May 18, 2008 7 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – Johan Santana gave the New York Yankees a firsthand look at the legitimate ace they turned down last winter. The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched efficiently into the eighth inning, and the Mets got home runs from Jose Reyes and David Wright to top the Yankees 7-4 Saturday in the opener of a rain-shortened Subway Series.

Billy Wagner got four outs for his ninth save in nine chances – one day after manager Willie Randolph held a closed-door meeting in response to remarks by the closer that some perceived as critical of his teammates.

After clearing the air, the Mets clocked reliever Kyle Farnsworth. They got key throws from outfielders Ryan Church and Carlos Beltran, beating Andy Pettitte (3-5) after Friday night’s scheduled game was rained out.

Wright and Beltran each had three hits for the Mets.

Santana (5-2) started them off on the right track. He gave up three more homers but lasted 7 2-3 innings, his longest outing this year.

The Yankees initially pursued the left-hander in the offseason, then decided to keep their top young pitchers rather than trade them to Minnesota. Santana was dealt to the Mets for four prospects instead, and the Yankees have yet to get a win from youngsters Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy this season.

Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu homered, but little else went right for the Yankees. Jeter even lost a popup in the sun, soon after he was thrown out trying to stretch a single.

Santana recovered from a shaky start, snaring Giambi’s leadoff liner in the fourth with reflexes that would rival those of any NHL goalie. He won his fourth straight decision and improved to 4-0 in his regular-season career against the Yankees.

Pettitte (3-5) allowed three runs in six innings, falling to 0-4 in his last five starts.

Cardinals 9, Rays 8

ST. LOUIS – Ryan Ludwick hit his second home run of the game off Dan Wheeler in the 10th inning, allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to recover after squandering a four-run cushion in a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Albert Pujols also homered and had two RBIs a day after his 42-game streak of reaching base ended, helping the Cardinals win for only the third time in 11 games. The AL East-leading Rays lost for just the second time in 10 games.

Ludwick hit the first pitch from Wheeler (0-3) with one out in the 10th an estimated 402 feet over the wall in left-center for the second winning homer of his career. He has four career two-homer games, including two this season.

Red Sox 5, Brewers 3

BOSTON – Daisuke Matsuzaka remained unbeaten, holding Milwaukee to a pair of unearned runs and pitching into the seventh inning, and David Ortiz hit a three-run homer off Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (2-3) in the opener of a split doubleheader.

Matsuzaka (7-0) gave up seven hits over 6 2-3 innings and tied the Angels’ Joe Saunders for the AL lead in wins.

Jason Varitek added a pair of doubles for the Red Sox, who avoided matching their longest losing streak this season. Boston had lost its previous four games to close a 10-game trip.

Reds 4, Indians 2

CINCINNATI – Adam Dunn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Masa Kobayashi, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to their season-high fifth straight victory.

Dunn’s third homer in three games helped the Reds survive another shutdown pitching performance by Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona, who turned a 2-1 lead over to a bullpen in transition.

Kobayashi (2-1) got a chance to close games after Rafael Betancourt struggled earlier in the week. Kobayashi opened the ninth by giving up a single to Joey Votto and hitting Edwin Encarnacion. Dunn then latched onto a belt-high fastball, driving it deep into the seats in right field for his ninth homer.

Dodgers 6, Angels 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Blake DeWitt hit a two-run homer in the second inning and the Dodgers handed Ervin Santana his first loss of the season.

Chan Ho Park made his first start for the Dodgers in almost seven years, limiting the Angels to two runs – one earned – over four innings. The 34-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, walked two, hit Vladimir Guerrero with a pitch and struck out three. He left with the Dodgers up 4-2.

Santana (6-1), coming off his worst outing of the season, gave up four runs on five hits in six innings. He walked three, hit a batter and struck out five.

Blue Jays 6, Phillies 3

PHILADELPHIA – Rod Barajas hit two homers, including a grand slam, A.J. Burnett pitched 6 1-3 impressive innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies.

Burnett (4-4) allowed two runs and four hits, striking out eight. Scott Downs escaped a jam in the seventh and B.J. Ryan pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in as many chances.

The Phillies rallied off Armando Benitez after manager John Gibbons removed Burnett with one out and a runner on in the seventh. Benitez walked pinch-hitter Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins followed with a two-run double to cut it to 4-3.

Rollins went to third on a passed ball, but Jayson Werth struck out. Left-hander Scott Downs entered and hit Chase Utley on the left hand with a fastball. After Gibbons was ejected for arguing the pitch hit Utley’s bat, Ryan Howard lined out to right field to end the inning.

Rangers 6, Astros 2

ARLINGTON, Texas – Milton Bradley and Marlon Byrd hit two-run homers early and the Texas Rangers clinched their seventh consecutive series by beating the Houston Astros.

The last time the Rangers won seven series in a row was 1999, the season they won their last AL West title. They have won 15 of 21 games in this span, getting back to .500 three weeks after having the worst record in the major leagues.

Bradley homered in the first and Byrd followed an inning later to make it 4-1 against Roy Oswalt (4-4), who had won four straight decisions over six starts since losing his first three starts of the season.

Orioles 6, Nationals 5

BALTIMORE – Nick Markakis homered and drove in three runs, Brian Burres pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Baltimore Orioles held on to beat the Washington Nationals for their fourth straight victory.

Burres (4-4) allowed two runs, walked two and struck out three in 6 2-3 innings as the Orioles won for the seventh time in eight games. The left-hander had lost three consecutive decisions following a 3-1 start.

A triumph in the finale of the three-game series Sunday would match Baltimore’s longest winning streak of the season and give the Orioles their first sweep of the Nationals.

Marlins 7, Royals 3

MIAMI – Wes Helms hit a three-run, pinch-hit homer and Mike Jacobs added a two-run shot in the seventh inning, helping the Florida Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals and snap a season-high four-game losing streak.

The Marlins also denied Kansas City its first six-game winning streak since beginning the 2003 season with nine straight victories.

Luis Gonzalez opened the seventh with a single and Mike Rabelo walked on four pitches to set up Helms’ homer off Brian Bannister (4-5), his sixth career pinch-hit homer. Jeremy Hermida singled moments later and Jacobs homered off reliever Ron Mahay.

Athletics 5, Braves 4

ATLANTA – Jack Cust hit a solo home run and Ryan Sweeney added a three-run shot, and the Oakland Athletics held on to beat the Atlanta Braves to end a season-worst four game losing streak.

Rich Harden (2-0) pitched seven strong innings in ending Atlanta’s eight-game home winning streak. The right-hander allowed four hits, one earned run, walked one and struck out eight.

The Braves rallied from a 5-1 deficit with three runs in the ninth off Huston Street.

Jeff Francoeur had a run-scoring groundout, Kelly Johnson an RBI triple and Gregor Blanco a sacrifice fly before Street struck out Greg Norton to end the uprising.

Cust hit his fifth homer in the opening inning and Sweeney hit his first of the season in the second off Tim Hudson (6-3). The right-hander had been 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA at home entering the game.

The A’s had only three extra-base hits – all doubles – during their losing streak and entered the game with 22 home runs, third fewest in the majors.

Copyright Associated Press 2008