 |
 |
 |
|
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Milton Bradley and Marlon Byrd hit two-run homers early and the Texas Rangers clinched their seventh consecutive series by beating the Houston Astros 6-2 on Saturday night.
| Advertisement |
|||
| |||
The last time the Rangers won seven series in a row was 1999, the season they won their last AL West title. They have won 15 of 21 games in this span, getting back to .500 three weeks after having the worst record in the major leagues.
Bradley homered in the first and Byrd followed an inning later to make it 4-1 against Roy Oswalt (4-4), who had won four straight decisions over six starts since losing his first three starts of the season.
Vicente Padilla (6-2) matched his victory total from last season by winning his fourth consecutive decision over five starts. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings.
After a 16-8 victory in the opener of the Lone Star Series on Friday night, the Rangers (22-22) clinched the series and got to .500 for the first time since they were 5-5 on April 11 -- the day after they had their only winning record under second-year manager Ron Washington following a doubleheader sweep of Baltimore.
Oswalt left in the seventh after allowing consecutive singles and going to a 2-0 count on the third batter of the inning. The Astros said he had a strained right groin, but the right-hander had thrown 111 pitches (72 strikes).
After Oswalt left, David Murphy and Gerald Laird had consecutive RBI singles -- off different relievers -- to put the Rangers up 6-2, both runs charged to Oswalt. Full story
Orioles 6, Nationals 5
BALTIMORE -- Nick Markakis homered and drove in three runs, Brian Burres pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning and Baltimore held on to beat Washington for its fourth straight victory.
Burres (4-4) allowed two runs, walked two and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings as the Orioles won for the seventh time in eight games. The left-hander had lost three consecutive decisions following a 3-1 start.
A triumph in the finale of the three-game series Sunday would match Baltimore's longest winning streak of the season and give the Orioles their first sweep of the Nationals.
Ryan Zimmerman hit a home run and Aaron Boone had two RBI for Washington, which has dropped three of five games.
White Sox 3, Giants 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Mark Buerhle won a matchup of struggling starters with Barry Zito, pitching into the seventh inning to lead the Chicago White Sox to a victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Zito (0-8) worked five innings and gave up only two runs in becoming the first Giants pitcher to open a season with eight losses since Jesse Burkett in 1890. Zito allowed eight hits and a season-high six walks and struck out four. He has lost six straight in interleague play.
The Giants have yet to score more than three runs for Zito in any of his nine starts. He left the game for the sixth time with one run or less of support.
Buerhle (2-5) ended a five-game losing streak by allowing one run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out one.
Rockies 3, Twins 2
DENVER -- Ryan Spilborghs hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Colorado overcame Livan Hernandez's strong outing to end a six-game losing streak.
Hernandez (6-2) retired the first 15 batters he faced before Jeff Baker hit a double to left leading off the sixth inning. Hernandez allowed eight hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings, and drove in a run with a bunt.
With the game tied 2-all, Baker started the eighth with his second double of the game and moved to third on a bunt by Yorvit Torrealba. Spilborghs slapped a single to center on a full count through a drawn-in infield, scoring Baker.
Brendan Harris had an RBI single for the Twins, losers of four of five.
Tigers 3, Diamondbacks 2
PHOENIX -- Carlos Guillen hit a two-run single, Matt Joyce homered and Detroit snepped a five-game losing streak.
Armando Galarraga (3-1) kept the Diamondbacks at bay, allowing two runs and one hit in six-plus innings.
Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six chances. He hit leadoff man Justin Upton before retiring Mark Reynolds, Eric Byrnes and Chris Snyder on fly balls.
With Chase Field's roof open on a 94-degree evening, Galarraga and Arizona's Max Scherzer (0-2) dueled through four scoreless innings in the twilight.
Mariners 4, Padres 2
SEATTLE -- Adrian Beltre snapped a monthlong slump with a tiebreaking, two-run homer off San Diego reliever Cla Meredith in the seventh inning, and the Seattle Mariners' anemic offense came to life just in time for a win over the Padres.
Heading for their ninth loss in 11 games, the Mariners suddenly awakened for three runs in the seventh, making a deserving winner out of starter Erik Bedard, who struck out a season-high 10.
The unlikely catalyst was backup catcher Jamie Burke, who started the seventh dribbling a single into center field. After a fly out, Ichiro Suzuki worked a 3-2 count on Randy Wolf, then drove a fastball to deep right-center that barely eluded the reach of right fielder Brian Giles.
Despite not being the fleetest of runners, Burke was waved home. He plowed across home plate just ahead of the relay throw and got a wet towel tossed on his head in the dugout after pulling Seattle even at 2-all.