American League Game Capsules
POSTED: 1:40 am EDT May 16,
2008
Cleveland, OH -- (Sports Network) - Aaron Laffey threw seven solid innings and the Indians continued their mastery on the mound until holding on in the ninth during a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics to complete a three-game sweep. Jhonny Peralta homered and scored three times for Cleveland, which has allowed just six runs in its last seven games. Ben Francisco had three hits and an RBI for the Indians, who outscored the A's, 10-2, during the series. Cleveland starting pitchers had gone 44 1/3 consecutive innings without giving up a run until Laffey's throwing error scored Bobby Crosby in the second. It was the first run allowed by the Indians since the sixth inning of last Friday's game against Toronto. That marked the longest streak by an Indians staff since the 1948 squad went 47 frames without giving up a run. Laffey (2-2) allowed five hits and an unearned run, while walking one and logging six strikeouts. Masahide Kobayashi escaped a jam in the ninth to get his second save. Greg Smith (2-3) was charged with the loss after surrendering seven hits and three runs over 4 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old lefty walked three and had seven strikeouts.Final Score: Toronto 3, Minnesota 2 (11 innings) Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Scott Rolen went 2-for-5, drove in a run and scored the winner on pinch-hitter Joe Inglett's single in the 11th inning, as the Toronto Blue Jays beat Minnesota, 3-2, to complete a three-game sweep at the Metrodome. B.J. Ryan took the mound for Toronto in the home 11th and worked around a Joe Mauer single to end the game, earning his seventh save. Shannon Stewart had a pair of hits for the Blue Jays, who have won four in a row. Dustin McGowan got the start for Toronto and went five innings, giving up two runs on two hits. Shawn Camp (1-1) got the win as he retired the last batter in the 10th. Justin Morneau went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Twins, who beat Boston in three of four before this series. Jason Kubel also had a pair of hits in defeat. Glen Perkins got the start for Minnesota and pitched six innings, yielding two runs on five hits. Jesse Crain (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing Inglett's game-winner. Final Score: Kansas City 8, Detroit 4 Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Jose Guillen went 2-for-4 with a home run and finished with three runs batted in, as the Kansas City Royals completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with an 8-4 victory. Billy Butler had a 1-for-4 day, with two RBI and a run scored for the Royals, who have won four in a row and are 6-0 against the Tigers this season. Gil Meche (3-5) got the win after he went seven innings, yielding three runs on six hits while fanning seven and walking two. Magglio Ordonez had a pair of doubles, drove in a run and scored a run for the Tigers, who have dropped four in a row and 10 of their last 12 contests overall. Kenny Rogers (3-4) absorbed the loss after he was touched for seven runs on 11 hits in just four innings. The Tigers bullpen gave up just one run on two hits in four innings. Final Score: Tampa Bay 5, New York 2 St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Scott Kazmir was brilliant through six innings, as the Tampa Bay Rays took 3-of-4 from the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory at Tropicana Field. On the heels of a brand new contract extension, Kazmir (2-1) gave up just three hits and three walks, while striking out three batters for the Rays, who have won seven of their last eight contests. Troy Percival recorded his 10th save of the year with a perfect ninth. Shawn Riggans hit a two-run home run and scored twice, and Akinori Iwamura added a solo homer. Derek Jeter went 2-for-4 with an RBI and recorded the 2,400th hit of his career for the Yankees, who failed to score more than two runs in any of the contests in the four-game set. Ian Kennedy (0-3) absorbed the loss after he was touched for five runs on five hits in five innings of work. Final Score: Chicago 4, LA Angels of Anaheim 3 Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jim Thome drove in the game-winning run in the ninth as the Chicago White Sox downed the LA Angels of Anaheim, 4-3, in the finale of a four-game set. A.J. Pierzynski went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored while Orlando Cabrera and Juan Uribe each drove in a run for the White Sox, who have won five of their last eight games. Javier Vazquez started the game and was charged with three runs -- two earned -- on nine hits with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Octavio Dotel (2-2) got the win for pitching 1 1/3 innings. Garret Anderson went 2-for-4 with one RBI while Maicer Izturis had two hits and two runs scored for the Angels, who have dropped two straight and six of their last eight. Jon Garland started on the mound and gave up three runs on seven hits with four walks and a strikeout in six innings of work. Francisco Rodriguez (0-1) got the loss for giving up one run on two hits.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.





