Major Leagues: American League Roundup
Published 12:00 am Saturday, June 4, 2011
Associated Press
The American League roundup …
BOSTON ó A ninth-inning rally couldn’t save the Oakland Athletics from extra-inning heartbreak.
The A’s absorbed their fifth consecutive loss Saturday when J.D. Drew hit a two-out RBI single in the 14th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 9-8 victory.
Oakland scored four runs off closer Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth to tie it at 7, then took the lead in the 11th. But its bullpen couldn’t preserve an unlikely win.
Drew’s winning single came against Guillermo Moscoso (2-1), who was the ninth A’s pitcher in the 5-hour, 17-minute game.
Oakland, which entered with the second-fewest runs in the AL, scored four times in a wild ninth against Papelbon after second baseman Dustin Pedroia booted a potential game-ending double-play grounder. Catcher Jason Varitek and Papelbon were ejected by plate umpire Tony Randazzo in the inning.
Rangers 4, Indians 0
CLEVELAND ó Derek Holland tossed a five-hitter for his second career shutout and Texas won for the seventh time in eight games.
Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz each hit a two-run homer as the Rangers improved to 15-8 since May 10. Texas has won 15 of the last 18 meetings against the Indians and 10 of 11 at Progressive Field.
Tigers 4, White Sox 2
CHICAGO ó Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking two-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, sending Justin Verlander and the Tigers to the victory.
Rays 3, Mariners 2
SEATTLE ó Jeremy Hellickson picked up where he left off in May, pitching neatly into the eighth inning to lead Tampa Bay to the victory.
Hellickson (7-3) allowed one run and three hits over 7 1-3 innings, improving to 6-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his last seven starts. The 6-foot-1 right-hander recorded five wins and gave up just six earned runs in 40 1-3 innings last month, earning the AL pitcher of the month award.
Orioles 5, Blue Jays 3
BALTIMORE ó Mark Reynolds hit a grand slam and Jake Arrieta pitched six effective innings for Baltimore.
With the Orioles trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Reynolds hit the first pitch from Ricky Romero into the left-center stands for his eighth homer of the season and the first slam of his career in 2,166 at-bats.
Twins 7, Royals 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ó Alexi Casilla matched a career high with four hits and drove in two runs, helping the Twins to their third straight win, equaling a season high.
Casilla stroked RBI singles in the third and seventh innings. His other four-hit game was Sept. 3, 2007, against the Cleveland Indians.