Error helps Yankees squeeze past Mets

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez's lazy popup with two outs in the ninth inning as two runs scored, and the Yankees escaped with a wild 9-8 victory over the Mets on Friday night.

David Wright had put the Mets ahead 8-7 with an eighth-inning double off Mariano Rivera (1-2), and Francisco Rodriguez (1-1) appeared to escape a ninth-inning jam on the popup by A-Rod, just 1 for 17 in his career off K-Rod, including the postseason.

But Castillo allowed the ball to pop out of his glove as he tried for a one-handed catch on the right field grass. The Yankees ran onto the field as Derek Jeter scored from second and Mark Teixeira from first.

Rangers 6, Dodgers 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Vicente Padilla worked five effective innings, Hank Blalock homered and the Texas Rangers recorded shutouts on consecutive nights at home for the first time in 29 seasons.

Texas, which beat Toronto 1-0 on Thursday night, had never posted shutout victories on back-to-back nights at home since Rangers Ballpark opened in 1994. The last time the Rangers held visitors scoreless on consecutive days was April 1981, when they had four in a row.

Padilla (5-3) threw 108 pitches before Jason Jennings went three innings and Jason Grilli pitched the ninth to close out Texas' fifth shutout of the season.

The Rangers hadn't homered in four consecutive home games, one short of their longest drought at their current ballpark, until Blalock connected leading off the sixth against Hiroki Kuroda (1-2) to make it 3-0.

Giants 3, Athletics 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Tim Lincecum pitched a seven-hitter for his third career complete game and first this season, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Friday night to win the first meeting of the Bay Bridge Series.

Lincecum (6-1), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner who also drove in his third run of the year, struck out eight and walked one to win his sixth straight decision dating to his only loss of 2009 on April 12 at San Diego. It was the Giants' seventh shutout of 2009 and Lincecum's second career complete-game shutout. He also did it last Sept. 13 in a 7-0 victory at San Diego.

San Francisco won its third straight against the A's and ended a seven-game home losing streak to Oakland with its first victory in the series at their waterfront ballpark since June 24, 2006. The A's swept a three-game series in San Francisco last year.

Lincecum singled in the first career run allowed by Oakland rookie Vin Mazzaro (2-1).

Angels 11, Padres 6

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales homered and Maicer Izturis tied a career high with four hits.

Bobby Abreu had three RBI singles in support of right-hander Matt Palmer (6-0), who allowed four runs - three earned - and 10 hits over six innings in his first start since May 30. The 30-year-old rookie joined teammate Jered Weaver as the only starting pitchers in franchise history to win their first six decisions with the club.

Palmer was put back in the rotation after manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher determined Kelvim Escobar didn't have the stamina to start regularly again and moved him to the bullpen instead.

Chad Gaudin (2-5) gave up eight runs and 10 hits over three-plus innings.

Twins 7, Cubs 4

CHICAGO (AP) - Joe Mauer rediscovered his power stroke with a homer and three RBIs and Kevin Slowey became the majors' second nine-game winner.

Slowey (9-2) allowed three runs on four hits over six innings, striking out 10 and walking one. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

Jason Kubel homered and Brendan Harris had three hits for the Twins.

Cubs starter Randy Wells (0-3) allowed four runs in 3 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

Indians 7, Cardinals 3

CLEVELAND (AP) - Shin-Soo Choo got the job done again - this time without any avian assistance.

A day after his winning hit glanced off a gull in the outfield, Choo drove in three runs for the Indians to help rookie David Huff get his second big league win.

Huff (2-2), making his sixth major league start, gave up a leadoff homer to Albert Pujols in the fourth and left with one out in the eighth after allowing three runs.

Joel Pineiro (5-7) allowed three runs in 6 1-3 innings. He has lost seven of his last eight starts, including four straight.

Red Sox 5, Phillies 2, 13 innings

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jacoby Ellsbury hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 13th inning and Boston won an interleague matchup between division leaders.

Ryan Howard's solo homer off fill-in closer Ramon Ramirez with one in the ninth tied it, but the Phillies couldn't pull out their third straight comeback win in extra innings.

Takashi Saito (2-0) got the only batter he faced, Jimmy Rollins, to bounce into a double play to end the 12th. Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless 13th for his first save. He hit two batters to bring the tying run to the plate before fanning Shane Victorino to end it.

Marlins 7, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO (AP) - Cody Ross hit a tiebreaking grand slam and Chris Coghlan had a career-high four hits.

Toronto right-hander Roy Halladay left after three innings because of a sore groin.

Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez returned to the starting lineup after missing one game with a sore groin and went 3 for 4 with three RBIs.

Ross' third grand slam of the season and fifth of his career came off Blue Jays right-hander Brandon League (1-3).

Florida reliever Dan Meyer (1-0) pitched one inning for his first major league victory as the Marlins won their sixth straight in Toronto. The Marlins are 15-2 against the Blue Jays, including 8-2 in Toronto.

Tigers 3, Pirates 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Rick Porcello threw seven crisp innings and had a pair of RBI singles for his first major league hits.

Placido Polanco went 4 for 4 for AL Central-leading Detroit, which has won six of eight. Porcello (7-4) allowed one run and six hits.

The Pirates and Tigers opened a weekend interleague series on the same night the Pittsburgh Penguins were playing the Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Detroit. The crowd at PNC Park was announced at 18,369.

Porcello drove in Magglio Ordonez with a two-out single off Ian Snell (1-7) in the second inning. Ordonez led off with a base hit, stole second and moved to third on Ramon Santiago's single.

Brewers 7, White Sox 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Struggling Corey Hart drove in three runs on a double and a triple and saved two more with a diving catch for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The win snapped Milwaukee's four-game losing streak even though the Brewers have stayed in first place in the NL Central through a 4-7 stretch.

In this one, the Brewers trailed their former AL Central foes 2-0 after a run-scoring double by A.J. Pierzynski and an RBI single by Chris Getz in the fourth.

But Hart, one of four starters benched Thursday, sparked a rally in the sixth after his diving catch of Getz's liner ended the top of the inning instead of pushing the lead to 4-0.

Reliever Octavio Dotel (1-2) struck out Bill Hall and intentionally walked Jason Kendall to bring up Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (5-4), who hit a bloop single to score Hart. Milwaukee made it 3-2 on Casey McGehee's single to left.

Royals 4, Reds 1 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Luke Hochevar tossed a three-hitter in his first career complete game and Alberto Callapso hit a two-run homer.

The Royals went 2-7 on their road trip and had lost 23 of 30 overall, in dire need of something positive in their first game at Kauffman Stadium this month.

Hochevar (3-2) did his part, needing just 80 pitches for his second straight solid outing. There wasn't much offense, but homers by Callapso and Billy Butler were enough to beat Reds starter Matt Maloney (0-1) in his second career start.

Jonny Gomes hit his first homer since July 23 with Tampa Bay and doubled, but Brandon Phillips' single in the fourth was the Reds' only other hit.

Braves 7, Orioles 2

BALTIMORE (AP) - Brian McCann tied a career high with four hits and Tommy Hanson recorded his first major league victory.

McCann's third hit, a bases-loaded single, scored Nate McLouth and gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning. Garret Anderson followed with a run-scoring walk.

Hanson (1-0) struggled in his second major league start but managed to limit the Orioles to two runs despite yielding nine hits and five walks in 5 2-3 innings.

Jason Berken (1-3) allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings for Baltimore, which has lost 10 of 12.

Rockies 6, Mariners 4

DENVER (AP) - Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the second complete game of his career and had an RBI single to help Colorado extend its winning streak to nine.

The Rockies' franchise record is 11 consecutive wins from Sept. 16-27, 2007.

Jimenez (5-6) allowed four runs and eight hits and struck out three.

Troy Tulowitzki had a home run and Dexter Fowler drove in a run with a squeeze bunt for the Rockies who are 11-4 since manager Jim Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle on May 29.

Adrian Beltre drove in two runs with a double and Russell Branyan hit his 15th homer for the Mariners, who had won four of five.

Jarrod Washburn (3-5) allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits in six innings.

Rays 4, Nationals 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - One pitch after an error prolonged his at-bat, Gabe Kapler hit a pinch-hit home run.

Kapler, mired in a 3-for-31 slump that dropped his batting average to .234, went deep against Ron Villone (3-2) after first baseman Nick Johnson dropped a pop foul that would have been the third out.

J.P. Howell (2-2), the fourth Tampa Bay pitcher, worked 1 1-3 innings to get the victory that moved Tampa Bay (32-31) one game over .500.

Washington's Elijah Dukes had a two-run double, helping his team take a 3-0 lead in his first trip to Tropicana Field since the Rays traded their former prospect to the Nationals after the 2007 season.