Brad Ziegler’s storybook start to his career came to an end against the Tampa Bay Rays, a team in the middle of a fairy tale season of their own.
The only thing memorable about Chicago slugger Carlos Quentin’s record is the pain.
B.J. Upton hit an RBI double in the ninth inning to end Ziegler’s record scoreless streak, then Carlos Pena homered leading off the 12th to give Tampa Bay a 7-6 win over the host Oakland Athletics on Thursday.
“I didn’t think about the streak until I started walking back on the mound,” Ziegler said. “The first thought that popped in my head was, ‘I can’t believe that just happened with a runner on first,’ but I guess the good thing it wasn’t a cheap one. A whole bunch of things fell at once and so that way there’s no pressure from this point on.”
Quentin was hit by a pitch, from Kyle Davies (5-4), for the sixth straight game in Chicago’s 9-2 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals, becoming the only player since 1920 to be hit by a pitch in that many consecutive contests, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“Carlos is a hit magnet. … The way he hits, (he) stands over the plate,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “If Carlos gets hit the way he gets hit, I don’t mind that. But if he gets hit the way I don’t think he should get hit, then it’s a problem.”
In other AL games, it was: Detroit 5, Toronto 1; Tampa Bay 7, Oakland 6 in 12 innings; Boston 10, Texas 0; and Baltimore 11, Cleveland 6.
Ziegler started his career by not allowing a run in 39 consecutive shutout innings – including the eighth Thursday – to tie a 59-year-old major league record for relievers.
But Upton hit an RBI double that scored Akinori Iwamura, who walked, to give the Rays a 5-4 lead in the ninth and end the run.
Ziegler, Oakland’s rookie reliever who began the season in the minors, has been one of the few highlights for the A’s in the second half, setting numerous records including the most shutout innings by any pitcher to start a career. The right-hander extended that mark to tie the major league single-season record for consecutive scoreless innings by a reliever set by Cleveland’s Al Benton in 1949.
“It’s almost been like a no-hitter type streak or something,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “Unbelievable what he’s done, but I’ll get him right back out and try to start another one. He’s been tremendous.”
Pena hit his 23rd homer of the season off Santiago Casilla (2-1) and Dioner Navarro added an RBI single as Tampa Bay moved to 26 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history.
Cliff Floyd walked four times and scored four runs for the Rays, who won two of three from Oakland and haven’t lost a series since the All-Star break.
“This type of win is what’s been happening since early in the season when we started win a lot of games late,” Floyd said. “We’ve got our confidence up and we believe as long as we go on that field we’ve got a chance to win.”
Jason Hammel (4-3) pitched 2 2-3 innings to earn the win for Tampa Bay, which lost closer Troy Percival to a sprained right knee in the ninth. Percival hurt himself while fielding a sacrifice by Mark Ellis and had to leave the game after limping back to the mound.
“I made the play and I never felt anything pop,” said Percival, who wore a thick brace on his right leg and had to use crutches to get around the Rays’ clubhouse after the game.
Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for the A’s, who lost their ninth consecutive series for the first time since 1979. Oakland is 4-21 since the All-Star break, the worst mark in baseball.
White Sox 9, Royals 2
At Chicago, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe hit consecutive homers in the sixth inning to tie a major league record and the White Sox completed a three-game sweep.
Thome hit a two-out, three-run shot, his 25th and 532nd of his career, off reliever Joel Peralta. Konerko followed with his 12th homer and Ramirez hit his 11th before Robinson Tejeda came on to pitch. Uribe, homerless in his 107 previous at-bats, greeted him with his fourth of the year to make it 9-2.
Chicago set a club record with the four straight homers, and it was the sixth time it had occurred in major league history.
Tigers 5, Blue Jays 1
Edgar Renteria hit a tiebreaking two-run double in host Detroit’s five-run eighth inning and the Tigers avoided a four-game sweep.
Armando Galarraga (11-4) pitched eight sharp innings for Detroit, allowing a run and six hits.
Reliever Jason Frasor (1-2) got the loss.
Red Sox 10, Rangers 0
David Ortiz hit a three-run homer to highlight a nine-run second, and the Red Sox used their second big inning in three games against visiting Texas to complete a three-game sweep.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (14-2) allowed six hits in seven innings for the Red Sox, who scored 37 runs in the series and won their fourth straight to remain three games behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay.
Texas starter Tommy Hunter (0-2), making his third career start, was charged with all nine runs in 1 2-3 innings.
Orioles 11, Indians 6
Lou Montanez hit a tiebreaking double during an eight-run eighth inning, and Baltimore beat host Cleveland for a split in their four-game series.
The Orioles sent 13 men to bat in the eighth, getting six hits and three walks in their largest inning of the season. Baltimore has scored 55 runs in its last seven games.
Kevin Millar singled to center off Rafael Perez (2-3) to start the scoring.
Fernando Cabrera (1-1) worked a perfect seventh for his first win since April 25, 2007.
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