NEW YORK (AP) -Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs, Andy Pettitte breezed for eight innings and the Yankees won their ninth straight game, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 Thursday.
At 33-31, New York matched its high point this season – a vast improvement for a club that was eight games under .500 and 14 1/2 games behind Boston barely two weeks ago.
Pettitte (4-4) gave up a run and four hits. He retired 10 straight batters in the middle innings and kept out of trouble – Arizona was hitless in its only two at-bats with runners in scoring position and 0-for-13 in the series.
Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning, doubled home a run in the third and added two singles. He has 21 RBIs in his last nine games and 68 RBIs overall.
Doug Davis (4-8) ran into immediate problems when Melky Cabrera, Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu opened the New York first with singles, loading the bases with no outs for Rodriguez. A walk and Matsui’s RBI grounder made it 2-0.
Rodriguez and Matsui hit RBI doubles in the third. Matsui singled home a run in the seventh, and another run scored on the play when center fielder Chris Young’s throw to third skipped into the seats.
Angels 9, Reds 7
CINCINNATI (AP) – Vladimir Guerrero’s bases-loaded single in the seventh inning helped Los Angeles move to 42-25, the best start in franchise history.
Bartolo Colon (6-2) got the win despite trailing when he left the game after the sixth.
Promising rookie Homer Bailey turned a 5-3 lead over to the bullpen after walking the first two batters in the seventh. Gary Majewski (0-1) walked Orlando Cabrera to force in a run, then gave up Guerrero’s two-run single. Casey Kotchman and Jose Molina added RBI singles off Mike Stanton to complete the decisive rally.
Francisco Rodriguez gave up two singles and Ken Griffey Jr.’s RBI groundout in the ninth, before striking out Adam Dunn for his AL-leading 21st save in 22 chances.
Brewers 6, Tigers 5
DETROIT (AP) – Ben Sheets became the second pitcher in Milwaukee Brewers history with 1,000 career strikeouts, helping the Brewers win a road series for the first time since late April.
Sheets (7-3) struck out seven, giving him 1,003 since making his major league debut with the Brewers in 2001. Teddy Higuera has the franchise record with 1,081 strikeouts from 1985-1994.
Sheets gave up three runs, eight hits and three walks over 5 2-3 innings.
Francisco Cordero yielded two singles to start the ninth, and Magglio Ordonez doubled off the right-center wall to pull Detroit within two runs. Sean Casey’s RBI groundout made it 6-5, before Cordero struck out Craig Monroe and Mike Rabelo for his major league-leading 24th save.
Chad Durbin (5-3) lasted 3 2-3 innings, allowed eight hits and gave up two runs.
Padres 7, Devil Rays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Justin Germano won his fifth straight decision since coming up from the minor leagues, helping the first-place San Diego Padres remain atop the NL West.
Germano (5-0) allowed three hits in six innings, walked one and struck out four. The 24-year-old rookie right-hander, who has a 2.36 ERA, was supported by an unearned run in the first and six more runs in the last two innings.
Germano and Heath Bell limited Tampa Bay to a double and two singles until Jonny Gomes homered off Doug Brocail with one out in the eighth.
The Padres scored an unearned run off J.P. Howell (1-1) in the first, then put the game out of reach in the eighth when Jose Cruz, Geoff Blum and Khalil Greene had RBI singles and Adrian Gonzalez contributed a run-scoring double for a 5-0 lead.
Cubs 5, Mariners 4
CHICAGO (AP) – Cesar Izturis hit a two-run double in the eighth as the Chicago Cubs denied Jeff Weaver his first victory for Seattle.
Weaver, winless in six decisions with a 12.46 ERA entering the game, gave up 10 hits in six strong innings and was staked to a 4-3 lead heading into the eighth.
But reliever Brandon Morrow (3-1) walked the first two batters he faced, and Koyie Hill moved them up before Izturis’ liner down the left field line put the Cubs ahead.
Bob Howry (3-3) got the final four outs for the win.
Cubs starter Jason Marquis gave up four runs – three earned – on only two hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Athletics 6, Astros 5, 11 innings
HOUSTON (AP) – Jason Kendall hit the go-ahead RBI single in the 11th inning to help the Oakland Athletics win for the 10th time in 12 games.
Back-to-back singles by Bobby Crosby and pinch hitter Kurt Suzuki set up the game-winner, a line drive to left field off Brian Moehler (0-2). It was the first major league hit for Suzuki, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday.
Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect 11th for his second save in two tries. He hasn’t allowed a run in eight appearances since joining the team from Triple-A on June 3. Alan Embree (1-0) got the win after pitching two scoreless innings.
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