MLB roundup: Owings quiets Braves

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 18, 2009

Associated Press
CINCINNATI ó Micah Owings hit a three-run homer and pitched six effective innings to overcome Javier Vazquez’s complete game and lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
Jay Bruce also homered to help Owings (4-7) earn his first win since May 12 and improve to 4-0 in four career starts against Atlanta.
The Reds’s first five batters went a combined 0-for-17.
Vazquez (4-6) allowed four hits and two walks and seven strikeouts in eight innings. It was the 24th complete game of his career and first since a 3-2 loss to Oakland last July 3 while pitching for the White Sox.
Yunel Escobar had two hits, including his seventh homer of the season, but the Braves still lost their fourth consecutive game.
Nate McLouth doubled with one out in the seventh and came around to score on two wild pitches by Nick Masset.
INTERLEAGUE
Rangers 5, Astros 4 (10)
ARLINGTON, Texas ó David Murphy hit a game-winning RBI single in the 10th.Texas took advantage of two throwing errors by Ivan Rodriguez on the day he set the major league record for games caught at 2,227. He broke Carlton Fisk’s record.White Sox 4, Cubs 1
CHICAGO ó John Danks took a shutout into the eighth inning and Alexei Ramirez homered in the first as the White Sox, backed by a large and vocal following at Wrigley Field, now lead the spirited interleague series 34-33.
Nationals 3, Yankees 2
NEW YORK ó Local product John Lannan pitched into the ninth inning in his first career start at Yankee Stadium.
Lannan (4-5) allowed two runs and four hits in 81/3 innings.
Mike MacDougal got Robinson Cano to ground into a game-ending double play for his first save since 2006.
Adam Dunn homered and Nick Johnson hit a two-run triple for the Nationals, who had lost 16 of 19.
Red Sox 6, Marlins 1
BOSTON ó Dustin Pedroia had three hits and three RBIs, and Boston celebrated its 500th consecutive sellout with a victory over Florida.
David Ortiz scored runs and hit a double.
The Red Sox are 327-173 since the sellout streak began on May 15, 2003.
Diamondbacks 12, Royals 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ó Max Scherzer outpitched a Zack Greinke and Mark Reynolds homered off K.C.’s ace.
Greinke (8-3) has an 5.46 ERA in his past four starts after beginning the season 7-1. His overall ERA rose to 1.96.
Angels 4, Giants 3
SAN FRANCISCO ó Pinch-hitters Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero opened a three-run rally with consecutive singles in the eighth inning.
Chone Figgins drove home Hunter and later scored the go-ahead run on Juan Rivera’s groundout for the Angels, who snapped Tim Lincecum’s six-game winning streak.
Brewers 9, Indians 8 (11)
CLEVELAND ó J.J. Hardy drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the 11th.
Closer Trevor Hoffman blew an 8-4 lead in the ninth.
Blue Jays 7, Phillies 1
PHILADELPHIA ó Scott Richmond struck out a career-high 11 in eight innings, and Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer.
Pirates 8, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS ó Ian Snell won for the first time in two months and Andrew McCutchen hit his first major league homer off Francisco Liriano (2-8).
Rockies 5, Rays 3
DENVER ó Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run homer and Aaron Cook survived a fifth that included homers by Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford.
Rockies pitcher Taylor Buchholz underwent Tommy John-style ligament-replacement surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined a year.
Cardinals 4, Tigers 3
ST. LOUIS ó Rookie Colby Rasmus had three hits and two RBIs, both of which put St. Louis ahead.