Romero, Toronto shut down Rays, 5-0
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The Associated Press - Published: July 2, 2009
TORONTO — Ricky Romero pitched four-hit ball over eighth innings, Rod Barajas, Adam Lind and Scott Rolen each homered and the Toronto Blue Jays end the Tampa Bay Rays' seven-game winning streak with a 5-0 victory Wednesday.
Romero (6-3),who took a no-hitter into the seventh in his last start, matched the longest outing of his career in winning his third straight start. He walked four, struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 2.85. Romero allowed just two hits through the first six innings.
Jason Frasor pitched the ninth to complete the four-hitter, the Blue Jays' sixth shutout.
Toronto snapped a four game losing streak thanks to a trio of solo home runs off James Shields (6-6).
Barajas hit connected with one out in the seventh, his eighth. Lind and Rolen hit consecutive shots in the eighth, the third time this season the Blue Jays have gone back-to-back. Lind's homer was his 16th and Rolen's was his sixth.
Toronto's defense helped the rookie left-hander get out of a jam in the seventh, when the Rays loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. Romero escaped by getting Pat Burrell to ground into a double play.
A walk and an error by shortstop Marco Scutaro gave the Rays runners at first and second with none out in the eighth. But Scutaro redeemed himself by catching a line drive from pinch-hitter Willy Aybar, then flipping to second to get Jason Bartlett for the double play.
Romero walked B.J. Upton but the Rays came up empty when Carl Crawford flied out to the warning track in right.
James Shields allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Shields retired the first eight Toronto batters before Jose Bautista hit an infield single in the third. Scutaro followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, his first hit in 18 at-bats.
The Blue Jays made it 2-0 in the fourth. Lind led off with a double to right and scored one out later when a hard smash from Lyle Overbay went through Carlos Pena's legs at first for a two-base error.
Rolen extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games with a single in the sixth and Overbay snapped an 0-for-16 skid with a single in the eighth.
NOTES: Toronto OF Vernon Wells, stuck in a 2-for-19 slump, was held out of the starting lineup and was booed when he came on as a defensive replacement in the ninth. With Wells out, Lind batted third for just the second time this season while Overbay hit fifth. ... The Blue Jays celebrated Canada Day with red caps and jerseys. Canadian-born Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins threw out the first pitch and a group of fans in right field hung maple leaf signs instead of Ks to mark strikeouts... This was the first of five straight day games for Toronto, who begin a four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
Twins 5, Royals 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joe Mauer went 3 for 3, raising his average to .392 and backing pitcher Glen Perkins in Minnesota's victory over the Royals.
After walking in the first inning, Mauer stroked three consecutive singles, driving in one run and scoring another as the Twins completed a 6-3 trip that began in Milwaukee and St. Louis. He was walked intentionally in the eighth.
Perkins (4-4) allowed one run for the second straight start, scattering 10 hits in seven innings. Joe Nathan got the final out for his 21st save in 23 opportunities.
Gil Meche (4-8), whose "dead arm" the previous two starts had created concern among the Royals, gave up three runs — two earned — six hits and five walks in six inning.
Athletics 5, Tigers 1
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jason Giambi and Jack Cust broke out of funks with two-run homers, Dallas Braden ended a four-start winless stretch and the Athletics beat Detroit.
Giambi's drive in the sixth off Justin Verlander (8-4) was home run No. 407, tying him with Duke Snider for 43rd place. Giambi, who has been dealing with sore legs and entered the game with an American League-low .197 batting average, was in a 2-for-28 stretch before the homer after striking out in his first two at-bats.
Cust had been 4 for 24 with 13 strikeouts in his previous seven games.
Braden (6-7) pitched seven strong innings to win for the first time in five starts since beating Baltimore on June 5.
Dodgers 1, Rockies 0
LOS ANGELES — Rafael Furcal had a pinch hit RBI single in the eighth inning in the final game of Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.
The Dodgers were 29-21 during Ramirez's absence. The 12-time All-Star, who needs three home runs to tie Mickey Mantle for 15th place on the career list at 536, will return to the lineup Friday night for the start of a three-game series at San Diego.
Brad Ausmus led off the eighth with a single against Rockies starter Jason Hammel (5-4) and advanced on Juan Castro's sacrifice. Russell Martin ran for Ausmus and scored when Furcal stroked a single to right field on the right-hander's 100th pitch while batting for reliever Ramon Troncoso (2-0).
Troncoso pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win and Jonathan Broxton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save in 20 attempts.
Mets 1, Brewers 0
MILWAUKEE — Mike Pelfrey bailed the Mets out of a season-worst losing streak, overcoming a career-high 12 strikeouts by young Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo in a 1-0 victory Wednesday.
Pelfrey (6-3) gave up six hits and two walks in 7 2-3 innings, and Ryan Church came through with an RBI single in the sixth as the Mets stopped a five-game losing streak and avoided a series sweep by the Brewers.
Gallardo (8-5) gave up five hits in seven innings. The Brewers completed a 5-4 homestand and will travel to Chicago for a four-game series against the Cubs beginning today.
Marlins 5, Nationals 3
MIAMI — Hanley Ramirez extended his RBI streak to 10 games, pinch-hitter Wes Helms beat out a potential double-play ball to put Florida ahead in the eighth inning and the Marlins remained unbeaten against Washington.
Cody Ross hit his 14th home run and added an RBI single in the eighth for Florida, which improved to 9-0 against Washington this season. Ramirez hit a two-run double for the Marlins, making him the first shortstop in NL history with an RBI streak of double-digit games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Josh Willingham was 2 for 4 with a two-run single for Washington, which stranded 13 runners.
Dan Meyer (2-0), one of six Florida pitchers, got the win after working two-thirds of an inning. Leo Nunez pitched the ninth, getting his fourth save in seven chances.
Julian Tavarez (3-6) faced two batters in the eighth, and both scored as the Nationals wasted a 3-2 lead.
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