Indians notch 13th straight home win
CLEVELAND—The surprise-packet Cleveland Indians fought back for a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the American League on Sunday to extend their home winning streak to 13 games.
Cleveland’s sixth straight win overall also increased the Tigers’ losing streak to six. The three-game sweep gave the Indians four series sweeps this season, already matching their entire total for 2010.
Michael Brantley singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. He followed a tying RBI single by Orlando Cabrera by lining a pitch from Joaquin Benoit (0-2) to left field, scoring Shelley Duncan from second base.
Matt LaPorta added a sacrifice fly for his third RBI and a 5-3 lead as Cleveland extended its best home start in 70 years. The Indians are 13-2 at home for the first time since 1941 and have baseball’s best record at 19-8.
Angels 6, Rays 5
In St. Petersburg, Los Angeles came from five runs down to beat Tampa Bay.
The Angels went ahead 6-5 in the eighth thanks in part to Vernon Wells, who drew a walk from Joel Peralta (1-1) with Torii Hunter on third. Wells slowed up on Hank Conger’s grounder and forced the second baseman to throw to first for an out. Wells then prolonged a rundown long enough for Hunter to score.
Los Angeles ace Jered Weaver (6-0) was scratched from his scheduled start because of a stomach virus and is expected to start Monday.
Athletics 7, Rangers 2
In Oakland, the hosts snapped out of their scoring slump to beat Texas.
Conor Jackson had two hits and two RBIs, leadoff hitter Coco Crisp added two hits in his return to the lineup and Kurt Suzuki had two RBIs to help the A’s score more than six runs for only the fourth time this season.
They knocked out Rangers starter Matt Harrison (3-3) in the second inning.
Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez (3-2) got seven strikeouts over 6 2-3 innings to win for the first time in three weeks. He didn’t give up a hit until the fourth inning and allowed only three runners past second base.
Yankees 5, Blue Jays 2
In New York, Curtis Granderson hit a three-run homer to power New York to victory over Toronto.
Mark Teixeira also went deep, Jorge Posada broke out of an 0-for-19 slump and Francisco Cervelli added an RBI groundout in his first game back from the disabled list as the Yankees remained unbeaten in home series this season.
Ivan Nova (2-2) pieced together his second straight positive outing for New York, allowing two runs over 5 1-3 innings. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save.
Toronto’s Jesse Litsch (2-2) took the loss.
Red Sox 3, Mariners 2
In Boston, Jed Lowrie tripled when Ichiro Suzuki lost his fly ball in the sun, and Carl Crawford singled him home with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Boston over Seattle.
Jamey Wright (0-1) took the loss despite getting his first four batters before Lowrie lofted one to right, where Suzuki looked helplessly as the ball hit him in the hip. After a second out, Crawford lined one to center to end it.
Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon (1-0) earned the win with a perfect ninth inning.
Seattle had won five straight.
Royals 10, Twins 3
In Kansas City, Mike Aviles homered and drove in four runs to help Kansas City beat Minnesota.
The Twins have lost six in a row and were swept in a three-game series by the Royals for the first time since 1998. Minnesota dropped to 9-18, the worst record in the majors and are nine games below .500 for the first time since finishing the 2000 season.
Aviles, who matched his career high with four RBIs, hit a three-run homer in the eighth.
Luke Hochevar (3-3) held the Twins to five hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Twins starter Carl Pavano (2-3) took the loss.
Orioles 6, White Sox 4
In Chicago, Nick Markakis hit a three-run double to help Baltimore defeat Chicago.
Luke Scott and Mark Reynolds added solo home runs for the Orioles, who have won five of six and will try to complete a four-game sweep Monday.
Baltimore starter Zach Britton (5-1) allowed only one run in six innings, lowering the rookie’s ERA to 2.63.
Gavin Floyd (3-2) took the loss for Chicago.
