e to Oakland’s four rookie starters.
“He keeps telling me to pitch like I was pitching early in the season,” Vin Mazzaro said about his chats with catcher Kurt Suzuki. “And that my stuff’s good enough to get these hitters out, just stay within yourself.”
Whatever Suzuki is saying, it seems to be working.
Mazzaro pitched into the eighth inning, Jason Giambi drew a bases-loaded walk in the first and the last-place Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Sunday for their season-high sixth straight victory.
“We’ve got something special going right now,” Suzuki said. “The pitchers are getting more comfortable, the hitting’s coming around. You put two and two together and it’s going to be fun.”
After Adam Jones led off the game with a single, Mazzaro (2-0) retired 15 of the next 16 Orioles hitters – an impressive showing for his second career start and first at home.
The 22-year-old left to a standing ovation when he walked off the mound in the eighth following Robert Andino’s one-out single.
“I was definitely more relaxed,” Mazzaro said. “That first game really helped.”
s well for the first time since getting eight straight victories from June 8-16, 2006.
Andrew Bailey pitched the ninth for his fourth save, completing the team’s third shutout – and third in the last six games after not getting any in the first 49.
Baltimore starter Rich Hill (2-1) failed to get out of the first inning, the second time during the series it happened for an Orioles starter. Jeremy Guthrie gave up six runs in the first inning of Friday night’s 9-1 loss.
“The game is pitching and defense, and it’s starting pitching,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “When you’re playing a three-game series, and two out of the three you’re taking your starting pitcher out in the first inning, that ought to tell you your starting pitching’s not giving you what you need to have a chance.”
Rangers 6, Red Sox 3
At Boston, Nelson Cruz homered, tripled and doubled, helping Texas to its first series win at Fenway Park in 12 years.
Cruz’s 17th homer and 10th in his last 17 games drove in Texas’ final run. Cruz is tied with Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena and Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira for the AL lead in homers.
Vicente Padilla (4-3) allowed two earned runs in seven innings, rebounding from a poor start against the Yankees. C.J. Wilson got his fifth save.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4) gave up 10 hits and five runs in 5 2-3 innings.
Yankees 4, Rays 3
a bounced back from a poor outing against Tampa Bay, and the Yankees played small ball to rally for three runs in the eighth.
Nick Swisher hit the 100th home run in 28 games at the new Yankee Stadium, helping Joe Girardi earn his 200th win as a manager with New York’s major league-leading 20th comeback win.
Rivera pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save, one day after giving up four runs in the ninth inning and taking the loss.
Blue Jays 4, Royals 0
At Toronto, Roy Halladay pitched a seven-hitter to become the first 10-game winner in the majors.
Aaron Hill and Lyle Overbay homered for the Blue Jays, who sent Kyle Davies (2-6) to his fifth straight loss.
Halladay (10-1) needed only 97 pitches to record his 43rd career complete game and 12th shutout. He was coming off a career-high 133 pitches in a complete-game victory over the Angels.
The right-hander allowed seven singles while winning his seventh straight decision. He struck out six and walked none. The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner has gone at least seven innings in all 13 starts.
Kansas City, which snapped an eight-game slide by winning Saturday, has lost 21 of 27.
Tigers 9, Angels 6
At Detroit, Clete Thomas’ grand slam broke an eighth-inning tie and the Tigers took advantage of a key error by first baseman Kendry Morales.
bby Abreu doubled for his 2,000th hit.
Indians 8, White Sox 4
At Chicago, rookies Chris Gimenez and Luis Valbuena hit consecutive homers off former Cleveland ace Bartolo Colon. Victor Martinez and Shin-Soo Choo also hit back-to-back homers off Colon (3-6), helping the Indians win a road series for only the second time this season.
David Huff (1-2) allowed three runs – all on Alexei Ramirez’s homer – in five innings to earn his first career victory. The White Sox are 2 for 39 with runners in scoring position over their last six games.
Mariners 4, Twins 2
At Seattle, Jose Lopez homered and hit an RBI double to help Erik Bedard (5-2) beat Kevin Slowey (8-2).
Russell Branyan and 37-year-old Jamie Burke, just back up from the minors, also homered for the Mariners, who took two of three from Minnesota and have won three consecutive series.
Seattle’s bullpen combined for four shutout innings, with Sean White earning his first career save.
Add A Comment