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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Matt Garza stopped a slump against Toronto.
Garza struck out 10 while ending a personal nine-game winless streak and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Blue Jays 4-0 on Saturday night.
“He always pitches great against us,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “We haven’t beat him too many times.”
Garza (8-10) allowed three hits over 7 1-3 innings in winning for the first time since beating Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay 4-2 on July 24. The right-hander is 3-5—with all three victories coming against Toronto—over his past 15 starts.
“My record doesn’t matter as long as we win,” Garza said. “The last couple starts I’ve been on a roll.”
Since joining the Rays last year, Garza is 6-2 against the Blue Jays. The right-hander is 3-0 this season when facing Toronto.
“He had movement on his pitches,” Tampa Bay catcher Dioner Navarro said. “When he fell behind, he made pitches.”
Toronto rookie Ricky Romero (12-9) lost for the fourth time in five starts, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings.
“Just one bad inning,” Gaston said. “After that he pitched well.”
The Blue Jays are 4-13 against Tampa Bay this season.
“When you have streaks like that against teams, you try not to ask too many questions,” Tampa Bay left fielder Carl Crawford said. “You just try to keep the streak going.”
The Rays scored four times in the first. Jason Bartlett walked and Carl Crawford, who stole second base in the eighth inning Friday night with Tampa Bay ahead 9-4, was hit on the right elbow by a Romero pitch.
“He wasn’t throwing at him,” Gaston said.
Crawford agreed.
“I just think it got away from him,” Crawford said. “I don’t think he was trying to hit me on purpose.”
Evan Longoria then singled in Bartlett to give him 108 RBIs on the year. Ben Zobrist, Willy Aybar and Gabe Kapler also singled in a run before Romero struck out Navarro and Akinori Iwamura to end the inning.
Garza, who walked six, worked out of jams in the first and third to help Tampa Bay win for the fourth time in six games, including three in a row, following an 11-game skid. Russ Springer, Randy Choate and Dan Wheeler combined to finish the three-hitter.
“I’m really happy with the way the boys are playing,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “There’s a lot of energy and fight.”
Navarro was briefly stunned, but remained in the game after being hit in the head by Adam Lind’s back swing in the third.
Xtra, xtra: Rays 1B Carlos Pena (two broken fingers on left hand) has started light hand exercises and should have surgically inserted pins removed in about four weeks. “I’m happy with the way it’s going,” said Pena, who is expected to be ready for spring training. Blue Jays LHP Jesse Carlson served the final game of a three-game suspension stemming from a bench-clearing incident Tuesday against the New York Yankees. Five-time All-Star Pedro Guerrero threw the ceremonial first pitch and also led fans in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch. There were 10 singles and no extra-base hits in the game (Associated Press - Sports).
James Shields finally got a win at home, after waiting nearly half the season.
Eight straight Tampa Bay batters reached base to start a six-run third inning that helped Shields and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 Friday night.
“Today was a pretty important game for me, I hit 200 innings and that’s one of the goals I reached,” said Shields, who has thrown 200 or more innings in three straight seasons. “And got a ‘W’ finally. It’s good to get that off my back and hopefully I can finish up strong.”
Shields (10-11) had been 0-5 in his previous 10 starts at Tropicana Field since beating Kansas City 3-2 on June 4. He gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.
“It’s almost like I’m getting stronger towards the end here, which is a good thing,” Shields said.
Carl Crawford had an RBI triple and Gregg Zaun hit a run-scoring double in the third to help the Rays take a 6-2 lead.
Evan Longoria hit his 31st homer of the season and had three RBIs for the AL champs, who won for just the third time in 16 games.
Scott Richmond (6-10) was pulled after allowing five consecutive hits to start the third.
“He’s been having trouble with his location for a while,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “Tonight was bad location. No control with his fastball.”
Tampa Bay (75-73) has won two in a row for the first time since beating the Blue Jays on Aug. 24-25.
“We’re rollin’ now,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said with a smile.
Adam Lind hit an RBI single in the first and Vernon Wells drove in a run with a double during the third as the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead. Toronto has lost 14 of its last 18 road games.
Lind has 104 RBIs this season, including 30 over the last 29 games. Wells has an 11-game hitting streak, and moved past Tony Fernandez into second place on the Toronto career list with 292 doubles.
Richmond, 0-5 in eight starts since returning from a biceps injury on July 31, allowed five runs and seven hits over two-plus innings.
Longoria, Willy Aybar and Gabe Gross each had an RBI single in the third. The Rays’ sixth run of the inning scored when B.J. Upton hit into a double play.
The Rays went up 8-2 in the fourth when Ben Zobrist and Zaun both hit run-scoring singles. Gross had a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Crawford tied his career high with his 59th stolen base when he took second in the eighth before scoring on Longoria’s two-run homer. Longoria has driven in 107 runs this season.
“Just let it go,” Gaston said of Crawford’s late stolen base in a five-run game. “He (Maddon) runs his team the way he wants to. I run my the way I want to.”
Crawford had no second thoughts about the play.
“I just want ahead and stole the base,” Crawford said. “I’ve seen worse. I didn’t really think it was a big deal.”
Tampa Bay’s bullpen, which worked the final three innings, has struggled recently, going 2-12 with nine blown saves in 13 opportunities over the past 39 games.
Lyle Overbay and pinch hitter Kyle Phillips had RBI doubles during the sixth for the Blue Jays.
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay is 12-4 against the Blue Jays this season. Rays LHP Darin Downs was one of the players honored as a Tampa Bay minor league MVP. Downs, struck in the head by liner while pitching for Double-A Montgomery on Aug. 17, is expected to be ready for the 2010 season. Blue Jays LHP Brian Tallet (bruised right foot) might miss his next start Tuesday. Toronto reliever Scott Downs has a hamstring injury and is day to day (Associated Press - Sports).
Wade Davis had just thrown a four-hit shutout to earn his first major league win, and getting the game ball wasn’t nearly enough to mark the occasion.
During the postgame television interview, the rookie got a shaving-cream pie to the face from Tampa Bay teammates Matt Garza and Evan Longoria. That was followed by a beer shower in the clubhouse.
With Davis leading the way, the Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 Thursday night to salvage a split of the four-game series.
Making his third big league start, Davis (1-1) struck out 10 and walked two in his first complete game. The right-hander worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, then permitted only one runner past first base over the final eight innings.
Davis capped his outstanding performance by striking out the side in the ninth. He threw 124 pitches.
Then came the antics. It was only the second win in 15 games for the Rays, who desperately needed a reason to smile.
“The shaving cream didn’t taste very good,” Davis said. “But it’s fun. It’s supposed to be.”
The 24-year-old was coming off a horrid outing in Boston in which he yielded eight runs in 2 2-3 innings. His effort against the Orioles lowered his ERA from 8.38 to 4.34.
“I didn’t get to watch too much film and maybe I should have,” said Baltimore’s Nick Markakis, who went 0 for 4. “I don’t know. You’ve got to tip your hat. He threw a great game.”
Davis outdid seven Baltimore pitchers, led by Mark Hendrickson (5-5), who gave up two runs and five hits over 3 1-3 innings in his first start since May 12. The left-hander was removed from the rotation after going 1-4, then made 42 relief appearances before returning as a starter in place of rookie Brian Matusz, who has been shut down for the remainder of the season.
Hendrickson is 1-5 as a starter and 4-0 out of the bullpen.
Michael Aubrey had two hits for the Orioles, who failed for the 10th time this season to win a four-game series. They’re 0-5-5.
Baltimore wasted an opportunity to grab an early lead. After a walk, a double and another walk loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, Nick Markakis hit into a forceout at the plate, Melvin Mora struck out and Luke Scott hit a routine fly to right.
“The first inning, you couldn’t have scripted it any better, the way we started the game,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “But then when you get nothing out of it, boy, he’s got to take a deep breath and go, ‘OK, here we go. Lady Luck’s on my side tonight.”’
As the game wore on, the only suspense was whether Davis would go the distance.
“I was just trying to get to the sixth, just battle it out,” he said. “When I had the real quick inning in the seventh and eighth, I figured I could go out there and do it again.”
Home plate umpire Ron Kulpa ta… AP - Sep 17, 10:40 pm EDT
“I am a firm believer that a young guy like that, if he has a chance to throw a complete game and a shutout, it can really catapult him,” Maddon said.
Tampa Bay went up 1-0 in the third. With two outs, Jason Bartlett hit a sinking liner to left that bounced to the wall after Nolan Reimold’s ill-advised bid to make a sliding catch. Bartlett was credited with a triple, and Carl Crawford followed with an RBI single.
In the fourth, Ben Zobrist hit a leadoff double, took third on a fly ball and scored on a squeeze bunt by Gabe Kapler.
Longoria’s third hit of the game, an RBI single in the ninth, made it 3-0.
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay CF Fernando Perez ran into the wall after making an outstanding running catch of a third-inning drive by Brian Roberts. He left the game in the 7th with a sore left wrist. The Rays play 12 of their final 15 games at home. Trembley was ejected in the seventh for arguing balls and strikes. It was his fourth ejection of the season (Associated Press - Sports).
First, Matt Wieters stopped the Tampa Bay Rays with his arm.
Then he beat them with his bat.
Wieters hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Russ Springer, giving the Baltimore Orioles a 4-2 victory Wednesday night.
Tampa Bay went up 2-1 in the top half when Ben Zobrist hit a 3-2 pitch from Jim Johnson over the center-field wall. It was the fifth blown save for Johnson (4-5).
But in the bottom half, Luke Scott drew a leadoff walk from Springer (0-4) and Wieters hit a drive that landed in the front row of the seats in left. The rookie catcher, who had a homer and five RBIs on Tuesday, rounded the bases and jumped on home plate and into the arms of his teammates.
“I was going to look for a fastball early and try to put a good swing on it. I was fortunate enough that it carried out,” Wieters said. “It’s a situation where you might bunt, but they gave me the sign to swing away and try and drive something.”
Wieters twice threw out fleet-footed Carl Crawford trying to steal second. It was the second time in his career Crawford was nabbed twice in the same game; the other was April 10, 2007.
Crawford has 57 steals and has been thrown out 14 times, but is only 27 for 41 after opening the season with 30 straight stolen bases.
“Wieters did it behind the plate and did it with the bat. He had a great game,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “Threw out Crawford—release was quick, good footwork, right on the bag—and hits a walk-off.”
Gregg Zaun homered for the Rays, who have lost 13 of 14 to drop to .500 (73-73) for the first time since June 11, when they were 31-31.
“I love the fact that we came back out and tied it up,” manager Joe Maddon said.
And then Wieters untied it.
“When it left, I didn’t think it was going that far. He’s just a strong young man and the ball kept carrying,” Maddon said.
It landed just beyond the reach of Crawford, who leaped in vain at the wall.
“I tried to put my arm over the rail, but it was kind of slick and I couldn’t get a good grip,” said Crawford, who can hardly believe the Rays are a .500 club again.
“You definitely didn’t expect this, but you just deal with it,” he said. “I never thought we’d end up like this.”
Making his 10th start since being summoned from Triple-A Norfolk on July 29, Orioles rookie Chris Tillman gave up five hits and one walk in 6 2-3 innings. The 21-year-old retired the first 10 batters and faced one above the minimum over five innings.
After Tampa Bay used singles by Evan Longoria and Willy Aybar to put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh, Matt Albers replaced Tillman and struck out B.J. Upton to preserve a 2-1 lead.
Danys Baez worked the eighth, and the bottom half was halted by rain for 1 hour, 40 minutes. After the stoppage, only a few hundred of the announced crowd of 10,548 remained.
They hit the exits after Scott walked and Wieters homered on the following pitch.
“He’s been holding his own in this league,” Scott said of Wieters. “This is not an easy league. It’s a tough league and he’s been doing good. The more hits he gets, the happier I’m going to be because I’m going to get better pitches to hit in the future.”
Tampa Bay’s Andy Sonnanstine allowed two runs, one earned, and three hits in 5 2-3 innings. It was the first time in nine starts since May 22 that he permitted fewer than two earned runs.
The Orioles went up 1-0 in the second when Melvin Mora hit a leadoff double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wieters. In the fourth, Brian Roberts reached on an error and scored on a two-out double by Scott.
Zaun homered leading off the sixth, his seventh of the season and third since coming to the Rays from Baltimore on Aug. 8.
Xtra, xtra: For the first time in eight games, the Orioles did not yield a first-inning run. Tampa Bay is 1-9 on a trip that mercifully ends Thursday night in Baltimore. The Orioles lead the season series 7-6. They were 3-15 vs. the AL champion Rays last year (Associated Press - Sports).
If the Baltimore Orioles are looking for positive signs for next season, they got plenty of them in a gritty comeback win.
Despite being in last place with nothing to play for, the Orioles received solid contributions from two rookies and rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 on Tuesday night.
“This late in the year, to not give in, that’s a lot of fight and determination,” manager Dave Trembley said.
Matt Wieters fueled the comeback with a homer and a career-high five RBIs, and right-hander Jason Berken held the Rays in check after giving up four first-inning runs.
Wieters, a former No. 1 draft pick playing in his 78th game, appears to have justified the hype that surrounded his arrival in late May.
“It’s good for the organization, it’s good for the team,” Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said. “There’s a lot of pressure, and it’s hard enough up here without having to deal with that. I think it was a little unfair, the expectations early on. Now he’s finally started to get comfortable and find his groove.”
Berken (5-11) kept the Orioles in the game after a rocky start. He gave up four hits in the first inning and only three more before being lifted with one out in the seventh.
“That’s one of the reasons why these guys are here, to help them learn how to do those sorts of things. You can’t learn that down there,” Roberts said. “He could have easily folded early on.”
It was a good night for Roberts, too. He collected his career-high 74th RBI and set a franchise record with his 52nd double of the season.
“It’s something that when it’s all said and done and I’m old and I have my grandkids sitting on my knee, I might look back and enjoy it,” he said. “But right now, it’s just kind of, try to play games and help these young guys along and get us ready for next year.”
Roberts, Wieters and Cesar Izturis had three hits apiece for the Orioles, who rallied against rookie Jeff Niemann (12-6).
Niemann, who allowed six runs and a career-high 11 hits in 4 1-3 innings, lost for the first time in nine starts since July 26. It was his shortest start since June 21, and the six earned runs matched a career high, set in his first outing of the season against Baltimore.
“A lot of balls were left up. I didn’t really execute location very well today, and that’s what happens when you miss,” Niemann said. “They’re going to take advantage of that.”
Wieters put the Orioles ahead for good with two-run single in the fifth, Luke Scott hit his team-high 22nd homer in the seventh and Wieters clinched it with a three-run drive off Chad Bradford in the eighth.
“There’s definitely progress being made,” said Wieters, who raised his batting average to .272. “There are a lot of adjustments to be made up here, and you’re going to have to keep making them.”
Tampa Bay’s Pat Burrell broke out of a 1-for-22 slump with a homer and four RBIs, and Ben Zobrist fell a home run short of the cycle. But the Rays lost for the 12th time in 13 games.
Only 11,575 showed up on a beautiful night for baseball. But with the Orioles 34 games out of first place, and because the opponent wasn’t Boston or the New York Yankees, the stadium wasn’t even one-fourth full.
An RBI single by Zobrist and a three-run homer by Burrell staked the Rays to a 4-0 lead in the first, and Tampa Bay added a third-inning run when Zobrist tripled and scored on a single by Burrell.
“It’s definitely on me for not being able to hold that lead,” Niemann said.
Baltimore closed to 5-2 in the bottom half on Roberts’ record-breaking RBI double and a run-scoring grounder by Nick Markakis.
Izturis singled in a run in the fourth, and the Orioles chased Niemann during a three-run fifth that included a run-scoring groundout by Scott and Wieters’ two-run single.
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria grounded into his AL-high 27th double play. For only the third time in 21 starts, Berken had three perfect innings. Orioles CF Felix Pie returned after missing three games with back spasms. He went 1 for 4, scored a run and made a couple of nice running catches (Associated Press - Sports).
Having finally rid themselves of an embarrassing losing streak that ended their playoff hopes, the Tampa Bay Rays can turn their attention toward concluding the season on a positive note.
Using a 15-hit attack and an effective pitching performance by David Price, the Rays snapped their 11-game skid Monday night with an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Tampa avoided becoming the first World Series team in history to lose 12 in a row the following year. Rookie Reid Brignac had a career-high four hits—his first big league homer, two doubles and a single—and B.J. Upton also connected for the Rays in their first win since Sept. 2 against Boston.
“Sleep is more tranquil, food tastes better and I like my dog a whole lot more,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.
Held to eight runs in their previous seven games, the Rays equaled that amount by the fifth inning. Tampa Bay, which batted .183 during its 11-game skid, hadn’t had as many as 15 hits in a game since Aug. 24 against Toronto.
“It’s important. All this, the whole world revolves around confidence, and our confidence definitely took a hit by these last two weeks,” Maddon said. “We have to regenerate our confidence. As we do that, we’re going to start winning.”
Price (8-7) gave up four runs, three earned, and seven hits in seven innings. The left-hander allowed four runs and four hits in the first inning, then settled down. He retired 13 straight at one point.
“I tried to keep us where we were at, and the offense obviously did a great job tonight and fought back,” Price said. “It kind of gives me a redo. It was very appreciated by me, obviously.”
Orioles rookie David Hernandez (4-8) was staked with a 4-1 lead but immediately gave it away and fell to 0-4 in his last six starts. The right-hander yielded five runs and nine hits, including two homers, in three-plus innings. He has surrendered nine home runs over his last 9 2-3 innings.
“It’s easy right now to lose confidence,” Hernandez said. “But I have three starts left and there is still time to finish the season off on a good note.”
After Tampa Bay got a first-inning run on a sacrifice fly by Ben Zobrist, Baltimore took a 4-1 lead in the bottom half. Price retired the first two batters, then allowed RBI singles to Melvin Mora, Matt Wieters and Luke Scott before another run scored on a throwing error by third baseman Evan Longoria.
The Rays tied it in the second. Upton broke a 2-for-21 skid with a two-single and Brignac homered, a no-doubt drive to right on a 1-0 pitch, before Jason Bartlett and Carl Crawford hit successive doubles.
“The second inning was really unacceptable after you get two quick outs,” Hernandez said. “It’s really a downer.”
Especially because it allowed Price to recover from his shaky start.
“He probably felt the momentum change greatly to go on their side,” Price said. “Once we scored four and they go back out and score three, he’s got to say to himself, ‘Hey, I’ve got to go out there and shut them out because the game’s swinging back in our favor.’ And he did exactly what he had to do.”
Upton’s 10th homer gave Tampa Bay a 5-4 lead in the fourth, and a pair of Baltimore errors fueled a three-run fifth.
Brignac went 4 for 4 with a career-high three RBIs in his finest game as a major leaguer.
“I’m very excited, but I’m more happy that we got the win,” he said. “It got us back on the right path of where we were. It’s just good to come in and get that win. Now let’s see if we can continue on.”
Xtra, xtra: The Orioles have given up a first-inning run in six straight games and eight of the last nine. It was the first time in eight games that Tampa Bay scored more than two runs. Brignac’s homer came in his 67th at-bat. Mora played his 793rd game at third base, second-most in Orioles history behind Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson (2,870) (Associated Press - Sports).
Jon Lester made the most of his second chance.
Two days after struggling in a game that was rained out, the Red Sox left-hander allowed two hits in eight innings and Boston beat Tampa Bay 4-0 on Sunday for a doubleheader sweep, handing the AL champion Rays their 11th consecutive loss.
Lester gave up hits to three of the first four batters Friday night but none of that counted when the game was called after he threw only 23 pitches. It was made up as the opener Sunday, a 3-1 Boston win.
“I was kind of surprised the way my body responded,” Lester said. “I figured I’d be a little more sore (Saturday) than I was.”
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he wasn’t worried after Lester, who is 5-0 with a 2.26 ERA in his last 10 outings, told him Friday’s work was similar to a regular side session for a pitcher between starts.
“They’re creatures of habit and that’s not the way you draw it up,” Francona said. “He didn’t let it affect him.”
In the opener, Dustin Pedroia’s tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth sent Boston to a victory behind Clay Buchholz and two relievers.
Tampa Bay was eliminated from the AL East race one year after winning the division and reaching the World Series. The losing streak is the longest by a major league team this season.
“It’s embarrassing,” said James Shields, the second-game loser. “Eleven straight losses. Not fun at all. Whether we’re in the race or not, we’ve got to play better baseball.”
The Rays were outscored 16-2 and managed 14 hits in Boston’s three-game sweep. The AL wild-card leaders won 9-1 behind Josh Beckett in a game shortened by rain to five innings Saturday night.
“This whole week has been pretty much negative offense,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Boston’s win in the second game of the split doubleheader was its 11th in 15 games and eighth straight at Fenway Park.
Lester (13-7) allowed only singles to Gabe Kapler in the second and Dioner Navarro in the eighth. He struck out seven, walked three and threw one wild pitch.
Shields (9-11) had a rare solid performance at Fenway, where he is 0-6 with an 8.04 ERA.
The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the second on a groundout by Mike Lowell that drove in J.D. Drew, who walked and went to third on David Ortiz’s double.
Boston scored twice in the sixth. Drew led off with a single and went to third on a double by Lowell. Both scored on Jason Varitek’s single, a hard shot that took a bad hop past first baseman Willie Aybar.
Jason Bay’s 32nd homer just inside the Pesky Pole in right made it 4-0 in the eighth.
Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for Boston, allowing two hits before striking out the final two batters.
For a change, there was no rain Sunday. Friday’s game was postponed after a delay of 2 hours, 20 minutes. The start of Saturday’s game was delayed for 2:05. Play was stopped in the top of the sixth due to heavy rain and the game was called 55 minutes later.
In Sunday’s opener, Buchholz allowed one run and five hits in seven innings before Hideki Okajima (6-0) pitched a perfect eighth. Jonathan Papelbon got three outs for his 36th save in 39 chances.
The 5-foot-9 Pedroia’s opposite-field power surprised even Francona.
Asked if he thought Pedroia could clear the fence in Fenway Park’s deep right field, Francona quickly said: “No.”
“You look up and they’re shading right field way in, so off the bat it looks like we’re going to get the run,” the manager said. “It just kept going. You saw his reaction. I don’t think he knew he could do it, either.”
Victor Martinez added an RBI single for Boston and blocked the plate on a tag play that prevented Tampa Bay from taking the lead.
“Pedroia hitting a home run to right field is the last thing you expected,” Maddon said.
Ortiz opened the eighth with a pinch-hit double off the base of the right-field wall against Matt Garza (7-10). Jacoby Ellsbury sacrificed and Pedroia drove a 2-0 pitch into the Rays’ bullpen for his 13th homer.
“They’ve been pitching me away a lot lately with high fastballs,” said Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP who hit 17 homers last season. “I just got a pitch out there and drove it. I was kind of joking with (David) that he hit the wall.”
Boston went up 1-0 on Martinez’s sixth-inning RBI single.
Tampa Bay tied it in the seventh on Jason Bartlett’s run-scoring single. Second baseman Pedroia fielded Bartlett’s hit behind the bag and threw wide to first, but Casey Kotchman cut down Gabe Gross as Martinez blocked the plate.
Buchholz held the Rays to five singles, walking three and striking out five. In his last three starts at Fenway, he’s given up just two runs and 10 hits in 22 1-3 innings.
Xtra, xtra: John Stockton threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the second game two nights after he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Red Sox RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, on the disabled list since June 21 with a mild shoulder strain, turned 29. He is expected to start Tuesday against the Angels. Tampa Bay DH Pat Burrell is in a 1-for-19 slump. He was ejected as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of the second game after arguing a third strike (Associated Press - Sports).
Jon Lester made the most of his second chance.
Two days after struggling in a game that was rained out, the Red Sox left-hander allowed two hits in eight innings and Boston beat Tampa Bay 4-0 on Sunday for a doubleheader sweep, handing the AL champion Rays their 11th consecutive loss.
Lester gave up hits to three of the first four batters Friday night but none of that counted when the game was called after he threw only 23 pitches. It was made up as the opener Sunday, a 3-1 Boston win.
“I was kind of surprised the way my body responded,” Lester said. “I figured I’d be a little more sore (Saturday) than I was.”
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he wasn’t worried after Lester, who is 5-0 with a 2.26 ERA in his last 10 outings, told him Friday’s work was similar to a regular side session for a pitcher between starts.
“They’re creatures of habit and that’s not the way you draw it up,” Francona said. “He didn’t let it affect him.”
In the opener, Dustin Pedroia’s tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth sent Boston to a victory behind Clay Buchholz and two relievers.
Tampa Bay was eliminated from the AL East race one year after winning the division and reaching the World Series. The losing streak is the longest by a major league team this season.
“It’s embarrassing,” said James Shields, the second-game loser. “Eleven straight losses. Not fun at all. Whether we’re in the race or not, we’ve got to play better baseball.”
The Rays were outscored 16-2 and managed 14 hits in Boston’s three-game sweep. The AL wild-card leaders won 9-1 behind Josh Beckett in a game shortened by rain to five innings Saturday night.
“This whole week has been pretty much negative offense,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Boston’s win in the second game of the split doubleheader was its 11th in 15 games and eighth straight at Fenway Park.
Lester (13-7) allowed only singles to Gabe Kapler in the second and Dioner Navarro in the eighth. He struck out seven, walked three and threw one wild pitch.
Shields (9-11) had a rare solid performance at Fenway, where he is 0-6 with an 8.04 ERA.
The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the second on a groundout by Mike Lowell that drove in J.D. Drew, who walked and went to third on David Ortiz’s double.
Boston scored twice in the sixth. Drew led off with a single and went to third on a double by Lowell. Both scored on Jason Varitek’s single, a hard shot that took a bad hop past first baseman Willie Aybar.
Jason Bay’s 32nd homer just inside the Pesky Pole in right made it 4-0 in the eighth.
Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for Boston, allowing two hits before striking out the final two batters.
For a change, there was no rain Sunday. Friday’s game was postponed after a delay of 2 hours, 20 minutes. The start of Saturday’s game was delayed for 2:05. Play was stopped in the top of the sixth due to heavy rain and the game was called 55 minutes later.
In Sunday’s opener, Buchholz allowed one run and five hits in seven innings before Hideki Okajima (6-0) pitched a perfect eighth. Jonathan Papelbon got three outs for his 36th save in 39 chances.
The 5-foot-9 Pedroia’s opposite-field power surprised even Francona.
Asked if he thought Pedroia could clear the fence in Fenway Park’s deep right field, Francona quickly said: “No.”
“You look up and they’re shading right field way in, so off the bat it looks like we’re going to get the run,” the manager said. “It just kept going. You saw his reaction. I don’t think he knew he could do it, either.”
Victor Martinez added an RBI single for Boston and blocked the plate on a tag play that prevented Tampa Bay from taking the lead.
“Pedroia hitting a home run to right field is the last thing you expected,” Maddon said.
Ortiz opened the eighth with a pinch-hit double off the base of the right-field wall against Matt Garza (7-10). Jacoby Ellsbury sacrificed and Pedroia drove a 2-0 pitch into the Rays’ bullpen for his 13th homer.
“They’ve been pitching me away a lot lately with high fastballs,” said Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP who hit 17 homers last season. “I just got a pitch out there and drove it. I was kind of joking with (David) that he hit the wall.”
Boston went up 1-0 on Martinez’s sixth-inning RBI single.
Tampa Bay tied it in the seventh on Jason Bartlett’s run-scoring single. Second baseman Pedroia fielded Bartlett’s hit behind the bag and threw wide to first, but Casey Kotchman cut down Gabe Gross as Martinez blocked the plate.
Buchholz held the Rays to five singles, walking three and striking out five. In his last three starts at Fenway, he’s given up just two runs and 10 hits in 22 1-3 innings.
Xtra, xtra: John Stockton threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the second game two nights after he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Red Sox RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, on the disabled list since June 21 with a mild shoulder strain, turned 29. He is expected to start Tuesday against the Angels. Tampa Bay DH Pat Burrell is in a 1-for-19 slump. He was ejected as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of the second game after arguing a third strike (Associated Press - Sports).
Josh Beckett watched college football during a rain delay of more than 2 hours. Then he put on a show that Red Sox fans hadn’t seen in a month.
Boston’s ace got his first victory since Aug. 12, allowing one run on four hits, and Alex Gonzalez led an eight-run third inning as the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 in a game called by rain in the top of the sixth Saturday night.
“There was a different football game on every TV that you walked by so we stayed pretty busy,” before the game began 2 hours, 5 minutes late, Beckett said. “I’ve been through these situations enough to where I know that I can’t expend a lot of energy worrying about when the game is going to start.”
It was another encouraging sign for Beckett (15-6) after a four-game stretch in which he allowed 24 earned runs and 12 homers in 24 1-3 innings. His comeback began last Monday when he gave up three runs in seven innings in a 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in which he retired his last 10 batters.
“Hopefully, that will bring his confidence up for his next start,” said Kevin Youkilis, who singled in a run in the third and hit his 25th homer of the year, a solo shot, in the fourth.
Beckett allowed just one single through four innings and two more in the fifth. The Rays’ final hit was a double by Evan Longoria leading off the sixth, the last batter before the field was covered during a pouring rain. After a 55-minute delay, the game was called at 11:54 p.m.
Boston increased its AL wild-card lead to 3 games over Texas, which lost to Seattle. Tampa Bay’s losing streak reached nine games.
For his last 2 1/2 games, the timing of Beckett’s delivery improved and he avoided overthrowing the ball which had led to poorly located pitches, pitching coach John Farrell said. On Saturday, he struck out four and walked one.
“That’s what I feel like I should do every time out,” said Beckett, whose five-game winless stretch was his longest since July 29-Aug. 19, 2006. “You’ve just got to keep grinding every day and things end up working out.”
There was no rain most of the time during the first delay, but forecasts showed improving conditions. Friday night’s game was postponed by rain after just 12 minutes of play that began after a delay of 2 hours, 20 minutes. It was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sunday.
Wade Davis (0-1) was shelled after an outstanding major league debut six days earlier when he left with a 3-1 lead after seven innings—he allowed three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. But Detroit’s Brandon Inge hit a grand slam in the ninth off Russ Springer.
On Saturday, Davis retired the side in order in the first. He walked the first two batters in the second then struck out the last three. But he fell apart in the third when Gonzalez had two hits, two runs, three RBIs and a stolen base.
He didn’t blame the rain delay.
“I had to get ready and then not get ready and then get ready a couple times,” Davis said, “but it came down to I still felt good when I was out there and I didn’t execute.”
Gonzalez led off with a single, stole second and took third on Dustin Pedroia’s one-out single. Then Victor Martinez, Youkilis and David Ortiz hit consecutive RBI singles for a 3-0 lead.
Jason Bay followed with a walk, loading the bases, and Youkilis scored on a wild pitch. J.D. Drew then was walked intentionally, reloading the bases, and Gonzalez cleared them with a double.
Dale Thayer replaced Davis and allowed an RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury inside the first-base line that gave Beckett an 8-0 cushion.
“You can’t give up that many runs in an inning and expect to beat him,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s going to put it on cruise control.”
The rain resumed in the top of the fifth, but play continued as Tampa Bay scored its only run.
With one out, Akinori Iwamura singled, only the second hit off Beckett. Dioner Navarro was hit on the foot by a pitch and Jason Bartlett singled in a run before Carl Crawford flied out to end the fifth.
“It was a long day,” Boston manager Terry Francona said, “but it was a productive day.”
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay is 12-18 since Aug. 7 after going 52-34 from April 30 to Aug. 5. Martinez extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a stretch in which he is batting .356 (16 for 45). Youkilis went 2 for 2 with a walk and is hitting .400 in his last 13 games (18 for 45). Tampa Bay’s Fernando Perez made a twisting catch in deep center field but struck out in both his at-bats. Boston won its sixth straight home game (Associated Press - Sports).
Rain out! Doubleheader on Sunday.
Derek Jeter stood at first base and waved his batting helmet, cheers resonating from the upper reaches of a packed Yankee Stadium.
After tying Lou Gehrig atop the Yankees hit list, the ever-confident captain suddenly wasn’t so sure of himself.
“I really didn’t know what to do because we were losing at the time and I didn’t want to disrespect Tampa,” Jeter said. “I never dreamt about all of this.”
Jeter broke out of his slump in a big way Wednesday night, getting three hits to match Gehrig’s franchise mark, and New York rallied for a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays thanks to a three-run homer by pinch-hitter Jorge Posada in the eighth inning.
Jeter tied Gehrig with 2,721 hits in a Yankees uniform, a mark the Hall of Famer had held by himself for more than 70 years.
“He’s one of the classiest people to ever play this game,” Jeter said during an on-field, postgame television interview pumped over the stadium public address system. “It’s just kind of mind-boggling to have my name next to his.”
Moments after Posada’s homer, Jeter received a booming ovation as he stepped to the plate in the eighth with a chance to break the record. But he walked against reliever Grant Balfour, bringing a loud chorus of boos from the crowd.
The Yankees are off Thursday. Jeter gets his next chance to set the record Friday night at home against Baltimore.
“I have a pretty good feeling that it’s going to happen pretty quickly,” manager Joe Girardi said.
Shut down by rookie Jeff Niemann most of the night, the Yankees completed a four-game sweep and sent the AL champion Rays to their eighth consecutive loss. It’s their longest skid since dropping eight straight in July 2007.
Already on their feet in anticipation, fans at Yankee Stadium let loose with a roar when Jeter’s sharp grounder inside the first-base line got by a diving Chris Richard in the seventh.
Jeter’s parents, watching from an upstairs box between home plate and first base, raised their arms and exclaimed in excitement.
“I felt proud. I got goose bumps,” Posada said. “It was a perfect moment.”
Jeter took off his helmet and twice waved it to the crowd of 45,848 during an ovation that lasted about 2 minutes. Rays players and coaches clapped as Jeter stood at first base.
“I’m very happy for him,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “He carries himself in a manner that’s worthy of passing Gehrig.”
After entering the game in an 0-for-12 slump, his longest hitless stretch this season, Jeter snapped out of the rut with a bunt single toward third base leading off the bottom of the first. He beat the play without a throw, bringing a standing ovation from the crowd.
“That’s why I bunted in the first inning. I needed to get one hit, right?” Jeter said.
With cameras flashing all around the ballpark on every pitch to Jeter, he grounded out in the third and drove a ground-rule double to straightaway center in the fifth.
On his first chance to tie Gehrig, Jeter came through in fitting fashion— with an opposite-field hit on the first pitch.
“I don’t want to say it was a relief,” Jeter said. “Afterward I was pretty excited that I was able to do it tonight.”
In the middle of the eighth inning, the large video board in center field showed a replay and flashed “Congratulations Derek!”
“What an ovation I got from the fans,” he said. “I’ve been trying to do it for them.”
Jeter also stole second base in the first inning for his 300th career steal, which ranks second on the franchise list behind Rickey Henderson (326).
Gehrig’s final hit came on April 29, 1939, a single against the Washington Senators. The Iron Horse had held the club record for hits since Sept. 6, 1937, when he passed Babe Ruth.
Gehrig’s career ended suddenly in 1939 because of illness. Two years later, he died at 37 from the disease that would later bear his name.
A key throwing error by Richard helped the Yankees rally in the eighth. Posada, one of Jeter’s best buddies, connected off Balfour with one out to give New York a 4-2 lead and raised his arm as he rounded first base.
“It would be tough to lose a game when he ties Lou Gehrig, so we needed to win this one,” Posada said.
Jonathan Albaladejo (5-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
With star closer Mariano Rivera getting a night off, Phil Coke struck out pinch-hitter Gabe Kapler with a runner on for his second save.
Lance Cormier (2-3) took the loss.
With the Yankees limiting Joba Chamberlain’s workload this season, the 23-year-old right-hander was pulled after three innings for the third straight start.
Xtra, xtra: Jeter was back at shortstop after a night as the DH. B.J. Upton (sprained left ankle) started in CF for the Rays but was lifted in the sixth and replaced by Fernando Perez. Jason Bartlett drove Chamberlain’s fourth pitch to left for his second homer in two games and second career leadoff shot. Both have come this season at Yankee Stadium (Associated Press - Sports).
Nick Swisher gladly filled in for a silent Derek Jeter.
Swisher launched his second home run of the game Tuesday night, hitting a one-out shot in the ninth inning that barely cleared the wall and gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay. The Rays lost their season-high seventh in a row.
“When you’re going into the late innings like that, it’s hard not to think about hitting a home run to win the game,” the ever-chatty Swisher said.
Jeter, meanwhile, struck out three times and remained stuck in his longest slump of the year, moving no closer to the Yankees hit record held by Lou Gehrig.
Rays rookie David Price fanned Jeter his first three times up, twice looking. The Yankees star had nothing to show for four at-bats, leaving him in an 0 for 12 rut and still four hits from surpassing Gehrig’s total of 2,721.
Jeter wasn’t available for postgame interviews. He usually stays around for comment, but this time left after his first three-strikeout game since July 2008.
“I’ve never seen him press before, so I don’t know what it looks like,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He’s taking a lot of ribbing from this teammates. I’m sure it’s on his mind. I think he wants to put this behind him.”
Mariano Rivera (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth as the Yankees won for the 12th time in 15 games and got their major league-leading 90th win of the season, surpassing last year’s total.
The Yankees have won 13 times in game-ending fashion, the most for them since 1978.
“Walkoffs here are like base hits and bunts,” starting pitcher Chad Gaudin said.
The switch-hitting Swisher connected from both sides of the plate. He won it with a left-handed shot off Dan Wheeler (4-4) that barely made it over the right-field wall.
“The inches have been going against us,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “This is pretty much the script of the last three weeks.”
Swisher homered in the second and Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single in the sixth. Swisher has three multihomer games this season—he connected lefty and righty each time. Of Swisher’s 26 homers this season, only five have come at hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.
“Just being the new guy over here … it’s nice to make memories of our own,” he said.
Jason Bartlett greeted Yankees reliever Phil Hughes with a leadoff home run in the eighth, tying it at 2. Evan Longoria hit his 30th homer the previous inning off Gaudin.
Plagued by deep pitch counts earlier in the year, Price came out throwing strikes. He gave up only three hits in six innings, walked two and struck out six.
Randy Choate retired Jeter on a lineout leading off the eighth, then made the defensive play of the game. The sidearming lefty tracked down Johnny Damon’s drag bunt, lunged for the ball and flipped it with his glove while falling forward for the out.
Gaudin took a 2-0 lead into the seventh. His winless streak reached 10 starts, before he was traded from San Diego to the Yankees in early August.
Gaudin helped himself by picking off speedster Carl Crawford at first base with a quick move in the sixth. Crawford also got trapped after a triple in the opening inning, taking off on Longoria’s grounder and getting tagged out in a rundown.
Jeter’s parents watched from an upstairs box, and they saw their son go hitless in three straight games for the first time this season.
A day after moving past Yogi Berra into third place for most games played as a Yankee, Jeter joked with the Hall of Famer catcher in the clubhouse.
“I got more rings than him, that’s what counts,” Berra kidded. “He’s still a baby.”
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay slugger Carlos Pena, who broke two fingers Monday when hit by a pitch from CC Sabathia, met with a hand specialist. He hasn’t made a decision on whether to have surgery. Jeter has struck out four times in a game twice. Curt Schilling fanned him four times in 1997 with Philadelphia (Associated Press - Sports).
Derek Jeter got a standing ovation—when he came on the field for his pregame wind sprints at the start of a very long day. He didn’t give fans more to cheer about, failing to gain ground on Lou Gehrig.
Jeter went 0 for 8 with a walk and remained three hits behind the Iron Horse as the New York Yankees swept a day-night doubleheader from the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 and 11-1 Monday.
“You’d like to get it over with,” Jeter said. “Hopefully, tomorrow will be a little bit better.”
After a sparkling seven-inning pitcher’s duel between CC Sabathia and Matt Garza in the opener, Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in a three-run eighth. Mark Teixeira had a three-run homer in an eight-run third that broke open the second game and added a solo shot, boosting A.J. Burnett (11-8) to his first win since July 27.
New York had 24 hits, but none by Jeter on a day that ended with a spring-training-like slew of late-innings substitutes.
Flashes went off throughout the stadium whenever he came to the plate. Limited to a tying RBI grounder in the third, he came out for a pinch runner in the sixth inning of the second game and stayed stuck at 2,718 hits, leaving Gehrig to hold the team record for another day.
“You think about it, because that’s all you’re hearing about, especially when you’re on deck,” he said.
Jeter did surpass another Yankees great—with 2,117 games, he jumped ahead of Yogi Berra for third on the Yankees list behind only Mickey Mantle (2,401) and Gehrig (2,164).
New York (89-50) has won 11 of 14, matched last year’s victory total with more than 3 1/2 weeks to play and is 39 games over .500 for the first time since 2004. The Yankees opened a season-high nine-game AL East lead over second-place Boston and moved 6 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for best record in the AL—and homefield throughout the postseason.
“We’ve been on quite a roll here for quite some time, and you want to continue it because we still haven’t won anything. We haven’t clinched anything,” Jeter said.
Fading Tampa Bay has lost six straight, its longest skid since dropping seven from July 7-13 last year. Making matters worse, slugger Carlos Pena broke two fingers on his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the opener. Because he swung, he didn’t even get to first base.
“I knew when the ball hit me it was going to be bad,” he said. “You don’t take a 95 mph fastball on the finger and live to tell about it—or the finger live to tell about it.”
The All-Star first baseman, who may need surgery, leads the AL with 39 homers and finished with 100 RBIs.
“It’s very discouraging,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He was swinging the bat about as well as anyone I’ve seen this season.”
Sabathia matched his season high with 10 strikeouts and allowed one run, three hits and four walks. He is 6-0 with 2.31 ERA in eight starts since 6-2 loss at Tampa Bay on July 28.
Garza gave up only an unearned run, five hits and a walk, striking out seven. Even though his opponents’ batting average of .233 coming in was the best in the AL, he is 0-2 in eight starts since July 24.
“All I can do is go out there and pitch as well as I can,” he said.
Phil Hughes (6-3) pitched the eighth and Mariano Rivera, out since Sept. 1 with a sore left groin, struck out two in finishing the three-hitter for his 39th save in 40 chances.
“It responded real well,” Rivera said. “I’m not worried about it.”
Burnett watched Sabathia, then gave up one run, four hits and three walks in six innings, striking out eight. He had been 0-4 with 6.54 ERA in seven starts since winning at Tampa Bay on July 27.
“Any time you get to pitch behind that big man, you know, you want to put up his numbers,” Burnett said. “You just get inspired.”
Lance Cormier (2-2) lost the opener, dropping Tampa Bay’s bullpen to 2-9 since Aug. 6. Andy Sonnanstine (6-9) was pounded for eight runs, eight hits and three walks in 2 2-3 innings of the night game, inflating his ERA to 7.23.
“My arm was dragging. I couldn’t catch up,” Sonnanstine said. “Definitely today was probably one of the worst days of my life.”
Xtra, xtra: Nick Swisher was hit on the left elbow by pitch from Jeff Bennett on a swing in the sixth inning of the night game. While announced attendance for the night makeup of a June 5 rainout was 45,953, the turnstile count was 35,128. Jorge Posada caught Sabathia for the first time since Aug. 18. Teixeira has three multihomer games this season, 24 overall. Tampa Bay is 1-7-7 in doubleheaders. Jose Molina (three hits, two walks in Game 2) reached base five times in a game for the first time in his career (Associated Press - Sports).
Derek Jeter got a standing ovation—when he came on the field for his pregame wind sprints. He didn’t give fans more to cheer about, failing to gain ground on Lou Gehrig.
Jeter went 0 for 4 and remained three hits behind the Iron Horse as the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in the opener of Monday’s day-night doubleheader. After a sparkling pitcher’s duel between CC Sabathia and Matt Garza, Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in a three-run eighth inning.
“I think everybody’s excited,” Sabathia said, “and wants to see him get that record.”
Applauded ahead of every at-bat, Jeter stayed stuck at 2,718 hits. He did match another Yankees great—the first game was his 2,116st, tying Yogi Berra for third on the Yankees list behind only Mickey Mantle (2,401) and Lou Gehrig (2,164).
“I’m sure he wants to get this behind him so he doesn’t have to talk about it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Fading Tampa Bay lost its fifth straight, equaling its season high. Making matters worse, slugger Carlos Pena broke two fingers on his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the first. Because he swung, he didn’t even get to take first base.
“I knew when the ball hit me it was going to be bad,” he said. “You don’t take a 95 mph fastball on the finger and live to tell about it—or the finger live to tell about it.”
Pena was to return to Florida and meet with the Rays medical staff before a determination was made whether he needs surgery. He leads the AL with 39 homers and finished with 100 RBIs.
“It’s very discouraging,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He was swinging the bat about as well as anyone I’ve seen this season.”
New York went ahead off Lance Cormier (2-2), dropping Tampa Bay’s bullpen to 2-9 since Aug. 6.
Nick Swisher walked leading off the eighth and took third when Mark Teixeira singled and Gabe Kapler bobbled the ball. Kapler then hit Swisher with the throw for an error that allowed Teixeira to advance. After an intentional walk to Alex Rodriguez, Cano hit a flyout to center that scored pinch-runner Jerry Hairston Jr. Chad Bradford allowed Jorge Posada’s RBI single off the right-field wall and Eric Hinske’s sacrifice fly.
“I didn’t catch the ball cleanly. Then it came up and bounced away,” Kapler said. “My responsibility. I should have handled it.”
Sabathia matched his season high with 10 strikeouts and allowed one run, three hits and four walks in seven innings. He is 6-0 with 2.31 ERA in eight starts since 6-2 loss at Tampa Bay on July 28.
Garza gave up only an unearned run, five hits and a walk in seven innings, striking out seven. Even though his opponents’ batting average of .233 coming in was the best in the AL, he is 0-2 in eight starts since July 24.
“All I can do is go out there and pitch as well as I can,” he said.
Phil Hughes (6-3) pitched the eighth and Mariano Rivera, out since Sept. 1 with a sore left groin, struck out two in finishing the three-hitter for his 39th save in 40 chances.
“It responded real well,” Rivera said. “I’m not worried about it.”
Rodriguez lined a two-out double past left fielder Fernando Perez in the first that scored Teixeira, who reached when second baseman Ben Zobrist misplayed his grounder for an error. Evan Longoria tied the score in the second with his career-best 29th homer, a drive into the first row of the right-field seats.
Brett Gardner, activated before the opener, made a sliding, backhand catch on Perez in right-center field in the fifth with a runner on first, saving a run. The speedy center fielder had been on the disabled list since breaking his left thumb on July 25
“It’s a different game if that ball falls,” Girardi said.
Xtra, xtra: A.J. Burnett, 0-4 in seven starts since winning at Tampa Bay on July 27, was to pitch the second game for the Yankees against Andy Sonnanstine. The doubleheader was caused by a June 5 rainout. Posada caught Sabathia for the first time since Aug. 18. Carl Crawford was thrown out by Posada trying to steal second on a pitchout in the eighth. Maddon argued—replays weren’t clear cut. New York is 15-0 when tied after seven innings—the longest such streak at the start of a season in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (Associated Press - Sports).
Brandon Inge struck out in each of his first three at-bats Sunday. Then, one swing changed everything.
Inge hit a grand slam in the ninth inning and the Detroit Tigers picked apart Tampa Bay’s bullpen in a 5-3 victory over the Rays that completed a three-game sweep.
“It’s one of those days where I couldn’t really figure out why I was missing,” Inge said. “I felt like I was taking good swings all day. As long as you can remember that that very last at-bat is going to be one that can make a huge difference in the game, put all of your previous at-bats aside because it’s the last one that’s very important.”
Detroit earned its sixth consecutive win and opened a seven-game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central.
After Rays starter Wade Davis pitched seven sharp innings in his major league debut, Detroit overcame a 3-1 lead when Tampa Bay used five relievers in the ninth. Inge capped the comeback, connecting with one out against Russ Springer (0-3) for his fifth career slam.
“He did a great job,” Springer said of Davis. “It makes it worse to ruin his first start. It was bad in a couple different ways. It wasn’t that bad of a pitch. It was on the outside corner. I know he’s a hook guy, but on paper he’s supposed to hit the ball to second. He got it.”
Edwin Jackson (12-6) allowed three runs and six hits in eight innings for Detroit. Brandon Lyon pitched the ninth for his third save.
“He gave up that three-spot, but I thought he was tremendous,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Jackson. “That’s what gave us a chance to win the ballgame.”
Evan Longoria hit his career-high 28th homer for the Rays, who have lost eight of 11 and fell seven back of wild card-leading Boston. The 2008 AL Rookie of the Year joined teammate Carlos Pena in reaching 100 RBIs, marking the first time two Tampa Bay players have reached that total in the same year.
Davis allowed one run and three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk. Taken in the third round of the 2004 draft, the native of nearby Lake Wales, Fla., pitched a day before his 24th birthday.
“Everybody wants to win,” said Davis, who watched the ninth in the clubhouse. “I gave them a chance.”
Davis struck out his first four batters before Aubrey Huff homered to put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the second. The right-hander then closed out the second with two more strikeouts.
Lance Cormier pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings, striking out Carlos Guillen to start the ninth. Manager Joe Maddon then brought in Grant Balfour, who walked Miguel Cabrera.
Struggling closer J.P. Howell entered and walked pinch-hitter Marcus Thames, the only batter he faced. Springer took over and gave up a single to Magglio Ordonez before Inge’s 27th homer of the season. Randy Choate got the last two outs.
Maddon said the ninth-inning matchups were established before the inning.
“Obviously the two walks can’t happen,” he said. “The walks really turned that game around.”
Tampa Bay’s bullpen is 2-8 with eight blown saves in the last 28 games.
Longoria homered in the second and Tampa Bay added two more in the third. Dioner Navarro scored on Carl Crawford’s double-play grounder and Fernando Perez came home on Jackson’s wild pitch.
Xtra, xtra: Jackson, traded from Tampa Bay to Detroit during the offseason, received his 2008 AL championship ring from the Rays on Saturday. He went 14-11 last season. Davis’ nine strikeouts set a team record for a rookie in his first game. Tigers closer Fernando Rodney, who threw 35 pitches on Friday, rested for the second straight game. Leyland plans to talk with RHP Armando Galarraga, whose spot in the rotation might be in jeopardy. A group of Detroit players enjoyed watching Leyland drive RHP Jeremy Bonderman’s remote-control, high-speed mini-car in the outfield before the game. “We both flipped it,” Leyland said (Associated Press - Sports).
The Detroit Tigers dug themselves out of an early hole for a satisfying victory.
Pinch-hitter Marcus Thames came through with a tiebreaking single during a two-run eighth inning and Alex Avila had a two-run homer to lead the streaking Tigers past the Tampa Bay Rays 8-6 on Saturday night.
Detroit, which overcame a three-run deficit, went ahead 8-6 when Thames hit a bases-loaded single and Adam Everett drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt. The AL Central leaders, who also got a homer from Placido Polanco, have won five in a row.
“That’s how you win games in the playoffs,” Avila said. “When you get everybody contributing, you can’t ask for anything better than that.”
Detroit’s bullpen was stellar, with six relievers holding the defending AL champions to four hits over 6 2-3 scoreless innings.
“The bullpen kept the wind in our sails,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland. “The bullpen gave us confidence.”
Detroit used 23 players overall.
“I’m drained,” Leyland said.
Evan Longoria hit his 27th homer—matching the total from his AL Rookie of the Year season in 2008—for the Rays, who have lost seven of 10. Tampa Bay remained six games behind Boston for the wild card.
“That’s been too much of the script, that we’ve been able to play well and then we’ve given up some stuff late,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “We’ve had a little bit of a hiccup.”
Avila hit a two-run shot and Polanco added an RBI single in the seventh to tie it 6-all.
Bobby Seay (5-2) got two outs for the win and Brandon Lyon worked the ninth for his second save. Rays reliever Grant Balfour (5-4) took the loss.
Longoria had a three-run homer during a four-run first off Armando Galarraga as the Rays took a 4-1 lead.
Carlos Pena became the first Tampa Bay player to have 100 RBIs or more in three seasons with a run-scoring single in a two-run third that made it 6-3. Pena has 23 RBIs over his last 15 games.
Polanco hit a first-inning solo homer before Carlos Guillen pulled Detroit to 4-3 on a two-run triple in the third.
Galarraga, recalled from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day to pitch in place of injured Jarrod Washburn, allowed six runs, four hits and three walks in 2 1-3 innings. Washburn, slowed by a sore left knee, is scheduled to start Thursday at Kansas City.
Leyland expressed concerns about Galarraga’s arm slot and planned to talk with pitching coach Rick Knapp about it.
Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman (blood clot), who last pitched in the majors on June 8, gave up one hit, one walk and had two strikeouts in 1 2-3 scoreless innings.
“It just feels good to get out there,” Bonderman said. “It’s good to be part of it. Get in there and pitch in a little bit and do whatever I can to help these guys get to the playoffs.”
James Shields allowed six runs and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings. The Rays’ opening-day starter is winless—including five losses—over his last 10 starts at home, dating to June 4.
With a postgame concert featuring The Beach Boys, the announced crowd was a sellout of 36,973. In comparison, the Rays’ three-game series Tuesday through Thursday against Boston averaged 19,221.
Xtra, xtra: Leyland visited close friend and Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer, who is recovering after successful surgery for decompression of a nerve in his lower back on Wednesday. Zimmer could be released from the hospital in the next few days. Rays CF B.J. Upton (sprained left ankle) might start one game of Monday’s doubleheader at the New York Yankees. Tigers closer Fernando Rodney, who allowed two runs and threw 35 pitches in the ninth inning of Friday’s 4-3 win over the Rays, was rested and might get Sunday off, too. Detroit LHP Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings for Toledo against Columbus (Associated Press - Sports).
Justin Verlander got his 16th win of the season— barely.
Verlander tied New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia for the AL lead in victories, Adam Everett hit a tiebreaking RBI single during a three-run ninth and the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night.
Verlander (16-7) allowed one run and four hits over eight innings. He has won three consecutive starts.
“I’m not worried about 16, I’m worried about one, and that’s today,” Verlander said. “And even if I didn’t get the win today, if we came away with the ‘W’ I’d be more than happy.”
The Tigers expanded their lead to six games over Minnesota, which lost 5-2 to Cleveland.
Detroit closer Fernando Rodney allowed two runs in the bottom half of the ninth before nailing down his 32nd save.
Carlos Pena hit an RBI single with one out and Evan Longoria drove in another run with a double before pinch-hitter Willy Aybar grounded out with runners on second and third.
During the postgame celebration on the field, Rodney threw the game ball toward the stands and it ended up in the press box. No one was hit by the ball, which Rodney said he was throwing to the fans.
“Feeling the moment,” Rodney said. “A little celebration.”
Detroit manager Jim Leyland said he didn’t see the throw, but planned to check into it. Rodney, after making 35 pitches, will not pitch on Saturday.
“I think he was a little more sluggish than normal,” Leyland said. “I’m going to give him a day off for sure. He deserves it.”
Tampa Bay rookie Jeff Niemann, who has a team-best 12 wins, gave up one run and six hits in 7 2-3 innings. The Rays, six games behind Boston in the AL Wild-card race, have lost six of nine.
“Verlander and Niemann were the key,” Leyland said. “They were both brilliant.”
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon feels Niemann should be the AL rookie of the league.
“I don’t know who is better right now,” Maddon said. “He’s been fantastic.”
Pinch hitter Ryan Raburn opened the ninth by drawing a walk from J.P. Howell (7-5) and went to second one out later when pinch hitter Marcus Thames walked. Everett then gave the Tigers a 2-1 advantage when he lined a single to left on the first pitch.
Curtis Granderson had a run-scoring single off Randy Choate and Placido Polanco hit a sacrifice fly against Russ Springer later in the ninth to make it 4-1.
“You want to quit and scream, but there’s tomorrow, too,” said Howell, who is 1-3 with a 6.42 ERA in his last 14 outings. “There’s another opportunity tomorrow for you to improve.”
Longoria put the Rays ahead 1-0 on an RBI double in the second.
Niemann retired 10 in a row before Miguel Cabrera tied it at 1 with a towering solo homer to left.
Tigers catcher Gerald Laird helped keep the speedy Rays in check, throwing out two runners attempting to steal second. Tampa Bay leads the majors with 169 stolen bases this season.
“He’s got to be the best thrower in the league right now,” Leyland said.
Xtra, xtra: Detroit has decided to have Verlander stay on his normal schedule and start Wednesday’s game at Kansas City. With an off day Monday, there was an option to give him an extra day of rest. Rays CF B.J. Upton (sprained left ankle) could return early next week. Leyland plans to have RHP Jeremy Bonderman (blood clot) make his first appearance in a low-leverage situation. Jackson, traded by Tampa Bay to Detroit during the offseason, is scheduled to start Sunday’s game against the Rays (Associated Press - Sports).
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Matt Garza stopped a slump against Toronto.
Jon Lester made the most of his second chance.
