AMERICAN LEAGUE : Anderson extends streak with 9th-inning game-winner
Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Given a final chance to extend his hitting streak to 23 games, Garret Anderson delivered for the Los Angeles Angels with a ninthinning infield single that drove in the winning run in a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.
Anderson struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh, when the Angels wasted an opportunity to break the game open. But he came through in the same situation in the ninth, after the Rays tied it 4-4 on Carlos Pena’s RBI double off Jose Arredondo (5-1 ).
Vladimir Guerrero was walked intentionally to load the bases with one out in the ninth. After Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff ) grounded into a force play at the plate, Anderson hit a sharp grounder that second baseman Akinori Iwamura was unable to backhand cleanly moving to his right. The play initially was ruled an error. It later was changed to a hit, keeping Anderson’s streak alive.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for the Angels for his major league-leading and club-record 48 th save. INDIANS 8, ROYALS 5 Franklin Gutierrez hit a three-run home run in a five-run eighth as host Cleveland beat Kansas City for its fourth consecutive victory. RANGERS 9, TIGERS 1 Kevin Millwood (7-7 ), who lost his previous three decisions, gave up six hits in his second complete game of the season as host Texas beat Detroit. WHITE SOX 15, MARINERS 3 Ken Griffey Jr. hit home run No. 609, a two-run shot, to move into a tie with Sammy Sosa for fifth on the career list as host Chicago handed Seattle its sixth consecutive loss. TWINS 3, ATHLETICS 1 Mike Redmond, playing when regular catcher Joe Mauer got the day off, drove in two runs as host Minnesota beat Oakland. YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 1 Andy Pettitte (13-9 ) pitched seven strong innings to end a four-start winless streak as New York beat host Toronto. ORIOLES 11, RED SOX 6 Ramon Hernandez and Melvin Mora each hit a three-run home run as host Baltimore overcame a 4-0 deficit to beat Boston.
National League REDS 2, CUBS 1 Bronson Arroyo (11-10 ) allowed three hits and a run in seven innings as Cincinnati beat host Chicago. Arroyo tied a career high by issuing five walks, struck out four and was backed by two double plays in a duel with Cubs starter Ted Lilly (12-7 ), who held the Reds hitless for the first five innings. The loss was only the fifth in the past 22 games for the NL Central-leading Cubs. The Reds broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh when Edwin Encarnacion hit a fly that fell in front of Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano and behind shortstop Ryan Theriot for a leadoff double. He moved up on an infield out and scored on Jolbert Cabrera’s sacrifice fly. David Weathers pitched the eighth and Francisco Cordero struck out the side in the ninth for his 24 th save in 30 chances. Lilly fell to 0-3 against the Reds this season with all three losses at Wrigley Field. The left-hander gave up two hits in seven innings. Lilly didn’t allow a hit until Ryan Hanigan doubled off the top of the center field wall leading off the sixth. One out later, Chris Dickerson reached on a third strike wild pitch to put runners at the corners. When Jeff Keppinger hit a shot between first and second, Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa made his third nice play of the game to stop the ball and throw to second for the force, but Theriot’s relay to first wasn’t in time for a double play as Hanigan scored the tying run. CARDINALS 11, PIRATES 2 St. Louis’ Rick Ankiel and Jason LaRue each hit a two-run home run and Todd Wellemeyer (11-4 ) beat visiting Pittsburgh for the third time this season. Wellemeyer won his fourth consecutive decision and added an RBI single for the Cardinals, who won for only the fourth time in their past 12 games at home. Skip Schumaker had three hits and an RBI for the Cardinals. Ankiel hit a 2-2 pitch over the fence in the third to put the Cardinals ahead 5-2. LaRue, a late lineup addition at catcher when Yadier Molina was scratched with a bruised left foot, hit a two-run home run in the seventh and was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI. BREWERS 5, ASTROS 2 Manny Parra (10-6 ) won for the first time in six starts since July 20 and J. J. Hardy hit a two-out, two-run home run in the seventh as host Milwaukee beat Houston. PHILLIES 4, NATIONALS 0 Brett Myers (6-10 ) pitched a nine-hitter for his first shutout since May 20, 2004 and his first complete game since Sept. 20, 2006, as host Philadelphia handed Washington its 12 th consecutive loss. METS 6, BRAVES 3 Mike Pelfrey (12-8 ) pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game and hit an RBI single in a five-run first inning as host New York beat Atlanta. Wednesday’s results NATIONAL LEAGUE Milwaukee 5, Houston 2 Philadelphia 4, Washington 0 NY Mets 6, Atlanta 3 Cincinnati 2, Chicago Cubs 1 St. Louis 11, Pittsburgh 2 San Diego at Arizona, (n ) Colorado at LA Dodgers, (n ) Florida at San Francisco, (n ) AMERICAN LEAGUE Minnesota 3, Oakland 1 Chicago White Sox 15, Seattle 3 Baltimore 11, Boston 6 Cleveland 8, Kansas City 5 NY Yankees 5, Toronto 1 LA Angels 5, Tampa Bay 4 Texas 9, Detroit 1
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