SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez outpitched Jeff Samardzija and Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead double to propel Seattle past Oakland 3-2. ADVERTISING SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez outpitched Jeff Samardzija and Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead double to propel Seattle past Oakland
SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez outpitched Jeff Samardzija and Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead double to propel Seattle past Oakland 3-2.
Fernando Rodney got his 27th save, getting Nick Punto on a called strike three to end it with a runner on third. Punto slammed his batting helmet to the ground with both hands and argued with plate umpire James Hoye, and A’s manager Bob Melvin joined in, saying the full-count pitch missed the strike zone.
Hernandez (11-2) threw eight strong innings. He reached 11 victories before the All-Star break for the first time in his career, getting nicked for two early runs and then shutting down the AL West-leading A’s the rest of the night.
Hernandez made his 11th straight start going at least seven innings and giving up two earned runs or less. It’s the longest streak for an American League pitcher since Gaylord Perry had 11 straight for Cleveland in 1974.
ANGELS 3, RANGERS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas — Garrett Richards allowed five hits over seven innings to extend his personal winning streak to seven decisions as the Los Angeles Angels handed the Texas Rangers their sixth consecutive loss, 3-0 on Friday night.
Mike Trout provided Richards all the run support he needed with a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 22nd of the season.
Richards (11-2) is unbeaten with a 1.27 ERA in his last eight starts.
Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar had two hits each for Los Angeles, and Alex Rios had two for Texas.
Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch (3-5) retired the first 10 batters he faced before Trout sent a 1-0 sinker 418 feet to center field for the game’s first run. Tepesch allowed two runs in the seventh.
GIANTS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 0
SAN FRANCISCO — Tim Lincecum and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, and Lincecum drove in a run with a safety squeeze, helping San Francisco shut out Arizona.
Pablo Sandoval homered and drove in three runs to break out of a slump that started in late June. The Giants third baseman, hitting just .222 over his previous 16 games, also had an RBI-double and an infield single.
Lincecum (9-5) allowed three hits over seven innings and fanned Gerado Parra to end a two-on, two-out jam in the seventh. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, owner of a no-hitter this season, struck out six and walked two.
CARDINALS 7, ASTROS 6
MILWAUKEE — Matt Holliday hit a solo homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez, completing St. Louis’ comeback from a six-run deficit.
Milwaukee has lost six straight and 10 of 11 games.
Holliday sent the first-pitch changeup from Rodriguez (3-3) into the left-field seats to break the tie. The Cardinals hit four homers and cut the sliding Brewers’ lead in the NL Central to one game.
Trevor Rosenthal wrapped up six shutout innings for the St. Louis bullpen with his 28th save, getting two strikeouts after allowing a leadoff single to Aramis Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth. All-Star setup man Pat Neshek (4-0) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
RED SOX 8, ASTROS 3
HOUSTON — Rookie Christian Vazquez got his first three major league hits and drove in three runs, while David Ortiz had three RBIs to break open the game in the sixth inning for Boston.
Vasquez, who was playing in his second major league game, singled in the third inning, had an RBI double in the fourth and drove home two more with a double in Boston’s five-run sixth.
Ortiz drove in three runs with a double in the sixth to make it 8-1.
John Lackey (10-6) rebounded from a tough stretch to allow four hits and two runs with a season-high five walks in six innings. He had allowed five or more runs in each of his previous three starts.
PHILLIES 6, NATIONALS 2
PHILADELPHIA — Jimmy Rollins homered twice and A.J. Burnett pitched 7 2/3 strong innings to lead Philadelphia to its fifth straight victory
Domonic Brown doubled and drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which matched its longest winning streak of the season. It has been a surprising run for the Phillies, who had lost 13 of 16 before a four-game sweep of the NL Central-leading Brewers in Milwaukee.
Burnett (6-8) allowed two runs and five hits while striking out six and walking four.
Bryce Harper homered for the Nationals, who have lost three of four. Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (6-5) abruptly left his start in the fourth inning with an apparent injury.
ROCKIES 6, TWINS 2
DENVER — Jorge De La Rosa pitched six strong innings, Troy Tulowitzki and Drew Stubbs each hit two-run homers, and Colorado beat Minnesota in the teams’ first interleague meeting at Coors Field in six years.
De La Rosa (10-6) allowed one run and six hits in winning his fourth straight and reaching double-digit wins in a season for the fourth time in his career. He benefited from a power surge that has seen Tulowitzki hit three homers and Stubbs two in their last two games.
The Rockies also benefited from the return of star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who missed the previous 35 games because of a benign tumor on his left index finger that had to be excised surgically.
CUBS 5, BRAVES 4
CHICAGO — Justin Ruggiano hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and Chicago sent Atlanta to its fifth loss in six games following a nine-game winning streak.
Arismendy Alcantara singled with two outs off Jordan Walden (0-1) and stole second. Ruggiano then got a hit that slipped past shortstop Andrelton Simmons to win it.
The Braves scored the tying run in ninth on Christian Bethancourt’s two-out single.
METS 7, MARLINS 1
NEW YORK — David Wright went 4 for 4 with a mammoth homer, Lucas Duda also hit a long two-run shot and New York rocked recent nemesis Henderson Alvarez in a victory over Miami.
Zack Wheeler shut down Miami again and Juan Lagares had three hits as the Mets improved to 6-2 on a 10-game homestand that takes them into the All-Star break.
Wheeler (5-8) pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and helped himself with an RBI double.
INDIANS 7, WHITE SOX 4
CLEVELAND — Corey Kluber allowed four runs in six innings and Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer in the fifth to lead Cleveland.
Kluber (9-6) wasn’t his usual dominant self but pitched well enough to win. The right-hander has won three of his last four decisions. Cody Allen struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th save.
Swisher’s homer off Hector Noesi (3-7) to center field broke a 4-4 tie.
ORIOLES 3, YANKEES 2, 10 INNINGS
BALTIMORE — Manny Machado led off the 10th inning with a double and scored on a one-out single by Nick Hundley, giving Baltimore its ninth win in 11 games.
The AL East-leading Orioles extended their margin over third-place New York to five games. Baltimore has gone to extra innings in three of its last five games and won in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings.
Machado began the game-winning uprising with a liner into the right-field corner off Adam Warren (1-5). After Ryan Flaherty struck out, Hundley hit a liner into left-center that enabled Machado to score easily.
BLUE JAYS 8, RAYS 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Steve Tolleson’s two-run single snapped a ninth-inning tie and helped Toronto rally after blowing a four-run lead.
Jose Reyes and Jose Bautista also drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who used a walk and Reyes’ one-out double to set up the go-ahead hit off Grant Balfour (0-3).
Aaron Loup (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win. Casey Janssen worked a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
REDS 6, PIRATES 5
CINCINNATI — Brayan Pena’s pinch-hit single in the eighth inning completed another late rally by Cincinnati, which overcame more injuries to beat Pittsburgh and keep its momentum going toward the All-Star break.
Down 5-1 after six innings, the Reds scored twice with the help of third baseman Pedro Alvarez’s throwing error in the seventh and added three more in the eighth.
Devin Mesoraco homered with two outs off left-hander Tony Watson (5-1) in the eighth, and the Reds put together four more singles, with RBI hits by Ramon Santiago and Pena completing Cincinnati’s second big comeback of the week.
PADRES 6, DODGERS 3
LOS ANGELES — Carlos Quentin drove in three runs, Alexi Amarista homered and Jesse Hahn pitched six solid innings, leading the San Diego Padres over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hahn (5-2) allowed a run and three hits, struck out six and walked four in his seventh major league start. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 1.46 ERA over his last six outings since Pittsburgh beat him 4-1 on June 3 in his big league debut.
TIGERS 2, ROYALS 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Anibal Sanchez tossed seven stingy innings, Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera drove in runs and Detroit squeaked by Kansas City.
Sanchez (6-3) scattered eight hits without a walk to help the AL Central-leading Tigers take their second straight from Kansas City.
