Rays slip past the A's 4-3 - Sports Thursday

Rays slip past the A's 4-3

Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 - 12:07 AM

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From Wire Reports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - James Shields allowed three runs pitching into the ninth inning, and Jonny Gomes and Ben Zobrist hit back-to-back homers to lead the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Oakland Athletics, 4-3 yesterday.

Shields (9-6) gave up six hits and struck out seven in improving to 5-1 in his past six starts. Shields' bid for his fourth complete game of the season ended when Jack Cust doubled with one out in the ninth.

Troy Percival replaced Shields and got the final two outs for his 20th save in 22 chances. It's the 10th time in his career the right-hander has recorded at least 20 saves.

Tampa Bay is 40-16 at home this year. The Rays are one victory away from the franchise record of 41 home wins in a single season, set in 2004 and matched in 2006.

The Athletics have lost seven of eight.

AROUND THE MAJORS

Mussina, A-Rod lead Yankees to win

NEW YORK - Mike Mussina baffled the Twins for eight innings, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run double and the Yankees won their 10th straight at home by defeating Minnesota 5-1.

Justin Christian also drove in two runs for New York, which completed a perfect post-break homestand with sweeps of Oakland and the Twins. Up next is a three-game trip to Boston.

The Twins did not get a runner past second against Mussina (13-6), who scattered six hits, retired 14 of the first 17 batters he faced, and walked none for the third straight start.

Maddux continues slump against Reds

CINCINNATI - Adam Dunn hit Cincinnati's first grand slam of the season, and the Reds kept Greg Maddux in the longest winless streak of his sterling career by beating the San Diego Padres 9-5.

The 42-year-old Maddux hasn't won since May 10, going 14 starts without a victory. He was thwarted again with an assist by the Padres' defense and bullpen.

Maddux left the game with a 3-2 lead in the sixth after giving up an unearned run. Edwin Encarnacion hit the first pitch by Cla Meredith (0-3) for a two-run homer that put the Reds ahead, dooming Maddux to his fifth loss with nine no-decisions since his last victory.

In other games:

RED SOX 6, MARINERS 3: Mike Lowell hit a two-run single off Sean Green in the 12th inning, and the visiting Red Sox took advantage of two outfield errors to beat Seattle and complete Boston's first series sweep at Seattle in 15 years.

ROCKIES 5, DODGERS 3: Matt Holliday drove in two runs, including one on a double that bounced off the pitcher's glove, and Jeff Baker scored twice to lead the host Rockies. Brad Hawpe, Ian Stewart and Garrett Atkins also drove in a run apiece for the defending NL champions, who closed out a seven-game homestand with a 6-1 mark.

PIRATES 8, ASTROS 7: Jason Bay hit a two-run homer to help visiting Pittsburgh earn its first road sweep of the season and first three-game win streak since May 6-12. Doug Mientkiewicz drove in two runs, starter Ian Snell had an RBI single and Franquelis Osoria (4-3) pitched two innings of scoreless relief as the Pirates finished off their first sweep since taking three from San Francisco at PNC Park from May 6-8.

TIGERS 7, ROYALS 1: Armando Galarraga carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs and Detroit beat host Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep. Galarraga retired the first 18 batters before David DeJesus led off the seventh with a single to right on a full-count pitch. To that point, the 26-year-old rookie right-hander had allowed just two fly balls to the outfield and struck out six.

WHITE SOX 10, RANGERS 8: Carlos Quentin hit two home runs, including the go-ahead, three-run shot during a five-run eighth inning to help host Chicago rally. Quentin's go-ahead homer came on the first pitch from Rangers closer C.J. Wilson, who entered in relief of Eddie Guardado with two on and two out. It was the third multihomer game of the season for Quentin, whose shot in the fifth barely cleared the center field wall.

ANGELS 14, INDIANS 11: Jeff Mathis had four hits with a career-high six RBI, including his first grand slam in the majors, and Casey Kotchman had a career-best five hits for host Los Angeles. The Angels padded their AL West lead to 10 games over Oakland with a season-high 19-hit attack.

NOTABLE

Yanks' Posada wants surgery delayed

NEW YORK - Yankees catcher Jorge Posada wants to put off surgery on his right shoulder even if it means sacrificing the start of next season. If he does play the rest of this year, it won't be behind the plate.

On the disabled list for the second time this season, Posada had his throwing shoulder examined by New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek on Tuesday, and surgery was again recommended. An MRI showed fraying in the tendons around the labrum, but not a rotator cuff tear, Posada said before the Yankees played the Minnesota Twins.

Brewers give Gibbons second chance

MILWAUKEE - Former major-leaguer Jay Gibbons is getting another chance with the Milwaukee Brewers. The team purchased Gibbons' contract from the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks and will assign him to its Double-A affiliate in Huntsville, Ala.

Fogg to miss next start with split lip

CINCINNATI - Josh Fogg will miss his next scheduled start for the Cincinnati Reds because of a split upper lip, suffered when he was hit in the face during batting practice. The right-hander chipped a tooth and needed 30 stitches to close the wound on Tuesday night. He was playing catch in the outfield, warming up for his between-starts bullpen session, when he was hit by Joey Votto's batted ball. ELSEWHERE

Tribune Co. informed would-be buyers of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field whether they would be invited to continue in the auction based on last week's initial bids, with at least one previous frontrunner seemingly on the outs - at least for now.