(Sports Network) - Alex Rios drove in Marco Scutaro with the lone run of the game on a double in the sixth and A.J. Burnett was dominant through seven innings of work as the Toronto Blue Jays edged the Atlanta Braves in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series at Rogers Centre. Burnett (8-7) was magnificent, allowing only four hits, while striking out 11 and walking four. The hard-throwing right-hander, who started his career in the National League, improved to 5-9 in 17 career starts versus the Braves. B.J. Ryan recorded his 16th save of the season. Rios finished with two doubles and Scott Rolen and Vernon Wells each doubled for Toronto, which have won five of its last seven. Jo-Jo Reyes (3-6) was the hard-luck loser. The left-hander pitched seven solid frames, giving up one run on six hits, while striking out five and walking a pair. Gregor Blanco had two hits for the Braves, who were limited to five total hits and have dropped four of their last six games.

Final Score: LA Angels of Anaheim 1, LA Dodgers 0 Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - John Lackey came within an out of his first shutout this season, yielding just three hits in the Angels' 1-0 victory over the Dodgers in the finale of a three-game series. Lackey (6-1) walked two batters and had nine strikeouts to win his fifth consecutive start. He's lasted seven or more innings in all nine of his outings this season and has a 5-1 lifetime record against the Dodgers. Juan Rivera was 2-for-4 and scored the game's lone run on Mike Napoli's single as the Angels snapped a three-game losing streak. They did it a day after losing 1-0, when the Dodgers didn't get a hit. Francisco Rodriguez came on for Lackey in the ninth with men on first and second. A wild pitch moved Delwyn Young, who singled, to third while Russell Martin, who walked, remained on first. Rodriguez then walked Jeff Kent to load the bases, but got James Loney to ground out on a chopper to second for his major league-leading 32nd save. Derek Lowe (5-8) pitched seven innings allowing just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven for the Dodgers, who had a modest two-game winning streak halted. They had blanked the Angels in the first two contests of the series. The Dodgers, who did not record a hit in eight innings of a bizarre 1-0 win Saturday night, had just three singles Sunday by Juan Pierre, Kent and Young.



Final Score: Texas 5, Philadelphia 1

Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Eric Hurley got his first career victory as the Texas Rangers downed the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-1, in the rubber match at Rangers Ballpark. Hurley (1-1) gave up just one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings while Chris Davis hit a solo home run for the Rangers, who have won five of their last eight games. Ryan Howard drove in the lone run while Jamie Moyer (7-6) was handed his third straight loss for giving up three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of work for the fading Phillies, who have dropped nine of their last 11 games and now hold a one-game lead over Florida for first place in the NL East.



Final Score: San Francisco 11, Oakland 1

Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Rich Aurilia hit a two-run homer and matched a career-high with five RBI, as San Francisco hammered Oakland, 11-1, in the finale of a three-game interleague series. John Bowker added two RBI for the Giants, who won the final two games of the set. Ray Durham, Bengie Molina, Aaron Rowand and Jose Castillo knocked in a run each. Jonathan Sanchez (8-4) notched the win by limiting Oakland to one run on four hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked one en route to his sixth win in seven starts. Jack Cust hit his 13th homer of the season for the Athletics, who have dropped three of five overall. Joe Blanton (4-11) took the loss, charged with eight hits and seven runs in only four frames.



Final Score: Cincinnati 9, Cleveland 5

Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Dunn each homered and drove in three runs as the Cincinnati Reds trumped the Cleveland Indians, 9-5, to take the rubber match in the second segment of the battle of Ohio. Bronson Arroyo (5-7) yielded two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and two walks in six innings of work while striking out six for the Reds, who took the final two games in the set. Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and Brandon Philips also knocked in a run for Cincinnati. Starter Aaron Laffey (4-5) allowed five runs on eight hits across five innings for Cleveland, which has lost two in a row. Grady Sizemore was 2-for-5 with a homer and Ben Francisco hit a two-run shot to lead the Indians offense.



Final Score: NY Mets 3, NY Yankees 1

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Luis Castillo finished 3-for-5 and knocked in a run, while Oliver Perez threw seven strong innings as the New York Mets clipped the New York Yankees 3-1 in the finale of the four-game Subway Series from Shea Stadium. Carlos Delgado homered and David Wright also drove in a run for the Mets, who earned a split in the set and halted a two-game losing skid. Perez (6-5) allowed just three hits and one run, tying a season high with eight strikeouts with no walks. It was the second time this season Perez has won a start against the Yankees, following his 7 2/3 inning performance in an 11-2 Mets victory on May 18. Wilson Betemit's homer was the lone run for the Yankees, who had won the middle two contests in the series. Darrell Rasner (4-6) took the loss despite yielding eight hits and two runs over five innings, fanning three and walking three.



Final Score: Detroit 4, Colorado 3

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Dane Sardinha drilled a two-run triple for his first major league hit and the game-winner, helping the Detroit Tigers to a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 4-3 decision in the finale of an interleague set at Comerica Park. With the win the Tigers, who started the season with seven straight losses, poked above .500, at 41-40, for the first time in 2008. Marcus Thames finished the day 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Edgar Renteria, Curtis Granderson and Clete Thomas had two hits and a run scored each for Detroit. Kenny Rogers (6-5) worked six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks for the win, Detroit's fifth straight. Troy Tulowitzki had a two-run homer and Yorvit Torrealba notched an RBI single and scored a run with a 2-for-4 day for the reeling Rockies. Greg Reynolds (2-6) finished after 5 2/3 innings, charged with four runs on 10 hits in taking the loss. The first-year righthander had three strikeouts and no walks for Colorado, which dropped its seventh straight game.



Final Score: Tampa Bay 4, Pittsburgh 3

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Shawn Riggans went 3-for-4, homered, drove in two and scored, and the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Pirates, 4-3, to take two of three from Pittsburgh, and take first place in the American League East. The Red Sox lost to the Astros, 3-2, on Sunday, allowing the Rays to vault past Boston and into first prior to a three-game set between the clubs. Boston, which led Tampa by a half-game entering play Sunday, visits the Rays for three games starting on Monday. This will be the first matchup between the clubs since Boston's three-game sweep of the Rays at Fenway Park in early June, a series that included a benches-clearing brawl. The win put the Rays back at a franchise-record 17 games over .500. Tampa is 49-32 at the season's official halfway point, after going a major league-worst 66-96 last season. The previous best record for the club at the halfway mark was 40-41 in 2004. Andy Sonnanstine (9-3) scattered five hits and two runs over seven frames, fanning four and walking one for the Rays, who have won five of six heading into another clash with the American League East-leading Red Sox. Jack Wilson went 2-for-4 and scored twice for the Pirates, who have dropped three of four. Tyler Yates (3-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in two innings of relief for Tom Gorzelanny, who gave up two runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in six frames.



Final Score: Washington 3, Baltimore 2 (12 innings)

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Ronnie Belliard's two-out, two-run game- ending homer in the bottom of the 12th gave the Washington Nationals a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles (web|news) in the rubber match-up in the Battle of the Beltways. In the top of the 12th, Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff hit back-to- back singles to lead off before a Kevin Millar lineout and a Luke Scott strikeout left the runners on first and second with two outs. Adam Jones, however, came through with a single to right allowing Markakis to score easily and give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. After George Sherrill (2-3) struck out Pete Orr and got Paul Lo Duca to groundout, Dmitri Young drew a pinch-hit walk. Belliard followed with a shot over the left field wall, his sixth, for the victory. Jason Bergmann gave up a single run in seven innings on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts for Washington, which has won three of its last four. Aaron Boone drove in the other run for Washington. Joel Hanrahan (5-2) got the win for getting the final out of the 12th inning. Scott was 2-for-5 with a solo home run for Baltimore, while Jones was 1-for-5 with an RBI in the game and 8-for-13 with four runs in the three-game series. Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven innings allowing just one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four for the Orioles, who have lost five of eight.



Final Score: St. Louis 9, Kansas City 6

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Jason LaRue homered and tripled, leading the Cardinals nine-run attack with four runs batted in, as St. Louis clinched an I-70 series win, 9-6, in the finale of a three-game interleague set at Kauffman Stadium. Albert Pujols homered and doubled with two RBI and two runs scored while Adam Kennedy scored twice with an RBI and two walks for St. Louis, which took two of three from the Royals. Braden Looper lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs - two earned - on six hits and four walks. Chris Perez (2-0) picked up the win after taking over for Looper in the fourth, and gave up one run on two hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Mark Grudzielanek led the Royals going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI while Mark Teahen, Esteban German and Joey Gathright added two hits and an RBI each in defeat. Brian Bannister (7-7) was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings for Kansas City, which had a season-high six-game winning streak snapped Saturday. KC has just three losses in their last 14 games despite losing two of three.



Final Score: Houston 3, Boston 2

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Mark Loretta's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth sent Houston past Boston, 3-2, in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set from Minute Maid Park. Doug Brocail (4-3) picked up the win by striking out three and not allowing a run or hit in 1 2/3 relief innings. Geoff Blum homered and Lance Berkman contributed a run-scoring single for the Astros, who have won two in a row and four of six. Dustin Pedroia and Manny Ramirez hit solo home runs for the Red Sox, who dropped the final two games in the series. Boston dropped out of first place in the AL East, falling a half-game behind Tampa, which won 4-3 in Pittsburgh earlier Sunday. The Red Sox travel to St. Petersburg for a three-game set with the Rays starting on Monday. Sox reliever David Aardsma (2-2) took the loss, charged with the winning run in just one-third of an inning.



Final Score: Minnesota 5, Milwaukee 0

Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Kevin Slowey pitched his first career shutout and Delmon Young hit a two-run homer as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series at the Metrodome. Slowey (5-6) surrendered only three hits and struck out eight without allowing a walk. The 24-year-old righty, has won five of his last eight starts. Alexi Casilla finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double and Carlos Gomez knocked in one with a triple as the Twins have now won 11 of their last 12 games. Ben Sheets (9-2) took the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits, while striking out seven. It was Sheets' first loss since the middle of May and he is now 6-1 in 11 road starts this season. J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart and Mike Cameron accounted for the Brewers only hits. Milwaukee has lost three of its last four. Minnesota got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. After the first two hitters went down on strikes, Joe Mauer laced a double to right and Justin Morneau walked. Jason Kubel then singled to left to plate the first run of the ball game.



Final Score: Chicago White Sox 5, Chicago Cubs 1

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Mark Buehrle worked seven strong innings as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs with a 5-1 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. Buehrle (6-6) gave up one unearned-run on six hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts, while and Brian Anderson clubbed a two-run homer for the White Sox, who have won five of their last six games. Designated hitter Jim Thome hit the 522nd home run of his career, a two-run blast in the eighth, and moved into sole possession of 16th place all-time, squeezing past Ted Williams and Willie McCovey. Ronny Cedeno drove in the lone run while Sean Marshall (0-2) suffered the loss as he gave up three runs on five hits in seven innings for the Cubs, who have dropped four straight and five of six overall. The skid comes after last weekend's sweep of the White Sox at Wrigley Field.







Copyright 2008 The Sports Network
All rights reserved