Despite being in playoff contention, the Minnesota Twins were quiet at last week’s trade deadline.
Turns out their biggest roster move was waiting in the minor leagues.
Francisco Liriano, who missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery and struggled in three starts earlier this year, threw six scoreless innings on Sunday, helping the Twins reclaim first place in the AL Central with a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Denard Span and Brendan Harris homered for Minnesota, which moved a half-game ahead of the White Sox. Chicago lost 14-3 at Kansas City.
“Been a long time,” Liriano said, when reminded that his last major league victory was also against the Indians, on July 23, 2006.
In other AL games on Sunday, it was: Tampa Bay 6, Detroit 5 in 10 innings; New York 14, Los Angeles 9; Boston 5, Oakland 2; Kansas City 14, Chicago 3; Texas 8, Toronto 4; and Seattle 8, Baltimore 4.
It has been a long road back for the hard-throwing lefty from the Dominican Republic. Two seasons ago, Liriano went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts before arm problems cut short his rookie year. After taking off last season, he went 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA in three starts before being sent down in April.
But Liriano dominated at Triple-A Rochester, going 10-0 with a 2.67 ERA in his past 11 starts, and was openly frustrated as the Twins waited until Friday to call him up.
Cheered loudly by the announced crowd of 39,818 during starting lineup introductions, Liriano allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five against the Indians. He drew a standing ovation after striking out Ben Francisco to end the first.
“That settled me down a little bit,” he said. “I was really nervous.”
After breezing through two innings on 19 pitches, Liriano was tested in the third, facing a bases-loaded situation after two walks and a throwing error by shortstop Harris. Liriano threw 34 pitches in the inning but got Francisco swinging again to end the threat.
Liriano threw 96 pitches. Jesse Crain relieved him in the seventh after the Twins pulled ahead 3-0.
Rays 6, Tigers 5, 10 innings
Carl Crawford hit a tying RBI single in the 10th inning and Carlos Pena drew a game-ending, bases-loaded walk to give AL East-leading Tampa Bay a victory over visiting Detroit.
Pinch-hitter Willy Aybar led off with a walk, bringing Jason Bartlett to the plate. Bartlett squared to bunt and left when Francisco Rodney (0-3) plunked him on his right index finger.
After a sacrifice and a walk, ford hit a tying single into left field. One out later, Pena won it when took a 3-2 pitch to force in the winning run.
Trever Miller (1-0) got the final two outs in the 10th for the Rays.
Yankees 14, Angels 9
Xavier Nady homered and had a career-high six RBIs, rallying host New York in a wild, back-and-forth game.
Mark Teixeira hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning for his first home run with Los Angeles, but New York took advantage of uncharacteristically poor defense by the Angels to score six times in the bottom half and complete its largest comeback of the season.
Ivan Rodriguez hit his first homer for the Yankees, starting their improbable rally from a five-run deficit against ace John Lackey. New York scored 10 unearned runs in its final two at-bats as the Angels matched a season high with four errors.
Royals 14, White Sox 3
Mike Aviles went 4-for-4 with a home run, Zack Greinke pitched well into the seventh inning, and host Kansas City defeated Chicago in a game featuring five ejections.
There was a bench-clearing brawl in the fifth inning when Royals catcher Miguel Olivo was hit by a pitch from D.J. Carrasco and charged the mound. Olivo, Carrasco and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen were sent to the clubhouse once order was restored.
Greinke (9-7) held the White Sox to three hits and no runs the first six innings, then allowed two runs in the seventh before hitting Nick Swisher with a pitch. Greinke was ejected along with Royals manager Trey Hillman.
Red Sox 5, Athletics 2
Jed Lowrie’s two-run triple highlighted a three-run fourth inning that helped Daisuke Matsuzaka to his 12th win and host Boston completed a three-game sweep.
Matsuzaka (12-2), allowed two runs, four hits, walked two and struck out eight in six innings.
Daric Barton hit a two-run homer for the Athletics, who lost their sixth straight and 15th in 17 games.
Dallas Braden (2-2) took the loss for the Athletics.
Mariners 8, Orioles 4
Raul Ibanez’s two-run single off reliever Jamie Walker capped a three-run seventh inning to help host Seattle snap a seven-game home losing streak.
Ibanez finished with three RBIs as the Mariners avoided being swept at home by the Orioles for the first time since 1997.
J.J. Putz (3-4) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings for the victory.
Daniel Cabrera (7-7) allowed six earned runs and struck out six in six innings.
Rangers 8, Blue Jays 4
Gerald Laird homered twice and drove in four runs as host Texas beat Toronto.
Laird had his third career multihomer game, second this season, with two-run shots in the fourth and fifth innings.
Texas starter Luis Mendoza (3-4) allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings.
Toronto starter David Pursey (1-2) allowed only three hits in five innings, but all three were homers as he gave up five runs.
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