AL | Red Sox stymie Tigers; L.A. wins
BOSTON - Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched his first major-league complete game to start a four-game series between the AL's two top teams and the Boston Red Sox took their biggest lead in the standings in 12 seasons with a 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers last night.
BOSTON - Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched his first major-league complete game to start a four-game series between the AL's two top teams and the Boston Red Sox took their biggest lead in the standings in 12 seasons with a 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers last night.
Matsuzaka (5-2) was outstanding for his second consecutive outing after three straight mediocre starts. He allowed just six hits, struck out five, and walked none. He was dominant after Curtis Granderson's solo homer in the third.
No other runners made it past second base.
The AL East-leading Red Sox improved to 26-11, while the AL Central-leading Tigers fell to 23-14 with their second straight loss.
Both teams are 11-3 in their last 14 games. Boston's 81/2-game division lead is its biggest since it held the same margin after play on Sept. 26, 1995. The idle New York Yankees dropped 81/2 games back.
The Red Sox, 20-0 when scoring at least five runs, tied it on David Ortiz's RBI single in the third off Nate Robertson (3-3).
Coco Crisp singled home the go-ahead run in the fourth and Manny Ramirez added a run-scoring single in the fifth.
Angels 7, Rangers 2
ARLINGTON, Texas - Kevin Millwood came off the disabled list for Texas, gave up a first-inning grand slam to Casey Kotchman, then left after five outs with an aggravated hamstring as the Rangers lost to Los Angeles.
Millwood (2-4), who had been out since April 28 with a strained left hamstring, allowed four runs on three hits and three walks.
Angels starter Jered Weaver (2-3) gave up six hits in his longest outing of the season. In seven innings, he walked two, struck out five and threw 57 of 87 pitches for strikes. He allowed Hank Blalock's fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning.
Blue Jays 5, Orioles 3
TORONTO - Troy Glaus hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and Toronto rallied for a victory over Baltimore.
Frank Thomas drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Jason Smith before Glaus drilled a 1-0 pitch from Danys Baez (0-2) into the second deck in left for his seventh homer.
Casey Janssen (1-0) got two outs to get the win and Jeremy Accardo pitched the ninth for his second save in as many chances.