Associated Press
BALTIMORE ó Baltimore was 0-34 when trailing after eight innings, and the Orioles were down a run in the ninth when New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez entered Thursday’s game.
Twenty pitches later, the Orioles celebrated perhaps their most uplifting performance of the season.
Aubrey Huff drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single, capping a two-run rally that carried Baltimore to a 5-4 victory.
Rodriguez, who last yielded an earned run on April 27, allowed five of the six batters he faced to reach base.
“It was awful,” he said. “I didn’t get the job done. I’m a human being. Unfortunately, days like this are going to happen. It happened to me and I’ve just got to move on.”
Cubs 6, White Sox 5
CHICAGO ó Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto hit consecutive homers to tie the game in a four-run eighth inning, then Alfonso Soriano singled home the winning run in the ninth.
All four eighth-inning runs were unearned after an error on second baseman Chris Getz.The late comeback gave the Cubs a two-game split in a rain-shortened set at Wrigley Field. They are 34-34 against their crosstown rivals.
Pinch-hitter Reed Johnson started the ninth with a single, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on Soriano’s two-out single off Matt Thornton (4-2). Soriano was 14 for 102 and 0 for 15 before singling in his final two at-bats.
Blue Jays 8, Phillies 7
PHILADELPHIA ó Pinch-hitter Rod Barajas led off the ninth with a tiebreaking homer.
Raul Chavez and Adam Lind also homered for the injury-riddled Blue Jays, who were 0-6 in interleague play before they swept Philadelphia.After the Phillies rallied for two runs in the eighth, Barajas drove one out to center off Ryan Madson (2-2).
Rockies 4, Rays 3
DENVER, ó Clint Barmes hit a two-run homer to help Ubaldo Jimenez win his third straight start, and Huston Street earned his 15th save despite giving up a two-run single to Ben Zobrist in the ninth.
Padres 4, Mariners 3 (10)
SAN DIEGO ó Adrian Gonzalez matched his career high with four hits, including a homer, and scored the winning run with two outs in the 10th as San Diego beat Seattle to end its major league-record interleague losing streak at 13.
Gonzalez doubled off Miguel Batista and scored on Kevin Kouzmanoff’s single.
The Padres had lost 10 straight games to Seattle in San Diego and 16 of 20 overall against the Mariners.
Twins 5, Pirates 1
MINNEAPOLIS ó Nick Blackburn pitched a six-hitter for his first career complete game as the Pirates lost their 13th straight road series to an AL opponent. They last won on the road in interleague play at Tampa Bay in 2003.
Nationals 3, Yankees 0
NEW YORK ó After waiting out a 51/2-hour delay at the start, Craig Stammen earned his first major league victory and the Nationals won in the first game without a homer at the new Yankee Stadium.
About 10,000 people were sprinkled around the ballpark for the first pitch, and the Nationals became the last team to pitch a shutout this season.
Marlins 2, Red Sox 1 (5)
BOSTON ó Dan Uggla and Ronny Paulino homered in the second inning, and Ricky Nolasco pitched five solid innings before the game was called because of rain.
Diamondbacks 12, Royals 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ó Chris Young had a career high four hits before getting hurt and Dan Haren earned his sixth victory in seven decisions.
Young had a triple and two doubles before pulling up lame in the eighth inning.
Astros 5, Rangers 3
ARLINGTON, Texas ó Hunter Pence led off the eighth with a tiebreaking homer.
Tigers 6, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS ó Rookie Rick Porcello won for the seventh time in nine starts and Detroit had a four-run first inning.