MLB scoreboard: Kendrys Morales Fuels Los Angeles Angels Rout Of Texas Rangers
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Los Angeles Angels 15, Texas Rangers 8
The Angels took down their division rival in spectacular fashion, scoring 15 runs on 16 hits and getting home runs from Kendrys Morales from both sides of the plate in the same inning. Morales was just the third player in history to accomplish this feat. He wasn’t alone in his offensive prowess, though, as Mike Trout homered and drove in four, Albert Pujols went 3-4 with two RBI, and Maicer Izturis had three hits and a solo homer. Roy Oswalt sure hasn’t been good since finding his way into the Texas rotation. There is consolation news for the Rangers, though, as Josh Hamilton ended his slump with three hits and his 29th home run of the season. Nelson Cruz also had two hits and a long ball in the loss.
Baltimore Orioles 5, New York Yankees 4
Miguel Gonzalez struck out eight Yankees in 6 2/3 innings and was just good enough to help his team to victory. Nick Markakis had a nice day, going 3-4 with a double and two RBI, while Wilson Betemit homered. The Yankees benefited from the first New York home run of Ichiro Suzuki but still dropped the game.
Boston Red Sox 7, Detroit Tigers 3
The Red Sox have climbed back over .500 and their lineup is starting to look a lot healthier. Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks each hit two-run shots, while Clay Buchholz went eight strong innings and allowed just two earned runs. Austin Jackson added a solo home run for the Tigers.
Minnesota Twins 7, Chicago White Sox 6
The Twins took this game thanks to a game-winning sac fly from Jamey Carroll in the bottom of the ninth. Minnesota got most of their runs early thanks to multi-hit games from Josh Willingham, Justin Morneau, Denard Span, and Danny Valencia. The White Sox also flashed the bats early on, scoring four runs in the first inning. Alejandro De Aza had four hits, while A.J. Pierzynski hit a three-run homer.
Oakland Athletics 4, Tampa Bay Rays 3 (F/15)
It took the A’s a while to do it, but they won their 19th game in July thanks to a Jemile Weeks sac fly in the bottom of the 15th. Prior to the walk-off, neither team had scored since the bottom of the seventh inning. David Price struck out 11 in his start, while Brandon Hicks and Matt Joyce each went deep. Kudos to both bullpens for this game. Here are their lines: Oakland-8 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K; Tampa Bay-7 2/3 IP, ER, 5 H, 8 BB, 10 K.
Seattle Mariners 4, Toronto Blue Jays 1
Hisashi Iwakuma put on quite a show in this one, going eight innings and striking out 13 Blue Jays in the process. The Jays were baffled by the right-hander and wasted what has become an increasingly rare decent start from Ricky Romero. Michael Saunders and Kyle Seager each had two hits and drove in a run.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta Braves 8, Miami Marlins 2
Tommy Hanson may have a 12-5 record, but this is not the Tommy Hanson everyone fell in love with. Still struggling post-injury, Hanson managed to allow just one run despite letting nine men on base in five innings. His offense backed him with 13 hits, though. Jason Heyward went 2-5 with a home run and three runs scored, while Michael Bourn and Dan Uggla each drove in multiple runs.
San Diego Padres 11, Cincinnati Reds 5
The Reds had their 10-game winning streak snapped at the hands of…the Padres? Mike Leake got crushed early, as the Padres rallied from down 3-0 to plate nine runs in the second and third innings. Will Venable drove in four, Carlos Quentin went deep, and Yonder Alonso has four hits. Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs each left the yard for Cincinnati.
Chicago Cubs 14, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Shortly before dealing away half of their roster as they begin to rebuild, the Cubs decided to go ahead and destroy the Pirates for good measure. A nine-run fifth inning was the biggest reason why, as Erik Bedard couldn’t make it through the inning. Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro each had three hits and drove in multiple runs, while those two and Anthony Rizzo all homered. Rookie Sterling Marte had three hits for the losing Pirates.
Milwaukee Brewers 8, Houston Astros 7
The Brewers scored all eight of their runs in the seventh and eighth innings after being shut down by Bud Norris for the majority of the game. Cody Ransom hit a three-run homer, while Cesar Izturis collected three hits and scored a pair of runs. Jose Altuve reached base and scored three times in the loss. With the loss, the Astros sit an astounding 27 games out of first place.
Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Trevor Cahill kept the Dodgers at bay by allowing just one run in six innings and let his offense do the work. Paul Goldschmidt homered and drove in three, while new acquisition Chris Johnson hit a grand slam off Aaron Harang in the fifth inning. This win puts the D-Backs just 3 1/2 games back of the Dodgers and Giants.
New York Mets 8, San Francisco Giants 7 (F/10)
The Mets plated two runs in the top of the 10th, which is good since the Giants scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Madison Bumgarner allowed just two runs and struck out nine in six innings, while Nate Schierholtz (who may or may not have asked to be traded) had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Scott Hairston hit two home runs including one that put the Mets ahead in extra innings.
If Brian’s writing strikes your fancy, read his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @vaughanbasepct.