – Ryan Braun hit a two-run home run to ruin a memorable night for Randy Johnson, powering the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night.
Johnson (4-2) broke a tie with Roger Clemens to take sole possession of second place on baseball’s career strikeout list in the first inning when he fanned Mike Cameron. That gave the Big Unit 4,673 strikeouts, still far behind Nolan Ryan’s 5,714.
Johnson had given up only three hits through five when he walked Cameron to lead off the sixth – the first walk of the game by either starting pitcher. Braun then clobbered an 0-1 pitch deep to left field, putting the Brewers ahead 2-1 with his 16th homer of the season.
Johnson had been nearly untouchable up to that point, striking out eight through five innings.
But Milwaukee added to its lead in the seventh when Joe Dillon’s double drove in J.J. Hardy from first. Johnson was taken out of the game, tipping his hat as he received respectful applause from Brewers fans.
Rickie Weeks then hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Juan Cruz to score Dillon, putting Milwaukee ahead 4-1. Milwaukee added three more in the eighth on homers by Hardy and Prince Fielder, and Brian Shouse worked the final two innings for his second save, securing Milwaukee’s fifth straight victory.
Despite Johnson’s early dominance, Milwaukee was within striking distance thanks to a strong outing by Brewers starter Seth McClung (3-2), who gave up a run and six hits over six innings in his third start of the season.
And McClung was just about the only Brewers hitters to have success against Johnson at the plate early, accounting for two of Milwaukee’s three hits before the sixth.
Phillies 3, Reds 2
PHILADELPHIA – Pat Burrell hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Adam Eaton pitched 6 2-3 impressive innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds.
Ken Griffey Jr. walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning to remain one shy of 600 home runs. Griffey wasn’t in the Reds’ lineup for the second straight game because of general soreness. He’s been bothered by a sore left knee, though he could return Wednesday.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homer and tripled for two of Cincinnati’s four hits. Rookie sensation Jay Bruce had a checked-swing, infield single in three at-bats.
Junior represented the tying run when he came up with one out, but walked on four pitches and pitcher Bronson Arroyo ran for him. A sellout crowd gave Griffey a standing ovation and booed when reliever Tom Gordon didn’t throw a strike.
Braves 5, Marlins 4
ATLANTA – Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer and Greg Norton came through with a two-run double in the eighth inning that gave the Atlanta another come-from-behind victory.
The Braves actually won a one-run game, improving their mark in those contests to 3-16, despite two more homers by Florida’s slugging second baseman, Dan Uggla.
Atlanta beat the Marlins in its final at-bat for the second night in a row. Jones sparked the Braves in the eighth with a leadoff single against Matt Lindstrom (1-1). Mark Teixeira followed with a double into the left-field corner, putting runners at second and third.
Norton, a .171-hitting utilityman forced to start because the Braves have two outfielders on the disabled list, drove the first pitch he saw just inside the first-base bag.
Blue Jays 9, Yankees 3
NEW YORK – Joba Chamberlain struggled with his control, walked off the mound in the third inning and threw his glove in the dugout.
His first major league start was a memorable one, all right. Just not for the reasons he’d hoped.
Chamberlain lasted just 2 1-3 innings and Roy Halladay held the New York Yankees in check despite some control problems of his own, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to victory.
Alex Rios extended his hitting streak against the Yankees to 24 games and David Eckstein had three RBIs for Toronto, which patiently concentrated on Chamberlain’s pitch count and forced New York to use six pitchers total.
Halladay (7-5) won his fourth straight decision and improved to 5-1 with a 2.58 ERA in his last seven games. He allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.
Red Sox 7, Rays 4
BOSTON – The Red Sox kept winning at home even without David Ortiz. Coco Crisp hit a tie-breaking double and Boston won the matchup of the AL East’s top two teams.
Crisp snapped a 1-for-25 slump with the two-run double in a four-run sixth inning and Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a sacrifice fly.
With Ortiz sidelined for at least three weeks with a left wrist injury, the Red Sox won their 11th straight game at home, matching the longest AL streak of the season held by the Rays. Boston cut Tampa Bay’s lead in the division to one-half game.
White Sox 9, Royals 5
CHICAGO – Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Nick Swisher and Alexei Ramirez homered and the White Sox beat the Royals and Zack Greinke.
Gavin Floyd (6-3), allowed four runs – two earned – and six hits in seven innings, including Mark Teahen’s two-run homer in the seventh.
Pierzynski’s first homer since April 22, a two-run shot, capped a four-run second against Greinke (5-3) and put the White Sox ahead 6-0.
Greinke allowed nine hits and eight earned runs in six innings. His ERA rose from 2.88 to 3.56.
Copyright Associated Press 2008