ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Sammy Sosa became the fifth member of the 600-homer club Wednesday night, hitting a solo shot in the fifth inning of Texas’ 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs, his former team.
Playing for the Rangers after a year out of baseball, Sosa homered off Jason Marquis (5-4) to join Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays in the elite group.
Sosa played for the Cubs from 1992-2004, winning the ’98 NL MVP award and making seven All-Star teams while hitting 545 homers with Chicago.
It was Sosa’s 12th homer in 62 games this season. He hit his first big league homer with the Rangers in 1989. Sosa has homered against every major league team in his career.
Frank Catalanotto followed Sosa’s blast with the 75th homer of his career to give the Rangers a 6-1 lead.
Kameron Loe (3-6), coming off eight shutout innings against Pittsburgh on Thursday that ended his six-game losing streak, allowed three runs over 6 2-3 innings.
Alfonso Soriano was 3-for-4 with two doubles and his 12th homer for the Cubs.
Marlins 5, White Sox 4
CHICAGO (AP) – Pinch-hitter Jason Wood hit a three-run homer off closer Bobby Jenks in the eighth inning for Florida as the White Sox lost for the 19th time in 24 games.
Chicago starter Jon Garland had given up two hits entering the eighth and the White Sox held a 2-1 lead. Aaron Boone opened the inning with a single and shortstop Juan Uribe made his second error on a bunt to put two on. Jenks relieved and Wood hit his third pitch over the fence in left.
Kevin Gregg gave up Paul Konerko’s 11th homer in the ninth then finished for his 13th save.
Taylor Tankersley (4-1) got two outs in the seventh for the win.
Garland (4-5) yielded three hits and three runs, two earned, in seven-plus innings.
Athletics 5, Reds 3
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Nick Swisher walked with the bases loaded in the seventh to tie the game, then Oakland’s Eric Chavez followed with a sacrifice fly.
Dan Haren (9-2) won his ninth straight decision and third consecutive start despite giving up two home runs in a game for the second time this year.
Shannon Stewart added a solo homer in the eighth. Jack Cust hit a two-run shot in the fourth for the A’s.
Marcus McBeth (1-1) took the loss after giving up two singles to start the seventh-inning rally.
Adam Dunn and Josh Hamilton homered off Haren in the fourth. Alan Embree worked two perfect innings for his eighth save in nine opportunities.
Diamondbacks 7, Devil Rays 4
PHOENIX (AP) – Chad Tracy and Eric Byrnes hit three-run homers for Arizona and Micah Owings won his fourth straight decision.
Byrnes went 4-for-5 with a double and two singles. His homer was in the fourth off starter James Shields (6-2). Byrnes matched a franchise mark with hits in seven consecutive at-bats going back to Tuesday night. It’s been done three other times. The streak ended with a grounder to the pitcher in the eighth.
Owings (5-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out seven.
Jose Valverde worked a perfect ninth for his 23rd save. It was his 74th career save, tying Matt Mantei for the club record.
Indians 10, Phillies 6
CLEVELAND (AP) – Casey Blake put Cleveland ahead with a two-run single in an eight-run sixth inning.
C.C. Sabathia (10-2) pitched six innings and joined Josh Beckett of Boston and John Lackey of the Los Angeles Angels as the majors’ only 10-game winners.
Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta, Trot Nixon and Josh Barfield also drove in two runs each for Cleveland.
Jon Lieber (3-5) left due to a strained right ankle after yielding Blake’s hit between short and third that put Cleveland ahead 5-4. Lieber gave up seven runs and 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings.
Sabathia gave up four runs and five hits to win for the first time in three starts.
Rod Barajas had a two-run homer for the Phillies and improved to 6-for-14 (.429) with three homers in his career against Sabathia.
Tigers 8, Nationals 4
WASHINGTON (AP) – Detroit wrapped up the three-game series by pounding the Washington pitching staff yet again to give Jeremy Bonderman his eighth straight victory.
Detroit, which averaged better than 10 runs in the series, scored five runs in the sixth against Washington’s bullpen. Carlos Guillen had two hits, including a home run in the fourth.
The Tigers won the first two games 9-8 and 15-1. The top-hitting club in the majors has won five of six, averaging nine runs over that span.
Bonderman (8-0) has won eight straight starts after beginning the year with five no-decisions. He pitched five innings – matching his shortest outing of the season – and allowed three runs and five hits.
The Tigers sent nine men to the plate in the sixth to break a 3-3 tie. Saul Rivera (1-2), replacing Nationals starter Mike Bacsik, opened the inning by giving up two walks and a single to the only three batters he faced.
Blue Jays 12, Dodgers 1
TORONTO (AP) – Frank Thomas hit his 497th career home run and Roy Halladay won his third consecutive start for Toronto.
Gregg Zaun and Matt Stairs hit back-to-back homers in the third for the Blue Jays, who scored a season-high eight runs in the second inning.
Thomas had the biggest hit, a grand slam that chased starter Hong-Chih Kuo (1-2) after 1 2-3 innings. The grand slam was Thomas’ second of the season and the 10th of his career.
Toronto avenged Tuesday’s 10-1 defeat to Los Angeles, its most lopsided loss of the season, by matching its biggest margin of victory in 2007. The Blue Jays beat Philadelphia 13-2 on May 19.
Halladay (8-2) improved to 4-0 in five starts since returning from the disabled list May 31 following an appendectomy. He has not lost since May 10, when he gave up seven runs in a 8-0 defeat to Boston. He allowed one run and six hits over eight innings.
Twins 6, Mets 2
NEW YORK (AP) – Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer and Scott Baker pitched five effective innings for Minnesota.
Joe Mauer also drove in two runs for Minnesota, which won two of three in its first series at Shea Stadium since 2002. Baker (2-2) allowed two runs and seven hits.
Carlos Beltran went 3-for-4 and singled in a run for the Mets, who have lost 13 of 16. New York has dropped six straight series since it took two of three games against San Francisco from May 29-31.
Oliver Perez (7-6) allowed four runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings. He had worked at least seven innings in six of his previous seven starts.
Red Sox 11, Braves 0
ATLANTA (AP) – Julian Tavarez pitched seven scoreless innings for Boston, which homered three times in the first two innings.
J.D. Drew homered on the fourth pitch of the game from Buddy Carlyle (1-2). The Red Sox had five homers in all, and 10 of their 15 hits were for extra bases.
The Braves were shut out by the Red Sox for the second night in a row and haven’t scored in 19 innings.
Coco Crisp hit a three-run homer and David Ortiz had a two-run shot, his second homer in as many days.
Tavarez (5-4) allowed three hits in winning his fourth straight.
Manny Ramirez and Eric Hinske also homered for the Red Sox.
Rockies 6, Yankees 1
DENVER (AP) – Jeff Francis struck out a career-high nine in seven innings, and Matt Holliday homered and drove in three runs to lead Colorado.
By taking the first two games against the Yankees, the Rockies won a club-record sixth straight series and improved to 8-0-1 in their last nine series, the best stretch in franchise history. They are a major league-best 19-7 since May 22.
Francis (7-5) allowed a run and five hits.
Andy Pettitte (4-5) allowed just two singles before giving up Holliday’s two-out, two-run homer in the sixth. Kaz Matsui’s two-run triple in the seventh made it 5-1 and knocked out Pettitte.
Orioles 7, Padres 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Rookie Jeremy Guthrie allowed four hits over eight innings and Baltimore snapped a nine-game losing streak.
It was the first win for interim manager Dave Trembley. He replaced Sam Perlozzo, who was fired on Monday. The Orioles lost 12-6 in the series opener on Tuesday night.
Justin Germano (5-1) suffered his first loss in eight starts since coming up from the minor leagues. He allowed three runs on four hits before getting his first out. Germano had won five straight decisions.
Only one baserunner reached second base against Guthrie (4-1) before Russell Branyan hit an opposite-field homer leading off the eighth. He struck out nine and walked one.
Brian Roberts doubled on Germano’s second pitch and scored when Nick Markakis singled on the next pitch. Kevin Millar doubled to bring in Markakis and Miguel Tejada doubled to score Millar.
Mariners 7, Pirates 0
SEATTLE (AP) – Jeff Weaver threw a four-hitter as Seattle ended a six-game losing streak.
Weaver (1-6) entered the game winless in eight starts with a 10.97 ERA. He retired 16 consecutive Pirates at one point and pitched a complete game for the first time in two years. Weaver struck out a season-high five and walked two.
The Pirates were shut out for the seventh time this season, tying them for the NL lead with San Francisco.
Richie Sexson hit his 12th homer to give Seattle a 5-0 lead.
Angels 8, Astros 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Vladimir Guerrero’s three-run homer was the only hit in Los Angeles’ six-run seventh inning.
Wandy Rodriguez took a five-hitter and a 4-2 lead into the seventh for Houston. He was pulled with one out and two on. Dave Borkowski (1-2) walked three straight hitters to tie the game. Orlando Cabrera’s sacrifice fly drove in the go-ahead run before Guerrero hit his 13th homer of the season.
Hector Carrasco (2-1) earned the win, retiring one batter in the eighth.
The Astros had 12 hits. Houston has 11 or more hits in a franchise-record eight straight games. Rookie Hunter Pence had three hits to give him 10 in the last four games, and three RBIs to give him eight in the last five.
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