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
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their