Laird’s HR in 13th lifts Tigers by Twins (AP)
Six lead changes, five ties, four errors, two blown saves, 25 runners left on base and at least four botched double plays. The series finale between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins was about as ugly as it gets, until Gerald Laird and Jose Valverde finally put an end to a game that seemed like it was never going to finish.
CC, Granderson give Yankees 4-game sweep (AP)
From the very first batter, the Oakland Athletics simply looked overmatched against CC Sabathia. Leadoff man Coco Crisp took an awkward cut at a fastball for strike three. Next, Rajai Davis got fooled by an offspeed pitch and almost fell over. Then, Kevin Kouzmanoff flailed at a slider. A lot of weak swings and soft outs followed Thursday, as Sabathia pitched one-hit ball for eight innings to earn…
Utley’s slam highlights Phils’ 9-run 7th (AP)
The blurry-eyed Philadelphia Phillies didn’t mind that they wouldn’t get a lot of shuteye after making their one-night stopover in Denver so worthwhile. Chase Utley drove in six runs and hit a grand slam to cap a nine-run seventh inning Thursday night as the Phillies overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Colorado Rockies 12-11 in a makeup of a May rainout.
Marlins C Baker needs Tommy John surgery (AP)
Florida Marlins catcher John Baker will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair an injury to his throwing elbow that sidelined him for most of this season, meaning he might not play again until 2012. Dr. James Andrews will perform the reconstructive surgery Friday, the Marlins said. Baker has been sidelined since May 12 and had hoped to return this year, but he endured repeated setbacks in…
Red Sox salvage .500 road trip, beat O’s (AP)
The Boston Red Sox put a satisfactory finish on a potentially disastrous road trip. Adrian Beltre homered to spark a five-run second inning, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Thursday night to win the three-game series. David Ortiz drove in two runs and J.D. Drew had three hits for the Red Sox, who moved within 6 1/2 games of idle Tampa Bay in the AL wild-card race.
Santana hurt, but gets win over Braves (AP)
David Wright knew the New York Mets couldn’t afford to let Tim Hudson find his rhythm. “You have to get to that guy early if you’re going to get to him at all,” Wright said. “When he settles down, he gets stronger and stronger.” Wright homered, Johan Santana won for the first time in four starts and New York snapped the Atlanta Braves’ five-game winning streak with a…
Pedroia may need season-ending surgery (AP)
Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is bracing for the possibility of having season-ending surgery on his broken left foot. Pedroia will be examined on Friday. “I have a CT scan early in the morning,” Pedroia said Thursday before Boston’s game against the Orioles. “If I have to have surgery, we’ll do it later in the day.” The injury originally occurred in late…
Choo’s 5 RBIs power Indians by Mariners (AP)
The Seattle Mariners found out Shin-Soo Choo is one of those players who can do it all. Choo drove in five runs with a bases-loaded double and a two-run home run to give the Cleveland Indians a 6-3 victory over the Mariners. Choo, traded to the Indians by Seattle in 2006, hit a 3-1 fastball from Doug Fister (4-11) against the right-center-field wall in the Indians’ four-run sixth to score all…
Tigers 1B Cabrera suffers biceps injury (AP)
Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera left Thursday night’s game against Minnesota in the sixth inning with left biceps tendinitis. Cabrera went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in the game. After coming in from the field after the fifth inning, the first baseman walked with a team trainer from the dugout back into the clubhouse.
Twins RHP Baker leaves with elbow pain (AP)
Minnesota Twins starter Scott Baker left Thursday night’s game against Detroit after two innings because of pain in his right elbow. Baker allowed two runs and three hits, including a homer by Don Kelly. He has had trouble keeping his arm loose in some starts this season, and there was no immediate word on the severity of the injury.