Kenny Rogers’ return to the mound went better than he thought it would. Daisuke Matsuzaka’s first game back at Petco Park was successful, too.
Making his first start of the season after a blood clot was removed from his pitching shoulder in the spring, Rogers allowed only two hits in six innings to lead the Detroit Tigers past the punchless Atlanta Braves 5-0 on Friday night.
The Braves have been shut out three straight games for the first time since 1988.
“This surpasses what I would have expected,” Rogers said. “I don’t ever go into a game saying, ‘I’m going to shut a team out.’ I’ve always been willing to give up a run here and there to minimize the damage.”
Matsuzaka escaped a first-inning jam and outpitched Greg Maddux in the Boston Red Sox’s 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres.
Matsuzaka (9-5) allowed one run and five hits in six innings in his first appearance at Petco Park since leading Japan to victory in the inaugural World Baseball Classic championship game in March 2006.
In San Francisco, Barry Bonds hit career homer No. 749 in the Giants’ 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees.
In other interleague games, it was: Florida 5, Minnesota 4; Cincinnati 16, Seattle 1; New York Mets 9, Oakland 1; Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Tampa Bay 3; Milwaukee 11, Kansas City 6; Texas 11, Houston 3; Chicago Cubs 5, Chicago White Sox 1; Toronto 9, Colorado 8 in 10 innings; Washington 4, Cleveland 1; Baltimore 7, Arizona 1; and Los Angeles Angels 5, Pittsburgh 4 in 11 innings.
In the only NL game, Philadelphia beat St. Louis 6-0.
After two rehab outings in the minor leagues, Rogers (1-0) got off to an ominous start – he hit Kelly Johnson with the first pitch – then breezed through the Braves’ lineup.
“Kenny was Kenny,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “He did what he usually does, a little of this, a little of that, in and out, changing speeds. He picked right up where he left off.”
John Smoltz (8-4) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings for the host Braves.
Maddux (6-4) lost to the Red Sox for the first time in six career decisions over eight starts. The 41-year-old right-hander also went six, allowing two runs and seven hits, with two strikeouts and two walks.
“Good game,” Maddux said. “Got outpitched.”
Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 18 chances.
Yankees 7, Giants 3
At San Francisco, Alex Rodriguez had four hits and two RBIs for the Yankees, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Bonds’ 15th homer of the season left him six behind Hank Aaron’s career record of 755, but the Giants lost their season-high eighth straight.
Luis Vizcaino (4-1) got the win.
Matt Cain (2-8) dropped to 0-5 in his last seven starts.
Marlins 5, Twins 4
At Miami, Hanley Ramirez hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the eighth inning to lead Florida to its third straight win.
Kevin Gregg pitched the ninth for his 14th save.
Minnesota’s Justin Morneau left the game in the eighth inning after a home-plate collision with Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo. The 2006 AL MVP was taken away on a stretcher and spent the night at a hospital with a small bruise on his lung, team spokesman Mike Herman said.
X-rays were negative and a CT scan was normal. Morneau was expected to miss a couple of games, Herman said.
Ramirez’s homer came off Juan Rincon (2-1) after the Twins scored twice in the eighth against Armando Benitez (2-3) to tie it.
Reds 16, Mariners 1
On the night Ken Griffey Jr. was honored by the city where he became a star, David Ross and Brandon Phillips both hit two homers, and Aaron Harang worked eight innings for Cincinnati.
Playing his first game in Seattle since being traded after the 1999 season, Griffey, who got a warm greeting from the fans, went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.
Harang (8-2) won his third straight decision.
Mets 9, Athletics 1
At New York, Tom Glavine earned his 296th victory by ending a five-start winless streak.
Glavine (6-5) pitched into the ninth inning and added two hits and two RBIs. Shawn Green and Carlos Beltran homered for the Mets.
Lenny DiNardo (2-4) gave up six runs – two earned – and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Dodgers 6, Devil Rays 3
At St. Petersburg, Fla., Luis Gonzalez homered and had two RBIs, and Russell Martin hit a two-run single for Los Angeles.
Gonzalez hit a solo homer in a two-run second and added an RBI triple in a two-run eighth that put the Dodgers ahead 6-3. It was his first home run at Tropicana Field since he hit the first one at the stadium while playing for Detroit on March 31, 1998.
Derek Lowe (8-6) gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings, and Takashi Saito pitched the ninth for his 20th save.
Andy Sonnanstine (1-2) got the loss.
Brewers 11, Royals 6
Corey Hart homered and drove in four runs, and rookie Ryan Braun had four hits for Milwaukee.
Jeff Suppan (8-7) struggled but won for the third time in nine starts to lead the first-place Brewers to their eighth win in nine games since being no-hit by Detroit’s Justin Verlander.
Mark Teahen had four hits for visiting Kansas City, which has lost three straight. Jorge De La Rosa (4-9) got the loss.
Braun homered and drove in three runs.
Rangers 11, Astros 3
Sammy Sosa hit career home run No. 601, the first of three by Texas in an eight-run fifth inning.
Kevin Millwood (4-6) won his second straight start after going seven games without a victory since April 13 with two stints on the disabled list.
Craig Biggio singled in the fifth inning for his 2,993rd career hit and Mike Lamb went 2-for-4 for visiting Houston.
Woody Williams (3-10) allowed five runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.
Cubs 5, White Sox 1
Carlos Zambrano matched a career high with 12 strikeouts as the visiting Cubs handed their crosstown rival its 20th loss in 25 games.
Alfonso Soriano homered off Mark Buehrle (4-4) leading off the game and Aramis Ramirez, activated from the disabled list earlier in the day, added a solo shot two outs later.
Zambrano (8-6) allowed three hits and one walk in eight innings.
Paul Konerko homered in the seventh for the White Sox.
Blue Jays 9, Rockies 8, 10 innings
John McDonald’s two-run single in the 10th inning tied it and Curtis Thigpen scored the winning run on catcher Chris Iannetta’s throwing error to give Toronto a wild victory.
Troy Tulowitzki’s two-run homer gave the visiting Rockies an 8-6 lead in the top of the 10th, but Toronto loaded the bases in the bottom half on three straight singles from Matt Stairs, Aaron Hill and Thigpen.
McDonald followed with a single to left off Brian Fuentes (0-1). Matt Holliday threw to the plate, and Iannetta threw to third to try to get Thigpen but the ball sailed down the left-field line.
Brian Wolfe (1-0) recorded one out to earn his first major league win.
Nationals 4, Indians 1
A few days after earning a promotion based on a 43-game minor league hitting streak, Brandon Watson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Washington.
Saul Rivera (2-2) threw a perfect sixth to get the win, and Chad Cordero pitched the ninth for his 12th save.
Fausto Carmona (8-3) allowed three runs in six innings for the visiting Indians.
Watson’s hitting streak for Columbus is an International League record.
Orioles 7, Diamondbacks 1
At Phoenix, Brian Roberts homered and drove in three runs and Baltimore took advantage of three Arizona errors to win its third straight.
Daniel Cabrera (6-8) held the Diamondbacks hitless for five innings until Eric Byrnes led off the sixth with a double.
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb (7-5) went five innings, matching his shortest outing, allowing seven runs – three earned – and six hits.
Angels 5, Pirates 4, 11 innings
At Anaheim, Calif., Orlando Cabrera homered and had three RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the 11th inning for host Los Angeles.
With one out, Chone Figgins tripled into the right-field corner against Jonah Bayliss (4-3). Cabrera lofted a 1-0 pitch into the right-field corner over a drawn-in outfield.
Scot Shields (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win, allowing one hit.
National League
Phillies 6, Cardinals 0
Anthony Reyes lost his 11th straight decision, failing to make it out of the fifth inning of Philadelphia’s win.
Jamie Moyer (7-5) threw six innings, and Chase Utley had three hits and an RBI for the visiting Phillies.
Reyes (0-9) is 0-11 since September, not including a dominating performance against Detroit in the World Series opener. He allowed five runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings against the Phillies.
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