NEW YORK — Chase Headley came through with a storybook swing at the stroke of midnight in his Yankees debut, hitting a game-winning single in the 14th inning to give New York a 2-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Derek Jeter broke Lou Gehrig’s franchise record for doubles, and the Yankees won an unlikely pitching duel after both rookie starters entered with a 5.10 ERA.
J.P. Arencibia snapped a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer in the 13th against New York reliever David Huff, but the Yankees responded with Brett Gardner’s leadoff double and Jacoby Ellsbury’s tying single off closer Joakim Soria in the bottom half.
Most seats were empty by the time Brian Roberts doubled with one out in the 14th off Nick Tepesch (3-6), who threw 99 pitches over 4 1/3 innings during Sunday’s start in Toronto. Roberts was held at third on Francisco Cervelli’s single before Headley looped a single to left-center just as the clock struck midnight.
Acquired from San Diego in a trade before the game, Headley raised one arm as he ran to first and was soon mobbed by his happy new teammates. He was doused with a sports drink by Gardner during a postgame television interview.
“Unbelievable,” Headley said. “I’m excited to be here. I can’t wait to help, and just to be a part of this great franchise.”
Headley had a great chance to win it in the 12th when he grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Just before that, New York hit into some hard luck when Gold Glove third baseman Adrian Beltre snared Cervelli’s screaming line drive to save the game.
Jeff Francis (1-0) worked a scoreless inning to win his Yankees debut in a game that took 4 hours, 59 minutes.
The teams combined to use 17 pitchers. Minus ailing slugger Mark Teixeira, the Yankees were held scoreless for 17 straight innings by a team with the highest ERA in the American League by half a run.
Looking to upgrade that sagging lineup, New York obtained Headley from the Padres for rookie infielder Yangervis Solarte and minor league pitcher Rafael De Paula.
Headley arrived right around game time and was in uniform shaking hands with his new teammates in the dugout by the top of the second inning. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth and finished 1 for 4. The 2012 Gold Glove winner also made a leaping grab to end the 10th.
Jeter hit his 535th double in the ninth, snapping a tie with Gehrig. Carlos Beltran grounded into an inning-ending double play against Neal Cotts.
It was the longest scoreless game for the Yankees since they beat Boston 2-0 in 15 innings on Alex Rodriguez’s two-run homer Aug. 7, 2009.
New York handed Soria his second blown save in 19 chances, but he kept Texas in it by getting Brian McCann to ground into an inning-ending double play with runners at the corners.
Despite allowing a leadoff single in each of the first four innings, Chase Whitley gave the Yankees an excellent outing after going 0-3 with a 12.86 ERA in his previous four starts. The right-hander scattered seven hits over six-plus scoreless innings, striking out six and walking none.
Reinstated from the disabled list before the game, Texas starter Nick Martinez retired 12 in a row after giving up two singles in the first. The streak was snapped by Roberts’ two-out single in the fifth, and Martinez was pulled after a one-out walk in the sixth.
The right-hander went to nearby Fordham in the Bronx and left tickets for 15 former college teammates and two coaches. He also expected to have seven or eight family members in the stands.
BLUE JAYS 7, RED SOX 3
TORONTO — J.A. Happ pitched six shutout innings for his first victory in three starts, Dioner Navarro and Jose Reyes homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Tuesday night.
Reyes and Navarro both connected in the sixth inning as the Blue Jays rebounded from Monday’s 14-1 defeat to snap Boston’s five-game winning streak. Reyes and Melky Cabrera both had three hits and two RBIs. Cabrera has 14 multi-hit games in his past 30.
David Ortiz hit a solo homer in the eighth, his third homer in two games and the 36th at Rogers Centre, matching Alex Rodriguez for the most by a visiting player.
Happ (8-5) allowed seven hits in six innings to win for the first time since June 26. Brett Cecil got the final out for his fourth save in five chances.
Jake Peavy (1-9) lost for the ninth time in 15 starts and hasn’t won since beating Toronto on April 25. He allowed five runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.
MARLINS 6, BRAVES 5
ATLANTA — Jacob Turner allowed two runs in his bid for a permanent return to Miami’s rotation and the Marlins knocked Mike Minor out of the game early in their win over Atlanta.
Donovan Solano had a career-high four hits and reached on a walk as Miami took its second straight win over Atlanta. Christian Yelich had two hits and scored three runs.
Turner (3-6), making his first start since June 11, gave up four hits in five innings. He loaded the bases but allowed only one run in the first inning. The other run he gave up came on Justin Upton’s third-inning homer.
Steve Cishek pitched around Chris Johnson’s leadoff single in the ninth to earn his 23rd save.
PIRATES 12, DODGERS 7
PITTSBURGH — Gregory Polanco got out of a slump with a solo home run and a tiebreaking two-run single, lifting Pittsburgh over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Neil Walker went 2 for 4 with his 15th homer and three RBIs. Ike Davis had three hits, including his sixth home run.
Vance Worley (3-1) overcame shaky defense behind him to win for the first time in nearly a month.
Adrian Gonzalez smacked his 15th homer and finished with three RBIs for the Dodgers. Paul Maholm (1-5) took the loss after replacing ineffective starter Josh Beckett, who struggled in his return from a hip injury.
CUBS 6, PADRES 0
CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs, and Kyle Hendricks pitched seven innings in his return from the minor leagues, as the Chicago Cubs beat San Diego to snap a five-game losing streak.
Rizzo staked Hendricks to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Four innings later, rookie Arismendy Alcantara and Rizzo hit back-to-back homers off Blaine Boyer for a 5-0 lead. Rizzo became the first National League player to reach 25 homers this season, his career high.
Emilio Bonifacio, Wellington Castillo and Justin Ruggiano had two hits apiece for the Cubs.
INDIANS 8, TWINS 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Santana homered among his season high-tying four hits and Danny Salazar won in his first start in more than two months as Cleveland topped Minnesota.
Cleveland won for the fourth time in six games since the All-Star break. Minnesota has lost four of five.
Salazar (2-4) gave up one run and six hits in five innings.
Indians closer Cody Allen struck out pinch-hitter Chris Parmelee with a runner on third in a two-run game in the eighth inning before Cleveland scored four times in the ninth.
Twins rookie starter Yohan Pino (1-3) allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Minnesota’s Brian Dozier had three hits, including his career-high 19th home run in the seventh inning.
BREWERS 4, REDS 3
MILWAUKEE — Jonathan Lucroy homered leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to give Milwaukee a win over Cincinnati.
It was Lucroy’s second homer of the game and 11th of the season. It was his second career walkoff homer, both against the Reds. His first was last season off closer Aroldis Chapman and this one was off Sam LeCure.
Francisco Rodriguez (4-3) pitched the ninth to earn the victory.
ROYALS 7, WHITE SOX 1
CHICAGO — Mike Moustakas homered twice, Bruce Chen pitched five effective innings, and Kansas City snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox.
Moustakas, who has 12 homers this season, went 3 for 5 with three RBIs.
The Royals entered the game with a major league-worst 55 homers and had managed a total of six runs during the skid.
Chen (2-2) allowed one run and five hits in five innings.
Adam Dunn went 2 for 4 with a solo homer for the White Sox, who had won three of four.
RAYS 7, CARDINALS 2
ST. LOUIS — Jake Odorizzi allowed two runs over 5 2-3 innings, and Yunel Escobar highlighted a five-run fifth inning with a two-run double to lead Tampa Bay over St. Louis.
It was the Rays’ season-high sixth straight win. They have outscored the opposition 36-11 during the run.
Evan Longoria added a solo homer in the ninth for Tampa Bay.
St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright, making his first appearance since starting for the NL in the All-Star game, gave up six runs, four earned, in 4 2-3 innings.
Wainwright (12-5) was trying to become the first 13-game winner in the NL. He walked four and hit a batter in his second-shortest outing of the season.
NATIONALS 7, ROCKIES 4
DENVER — Adam LaRoche hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh, Anthony Rendon had three hits, and Washington rallied to beat Colorado.
It was the Nationals fourth straight win, and they increased their NL East lead to two games over Atlanta.
Ian Desmond followed Monday’s 5-for-5 performance with hits in his first two at-bats for Washington. He was hit by a pitch in the sixth to reach base safely in eight consecutive plate appearances. The streak ended when he struck out in the seventh.
Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson homered for the Rockies, who have lost seven straight and remain tied with Texas for the worst record in the majors.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, TIGERS 4
PHOENIX — Aaron Hill drove in three runs and made a game-ending diving stop, Miguel Montero hit a two-run single in the eighth inning, and Arizona rallied for a win over Detroit.
Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, Detroit went ahead on Torii Hunter’s two-run single up the middle off Brad Ziegler.
Eury De la Rosa (2-0) got the final two outs in the inning, and Arizona rallied when Phil Coke (1-2) walked two in the bottom half after being hit by a line drive. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases on a two-out walk, and Montero singled up the middle off Ian Krol.
GIANTS 9, PHILLIES 6
PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Crawford hit a bases-clearing double to break a 14th-inning stalemate, and Tim Lincecum earned his first career save as San Francisco beat Philadelphia.
Crawford snapped a 2-for-22 skid with his two-out hit off the wall in left-center field and finished with four RBIs. Buster Posey, who doubled and scored in the 14th, sent the game into extras with a solo homer in the ninth off Jonathan Papelbon, who blew his third save.
George Kontos (3-0) earned the win for the second straight night. Lincecum, San Francisco’s ninth pitcher, got the final two outs for the save. Jeff Manship (1-2) surrendered four runs and lost.
METS 3, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE — Jacob deGrom allowed five hits and a run in seven impressive innings, Lucas Duda hit a mammoth home run, and the New York Mets topped Seattle to break a three-game losing streak.
DeGrom (4-5) walked one and struck out seven to improve to 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA over his last six starts.
Travis d’Arnaud drove in a run with a triple off Erasmo Ramirez (1-5), who was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma for the start, and scored on Ruben Tejada’s soft single in the second inning.
Duda hit his 15th home run, a 446-foot drive off the second deck scoreboard in right field in the eighth.
ORIOLES 4, ANGELS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Miguel Gonzalez took a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning, Jonathan Schoop homered, and J.J. Hardy hit two RBI doubles to lead Baltimore past the Los Angeles Angels.
Gonzalez (5-5) allowed two runs and three hits in 7 2-3 innings, including a two-run homer in the eighth by All-Star MVP Mike Trout.
Tommy Hunter retired Albert Pujols on a grounder for the final out of the eighth, and Zach Britton pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances.
ASTROS 3, ATHLETICS 2
OAKLAND, Calif. — L.J. Hoes homered with one out in the top of the 12th, and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Tuesday night for their first win in four tries at the Coliseum this year.
The Astros also earned their first three-game winning streak against the A’s in franchise history.
Hoes connected off Fernando Abad (2-4). The baseball-leading A’s (61-38) missed several chances to move a season-high 25 games over .500.
By wire sources