Rangers Shut Down High-Flying Angels
American League
Roger Pavlik exposed a startling truth about the California Angels hitters. If you make good pitches against them, you can get them out.
Even Tim Salmon.
Pavlik overpowered the major leagues’ most potent lineup for seven innings Sunday, carrying the Rangers to a 5-2 victory before 23,342 at Anaheim Stadium. The Angels, who entered the series averaging 8.1 runs per game since the All-Star break, haven’t been shut out since May 2. Pavlik blanked them on five singles through seven innings.
“They’ve changed speeds,” California manager Marcel Lachemann said of the Texas pitchers. “Other clubs have tried that. They’ve made the pitches. When they make mistakes, we haven’t hit them like we did before.”
White Sox 5, Indians 1
Cleveland
Dave Righetti won again in his remarkable rebirth as a starter, and Chicago earned its first victory in seven games at Jacobs Field.
With a steady wind blowing in from right-center field, the 36-year-old Righetti (3-0) limited baseball’s best-hitting team to one run and six hits in five-plus innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Tigers 6, Yankees 5 (12)
Detroit
Derrick White’s bases-loaded infield single with two outs in the 12th inning helped Detroit avoid a three-game New York sweep.
White’s hit - his first RBI of the season came after a hit batter, an error and an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out against Dave Eiland (1-1), the last of six Yankees pitchers.
Brewers 3, Orioles 2
Baltimore
Kevin Seitzer singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Milwaukee overcame a homer by Bobby Bonilla to beat Baltimore.
With the score 2 all, Jose Valentin opened the eighth with a single off Kevin Brown (5-7). Fernando Vina sacrificed, and Seitzer blooped a single to right to give the Brewers their second win of the three-game series.
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 4
Toronto
John Valentin had three hits, drove in three runs and gave Boston the lead with a two-run home run in the seventh inning to power the Red Sox past Toronto.
Willie McGee drew a one-out walk in the seventh and Valentin followed with his 18th homer of the season, sending Edwin Hurtado’s 0-1 pitch into the right-field bullpen.
Royals 11, Twins 1
Minneapolis
Mark Gubicza pitched a four-hitter, retiring 21 in a row at one point, to lead Kansas City over Minnesota.
The Royals hit a season-high five home runs and had 15 hits. Gary Gaetti’s 23rd and 24th home runs gave him five in six games.
Damaged goods
Oakland Manager Tony La Russa says the Yankees were less than honest about Danny Tartabull’s rib cage injury that landed him on the 15-day disabled list less than a week after coming to Oakland in the trade for Ruben Sierra.
“We were told he was ready to play,” La Russa said of Tartabull, who is 1 for 11 with six strikeouts since joining the A’s.
But Oakland General Manager Sandy Alderson didn’t seem to care how hurt Tartabull was because Sierra had worn out his welcome in Oakland.
Getting rid of Sierra was such a priority to Alderson that he said he would have made the deal “even if Tartabull had been in a hospital bed for two months.”
Clearing the bases
Milwaukee signed relief pitcher Rob Dibble and added him to their 25-man roster. Ironically, Dibble can’t appear in a game until Wednesday because of his part in a fight with the Brewers on July 15 when he was with the Chicago White Sox… . Chicago placed right-handed starter Jason Bere on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, because of tendinitis in his right biceps… . Cleveland’s 19-1/2-game lead at the beginning of Sunday’s game was the largest in franchise history and the largest in baseball since the 1986 New York Mets built a 21-1/2-game lead.