SCOREBOARD
Friday, April 27
Boston at N.Y. Yankees (7:05 p.m. EDT). Daisuke Matsuzaka gets another chance against the Yankees after his shaky start on Sunday.
STARS
Thursday
-Bartolo Colon, Angels, allowed four hits in seven innings and struck out 11 to lead Los Angeles to an 11-3 victory over Tampa Bay.
-A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays, pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and Toronto beat New York 6-0.
-Tony Clark, Diamondbacks, hit two home runs to lead Arizona to a 7-4 win over San Diego.
-Wily Mo Pena, Red Sox, hit a grand slam to lead Boston to a 5-2 win over the Orioles.
-Shawn Hill, Nationals, allowed one run on four hits over eight innings and Washington beat Philadelphia 4-2.
FLAILING
Toronto’s A.J. Burnett dominated the struggling Yankees, sending last-place New York to its sixth straight loss in a 6-0 victory Thursday night. Missing injured Derek Jeter, the Yankees (8-12) are on their longest skid since also dropping six in a row from May 28 to June 3, 2005.
SLAMMIN’ SAMMY
Sammy Sosa set a major-league record Thursday when he homered for Texas at Jacobs Field – the 44th big-league ballpark in which has homered in his career. Sosa added another homer in the eighth inning of the Rangers’ 9-4 loss to Cleveland. Sosa had been tied with Ken Griffey Jr., and Fred McGriff with homers in 43 ballparks.
GREAT EIGHT
San Francisco defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 Thursday night for its eighth consecutive victory. The Giants have won eight straight for the first time since taking 10 in a row in May 2004. The Giants earned their fourth consecutive series sweep and their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since April 2-4, 2002.
INJURED
Twins star Torii Hunter was hit by a pitch in the mouth from Kansas City’s Zack Greinke on Thursday and was taken to a hospital, where he received three stitches. Hunter was cut on the inside of his mouth. He was listed as day-to-day. Minnesota beat Kansas City 1-0 in 11 innings.
SNAPPED
Washington beat Philadelphia 4-2 on Thursday to snap the Phillies’ five-game winning streak.
STREAK
Aaron Rowand hit a solo home run in the Phillies’ 4-2 loss to the Nationals on Thursday night to extend his career-best hitting streak to 14 games.
EXTENSION
John Smoltz and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a contract extension on Thursday. Smoltz, who turns 40 next month, will return for a 20th season in 2008 with a deal that will guarantee him about $14 million. The contract includes an option for 2009 that can become guaranteed and a club option for 2010.
SPEAKING
“There’s going to be panic soon if the winning doesn’t start. We have to stay close. If we can’t start getting victories, I’m sure there’s not going to be too many happy people.” – Johnny Damon, after the Yankees lost their sixth straight game, 6-0 to the Blue Jays on Thursday night. It is their longest skid since also dropping six in a row from May 28 to June 3, 2005.
SEASONS
April 27
1909 – The Chicago White Sox won their third straight 1-0 game over St. Louis in three days.
1918 – The Brooklyn Dodgers got into the win column after a major league record 0-9 start, with a 5-3 victory over the New York Giants in the opening game of a doubleheader.
1929 – Brooklyn relief pitcher Clise Dudley homered on the first major league pitch he saw at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl.
1930 – Chicago White Sox first baseman Bud Clancy had no chances in a nine-inning game against St. Louis.
1944 – Jim Tobin of the Braves pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers in Boston, winning 2-0. He also hit a homer.
1947 – Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium drew a crowd of more than 58,000 to honor the ailing star. In the game, Sid Hudson of the Washington Senators beat Spud Chandler 1-0.
1968 – Tom Phoebus of the Orioles no-hit the Boston Red Sox 6-0 at Baltimore.
1973 – Kansas City’s Steve Busby pitched his first of two career no-hitters with a 3-0 victory over the Tigers at Detroit.
1983 – Walter Johnson’s record of 3,508 career strikeouts was eclipsed by Houston’s Nolan Ryan. Ryan fanned Montreal pinch-hitter Brad Mills in the eighth inning and the Astros beat the Expos 4-2.
1994 – Scott Erickson, who allowed the most hits in the majors the previous season, pitched Minnesota’s first no-hitter in 27 years as the Twins beat Milwaukee 6-0.
1996 – Barry Bonds became the fourth major leaguer to amass 300 homers and 300 steals when he homered in the third inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 victory over the Florida Marlins. His father, Bobby Bonds, godfather Willie Mays and Andre Dawson are the only other players to reach 300-300.
2000 – Chicago White Sox shortstop Jose Valentin hit for the cycle and drove in five runs in a 13-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Valentin hit the cycle in single, double, triple and home run order.
2002 – Derek Lowe, who struggled to keep his job as a closer the previous season, pitched a no-hitter against Tampa Bay. Brent Abernathy was the only baserunner Lowe allowed in Boston’s 10-0 victory.
2003 – Kevin Millwood pitched a no-hitter to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Francisco Giants 1-0. Millwood struck out 10 and walked three.
2005 – Mark Grudzielanek hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats in St. Louis’ 6-3 victory over Milwaukee.
2005 – Jose Mesa earned his 300th career save in Pittsburgh’s 2-0 victory over Houston. Mesa became the 19th pitcher in major league history with 300.
Today’s birthdays: Joey Gathright, 26; Pedro Feliz, 32; Chris Carpenter, 32; Frank Catalanotto, 33.