AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, SEATTLE
Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Seattle Mariners a dramatic 3-2 win over the New York Yankees on Friday.
Pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney kept the ninth inning alive with a two-out double. Suzuki then jumped on the first pitch from Yankees closer Mariano Rivera for his 10th homer of the season and second straight day with a game-winning hit.
It was Suzuki’s third career hit off Rivera, and the only the second blown save of the season for the New York closer.
ANGELS 2, RANGERS 0
In Arlington, Texas, Los Angeles moved a step closer to securing the AL West title by beating their closest rival, Texas.
Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings to get his first victory for the Angels, which moved 7.5 games above the Rangers with only 15 to play.
Vladimir Guerrero led off the third inning with a 408-foot blast into the left-field seats to put Los Angeles ahead 2-0.
TWINS 3, TIGERS 0
In Minneapolis, Minnesota tightened the fight for the AL Central crown by defeating leaders Detroit.
Michael Cuddyer’s two-run homer off Rick Porcello helped the Twins move within three games of the Tigers — the closest they’ve been in six weeks. Brian Duensing pitched 6-1/3 scoreless innings.
RED SOX 3, ORIOLES 1
In Baltimore, Boston won its sixth straight game over Baltimore.
Clay Buchholz pitched six scoreless innings for the Red Sox, who have won eight of nine to take a seven-game lead in the AL wild-card race.
Jason Bay hit his team-high 34th home run for Boston.
RAYS 11, BLUE JAYS 4
In St Petersburg, Florida, pitcher James Shields won at home for the first time in more than three months, steering Tampa Bay to a comfortable win over Toronto.
Shields had been 0-5 in his previous 10 starts at Tropicana Field. He gave up four runs in six innings.
Eight Rays batters reached base to start a six-run third inning.
ROYALS 11, WHITE SOX 0
In Chicago, Luke Hochevar pitched his first career shutout as Kansas City thumped Chicago.
Hochevar allowed just three singles and struck out five in his first start since July and won his first game in his past eight decisions.
ATHLETICS 2, INDIANS 1
In Oakland, California, Brett Anderson pitched six shutout innings and had a career-high 10 strikeouts to help Oakland edge Cleveland and win their fifth straight.
Cleveland fell to 0-5 on their current seven-game road trip.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Ryan Howard homered twice and Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run shot as the Philadelphia Phillies overcame a shortened start by rookie J.A. Happ to end Atlanta’s seven-game winning streak with a 9-4 victory in the National League on Friday.
Philadelphia, which has won six straight, snapped the Braves’ longest stretch of consecutive victories since July 2006, dropping Atlanta 8.5 games back in the NL East and hurting their fading wild-card chances.
Howard’s 39th and 40th homers came off Tim Hudson (1-1), who gave up six hits, three runs and one walk with three strikeouts in seven innings.
Rollins’ 19th homer and Ben Francisco’s fifth homer, a solo shot, accounted for Philadelphia’s four-run ninth against Vladimir Nunez.
GIANTS 8, DODGERS 4
At Los Angeles, Eugenio Velez and Pablo Sandoval homered, and pinch-hitter Fred Lewis doubled home the go-ahead run as San Francisco defeated Los Angeles.
The Giants’ 80th victory — their most since winning 91 in 2004 — moved them 2.5 games behind Colorado in the NL wild card race. The Rockies lost 7-5 at Arizona and still trail the first-place Dodgers by five games in the NL West.
Ramirez homered and drove in three runs as the Dodgers’ three-game winning streak ended.
Also on Friday, it was:
• Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 5
• Marlins 4, Reds 3
• Nationals 6, Mets 5
• Pirates 5, Padres 1
• Brewers 3, Astros 2
• Cardinals 3, Cubs 2
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he