AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, NEW YORK
Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the New York Yankees to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
PHOTO: AP
Mark Teixeira, who had gone 4-for-4 and driven in all the previous New York runs, drew a walk from left-handed reliever Craig Breslow to lead off the 11th and Rodriguez followed with a towering blast to left field.
It was A-Rod’s first hit in the new Yankee Stadium and he was mobbed by teammates as he touched home plate.
Pitcher AJ Burnett marked the moment by pushing a cream pie into A-Rod’s face before an on-field TV interview.
“The last two nights have been character builders for us and hopefully we can build from there,” said Rodriguez, who missed the first five weeks of the season because of hip surgery and was playing in his second game at the new ballpark.
Teixeira also slugged a three-run homer in the third inning.
On Friday the Yankees scored three runs in the ninth frame off Minnesota closer Joe Nathan to grab a 5-4 win, with Melky Cabrera delivering a game-winning two-out, two-run single.
RAYS 4, INDIANS 2
At St Petersburg, Florida, B.J. Upton homered for the second consecutive day and Matt Garza pitched six effective innings for Tampa Bay.
Akinori Iwamura and Gabe Gross pulled off a double steal in the fifth, giving Tampa Bay at least one stolen base in 18 straight games, which is the longest stretch in the AL since New York’s 19-game run in 1914. Both scored on Jason Bartlett’s single to make it 3-0.
Garza (4-2) gave up two runs and five hits.
Carl Pavano (3-4) had his three-start winning streak end. He allowed three runs and six hits in five-plus innings.
BLUE JAYS 2, WHITE SOX 1
At Toronto, Jose Bautista drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Toronto beat Chicago to give rookie pitcher Robert Ray his first major league win.
Ray (1-1) allowed one unearned run and three hits in a career-high eight innings.
Toronto trailed 1-0 to begin the eighth against Chicago reliever Scott Linebrink (1-2), before Vernon Wells hit a one-out single, stole second and came around on Adam Lind’s double into the right field corner. Lind went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Bautista followed with a single to left.
In other AL games it was:
• Orioles 3, Royals 2
• Tigers 9, Athletics 1
• Rangers 5, Angels 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN FRANCISCO
New York ace pitcher Johan Santana and the potent Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 9-6 in the National League on Saturday and denied Randy Johnson his 299th win.
Carlos Beltran hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs, while David Wright had a two-run double and three RBIs for New York.
Fill-in cleanup hitter Gary Sheffield added three hits as the Mets won their 11th in 13 games and improved to 12-3 this month.
Santana (5-2) gave up four runs and raised his ERA to 1.89 and it was only the second time he had allowed 11 hits in his career.
The Big Unit, looking to become the 24th major league pitcher to reach the 300-win milestone, allowed 11 hits and seven runs in four-plus innings.
CUBS 5, ASTROS 4
At Chicago, Alfonso Soriano drove in Bobby Scales with the winning run in the ninth inning after Chicago squandered a four-run lead.
In other NL games it was:
• Brewers 1, Cardinals 0
• Phillies 8, Nationals 5
• Diamondbacks 12, Braves 0
• Marlins 6, Dodgers 3
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