Wed, Sep 30, 2009 page19

• Rain, Blue Jays douse Red Sox

  HELPFUL HITTING Toronto pitcher Scott Richmond gave up four runs and six hits in six innings, but still came up with the win after going 0-6 in his previous 10 starts

  • AP
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  AMERICAN LEAGUE

  Toronto took advantage after Boston scratched Josh Beckett from his scheduled start by scoring seven runs off substitute Michael Bowden to beat the Red Sox 11-5 on Monday night in a game that was called in the seventh inning because of rain. It was the fourth straight loss for Boston.

  Jose Bautista, Aaron Hill and Rod Barajas homered for the Blue Jays, who had lost six straight to the Red Sox and eight in a row at Fenway Park.

  

  Boston Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on Monday.

  PHOTO: REUTERS

  Scott Richmond (8-10) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings to win his second consecutive start after going 0-6 in his previous 10.

  Kevin Youkilis homered twice, and David Ortiz hit one for Boston, which had one run in and two men on with no outs in the seventh when a sudden downpour stopped play.

  YANKEES 8, ROYALS 2

  At New York, Robinson Cano capped a five-run seventh inning with a grand slam to lead New York’s makeshift lineup past Kansas City in win No. 101.

  One day after the Yankees secured their first AL East title since 2006, Ramiro Pena hit his first major league home run and Shelley Duncan had a tiebreaking single in the sixth. New York rested most of its regulars for the opener of a three-game series.

  Cano’s second career slam was his 25th homer this season and helped set a franchise record for most players with at least 25 in a season. He joined Mark Teixeira (38), Alex Rodriguez (28), Hideki Matsui (28) and Nick Swisher (27).

  The start of the game was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 56 minutes.

  Pena connected off Luke Hochevar (7-12) in the fifth, his first homer in 104 at-bats.

  
  

  WHITE SOX 6, INDIANS 1

  At Cleveland, Gordon Beckham drove in three runs to help Chicago’s John Danks beat the hosts and earn his first win in more than a month.

  Danks’ first career complete game gave Chicago its third win in four games following a stretch of seven losses in eight games.

  Danks (13-10) allowed three hits and one run, striking out seven in his first complete game at any level since being drafted in 2003 by Texas. Choo Shin-soo hit his 19th homer leading off the seventh to break up the left-hander’s bid for his first career shutout.

  RAYS 7, ORIOLES 6

  At St Petersburg, Florida, Pat Burrell hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and pinch-hitter Willy Aybar had one of four Tampa Bay homers to extend Baltimore’s losing streak to 11 games.

  Ben Zobrist opened the eighth with a double off Chris Ray (0-4) and went to third on a grounder. Burrell’s fly ball against Danys Baez broke 6-all tie.

  Gabe Kapler, Zobrist and Evan Longoria also homered for the Rays, who are 8-5 since an 11-game skid. Tampa Bay has hit 193 homers this season, breaking the team record of 190 set in 2006.

  Brian Roberts hit a two-run homer for the Orioles (60-96), who are a season-worst 36 games under .500.

  NATIONAL LEAGUE

  AP, PHILADELPHIA

  Yorman Bazardo pitched five-and-two-third effective innings against the team that cut him in spring training as he helped Houston beat Philadelphia 8-2 in the National League on Monday, preventing the Phillies from reducing their magic number.

  The Phillies, who had an eight-and-a-half-game lead with 13 remaining, are four ahead of Atlanta in the NL East with six left. The Phillies, who have lost five of seven, still have a magic number of three for their third straight division title.

  Miguel Tejada had four hits and Jeff Keppinger had three hits and two RBIs for Houston, which is 5-0 against the Phillies this season.

  BRAVES 4, MARLINS 0

  At Atlanta, Georgia, Jair Jurrjens pitched seven innings and Chipper Jones homered as Atlanta beat Florida for its seventh straight win and 15th of 17 games.

  The Braves closed within two games of idle Colorado in the NL wild card with six remaining. Florida’s third loss in four games all but finished off the Marlins, who dropped five-and-a-half games behind the Rockies and can do no better than tie for the wild card.

  Jurrjens (14-10) won his fourth straight and has gone at least seven innings in seven straight starts, allowing only eight earned runs in 50-and-two-third innings (a 1.42 ERA) during that stretch.

  Jones hit his 18th homer of the season and second since Aug. 29.

  PIRATES 11, DODGERS 1

  At Pittsburgh, Andy LaRoche homered twice, doubled twice and singled, driving in six runs as last-place Pittsburgh again prevented Los Angeles from clinching the NL West.

  Zach Duke pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning against a understrength Dodgers lineup. LaRoche set a career high for hits in going 5 for 5 and scoring four runs.

  Already assured of a playoff spot, the Dodgers lost three of four to the Pirates, who had dropped 23 of 26 going into the series — the franchise’s worst stretch in 119 seasons. The Dodgers’ magic number remained two.

  LaRoche had a two-run double off Hiroki Kuroda (8-7) during the Pirates’ big second inning

  
  

  NATIONALS 2, METS 1

  At Washington, Mike Morse homered for the third straight game as Ross Detwiler earned his first career win for Washington.

  Morse broke a 1-all tie when he led off the sixth with his third homer this season, all in the past three games.
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