AMERICAN LEAGUE
BLUE JAYS: Frank Thomas broke a fifth-inning tie with his 11th career grand slam, Vernon Wells added a two-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 7-4 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the World Series champions. Out since mid-March because of a strained lower back, Boston’ Josh Beckett (0-1) was activated from the disabled list to face Roy Halladay (1-1). Beckett gave up five runs, three hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six.
YANKEES: Chien-Ming Wang (2-0) pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer in the fourth off James Shields (1-1) as New York defeated Tampa Bay 2-0.
New York’s Joe Girardi was back on the bench, returning to manage the Yankees after missing the previous two games with an illness.
In his first season as Yankees manager, Girardi sat out Friday night and Saturday because of an upper respiratory infection. Bench coach Rob Thomson managed the team in Girardi’s place, and New York lost both games to Tampa Bay.
“I’m better than I was. I don’t have the fever I had the last couple days, so that’s a good thing,” Girardi said before Sunday’s game.
Girardi stayed in his office during the games Friday and Saturday.
“They would run back and forth and we’d talk about things,” he said. “It’s not the same feeling as being on the bench. It’s hard. It’s not something I enjoyed and we had to find a way to get through it. I’m glad I’m back.”
Jason Giambi wasn’t in New York’s starting lineup Sunday after tweaking his left groin. Girardi said Giambi is day to day.
ROYALS: Brett Tomko (1-0) allowed six hits in five shutout innings and Alex Gordon hit a two-run single and scored after doubling in the seventh as Kansas City defeated Minnesota 3-1. Joakim Soria struck out the side in order in the ninth for his third save.
RANGERS: Gerald Laird had four hits, homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs as Texas beat Los Angeles 10-4. Laird hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Jon Garland (1-1), his first RBI of the season, then added an RBI single in the seventh against Darren O’Day and a two-run homer in the ninth off Jason Bulger.
INDIANS: Cliff Lee (1-0) gave up four hits and struck out four in 6 2/3 innings to win his first start of the season as Cleveland defeated Oakland 2-1. Lee retired 10 of his last 12 batters as Cleveland stopped a three-game losing streak. Joe Borowski pitched the ninth for his second save, following Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt and completing a four-hitter.
WHITE SOX: Nick Swisher homered on the game’s second pitch, Carlos Quentin had four RBI and the Chicago White Sox handed the Detroit Tigers their sixth straight loss, 13-2. Despite the second-highest payroll in baseball, the Tigers, the only winless team in baseball, are off to their worst start since going 0-9 at the beginning 2003, when they lost an AL-record 119 games.
Associated Press
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
