News and notes from Monday's action
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m.) The Rays battered Andy Pettitte for five runs and eight hits in five innings of a 6-3 Yankees loss on April 5. Tampa Bay sends out Edwin Jackson, who's given up just one run in 14 innings in winning his first two starts.
STARS Monday
- Zack Greinke, Royals, pitched a five-hitter for his third career complete game in a 5-1 win over Seattle. He struck out four and induced three double plays while facing only three batters more than the minimum.
- Manny Ramirez, Red Sox, hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to help Boston rally for a 6-4 win over Cleveland.
- Kevin Millar, Orioles, homered and had three RBIs in Baltimore's 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Robinson Cano, Yankees, snapped an eighth-inning tie with a pinch-hit homer, lifting the New York Yankees to an 8-7 victory over Tampa Bay.
- Nate McLouth, Pirates, extended his season-opening hitting streak to 13 games with a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth inning and Pittsburgh beat the Dodgers 6-4 for their fourth straight victory.
MILESTONES
Alex Rodriguez hit homer No. 521 to match Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Willie McCovey on the career list during the New York Yankees' 8-7 victory over the Rays. The slugger also scored his 500th run with New York on the homer. ... Boston's Manny Ramirez hit his 493rd career home run in the ninth inning of a 6-4 win over Cleveland. The homer - his 16th against his former team - tied the long-haired hitting machine with Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 24th on the career list. ... Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent hit his 541st career two-base hit to tie Rogers Hornsby for 23rd place in that category. Los Angeles lost to Pittsburgh.
WILD RETURN
Diamondbacks left-hander Randy Johnson did not allow an earned run - three unearned - in five innings and gave up only three hits, settling down to finish with seven strikeouts and four walks in his first start of the season. He had not pitched in the big leagues since June 28, before his August back operation. Arizona lost 5-4 to San Francisco.
SNAPPED
Ivan Rodriguez hit a tying two-run triple in a six-run eighth inning and Detroit went on to beat the Twins 11-9 for its first win at home. The Tigers, whose payroll is nearly $139 million and trails only the New York Yankees, won for the first time in seven games at home and improved to 3-10 overall.
SWING
Ervin Santana rebounded from a three-run first to pitch seven strong innings in the Angels' 7-4 win over Texas. Santana came in 1-4 with an 8.92 ERA against the Rangers in Texas, but after a shaky first and loading the bases in the third he retired 11 straight to improve to 2-0.
SEE YA
Angels manager Mike Scioscia was ejected in the eighth inning of a 7-4 win over Texas for arguing a called third strike against Vladimir Guerrero. Los Angeles had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth when home plate umpire Joe West called out Guerrero on a pitch by Jamey Wright that appeared to be low. It was his first ejection of the season and 18th of his career.
IT'S A HIT
Boston's David Ortiz snapped an 0-for-17 slide with a first-inning single. He ended up with two hits in the Red Sox's 6-4 win over the Indians, raising his batting average from .070 to .104.
IMPRESSIVE FIRST
Oakland's Greg Smith outpitched Mark Buehrle for his first major league win. Making his second big league appearance, Smith gave up one run and six hits over seven innings of the Athletics' 2-1 win over the White Sox.
STREAKING
James Loney has a hit in each of the Dodgers' first 13 games. His streak is the third longest to open a season since the team moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. Steve Garvey hit in 21 straight in 1978, one year after Ron Cey opened the season with a 17-game run.
SPEAKING
''I just felt like I had nothing, like I was throwing through water. It's like I'm stuck in one gear. I had no extra gear. Not only that, I couldn't locate. What hurts is the guys played a great game except the one guy out there at the end.'' - Indians closer Joe Borowski after giving up three runs in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox for his second straight blown save.