CLEVELAND (AP) -Sammy Sosa hit two homers to reach 594 for his career, but Paul Byrd and the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 9-4 Thursday for their fifth straight win.
Sosa’s 439-foot drive into the left-field seats leading off the sixth inning off Byrd (2-1) made Jacobs Field the 44th major league ballpark in which he has homered. That broke a tie with Ken Griffey Jr. and Fred McGriff for the most in a big league career.
The only stadiums currently in use that the 38-year-old outfielder has not hit a homer are RFK Stadium in Washington and the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Sosa hit his sixth of the season in the eighth against Tom Mastny to move closer to joining Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays in the 600 homers club. It was his 69th career multihomer game.
Byrd left after yielding a leadoff single in the seventh to Gerald Laird. The right-hander allowed three runs and eight hits, walked one and struck out three. The Rangers twice put a runner at third base with none out and failed to score against Byrd.
Trot Nixon’s two-run homer, his first, capped Cleveland’s three-run first off Kameron Loe (1-1).
Angels 11, Devil Rays 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Bartolo Colon struck out 11 and Vladimir Guerrero homered during a five-run first inning for the Angels.
Colon (2-0) allowed four hits in seven innings, including a two-run homer by Carlos Pena in the fourth. The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner had plenty of gas left at the end of his second start this season, striking out the side in the seventh and reaching 94 mph with his 103rd and final pitch. His strikeout total was his highest since June 4, 2005, when he fanned 11 in six innings of a 13-6 victory at Boston.
Jae Seo (1-2) lasted 1 1-3 innings for Tampa Bay. He was charged with six runs and seven hits.
Twins 1, Royals 0, 11 innings
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Mike Redmond hit a run-scoring single in the 11th inning and Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak.
Justin Morneau and Jason Tyner had back-to-back singles off Todd Wellemeyer (0-1) with one out in the 11th to put runners on first and second. Redmond, who finished 2-for-5, then hit a line drive to right-center field to bring home Morneau.
Juan Rincon (1-0) pitched a scoreless 11th for Minnesota, which also ended a four-game home losing streak.
Twins star Torii Hunter received three stitches to close a cut on the inside of his mouth after he was hit by a pitch from Zack Greinke in the second inning. Hunter said he would play Friday when Minnesota visits Detroit.
Mariners 4, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Jose Lopez hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning and the Mariners beat the A’s for the fourth time in five meetings this season.
Richie Sexson hit an RBI double in the seventh that snapped an 0-for-20 streak, giving Seattle an unearned insurance run. The Mariners went 2-17 against Oakland last season.
Lopez, the Mariners’ No. 9 hitter, connected against Kiko Calero (0-2) to put Seattle ahead 3-2. The Mariners won their third straight following a six-game skid.
Miguel Batista (2-2) went 5 1-3 innings for Seattle, allowing two runs and five hits. He struck out six and walked two. J.J. Putz recorded the final five outs for his second save in as many chances.
MORE
Add A Comment