ANAHEIM, Calif -John Lackey pitched seven solid innings and the Los Angeles Angels knocked around CC Sabathia to complete a sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-4 victory Sunday.
Lackey (4-4) quickly worked through the Yankees lineup, allowing two runs on six hits. The Angels ace struck out six in one of his most efficient starts since missing the first six with a forearm strain.
Sabathia (8-6) gave up five runs and struck out six in six 2-3 innings against the Angels, who have won eight of their last nine meetings against the Yankees in Anaheim.
Brian Fuentes struck out Alex Rodriguez for the final out and earned his 26th save in 29 chances.
Sabathia, who was 5-1 with a 2.33 ERA away from Yankee Stadium entering the game, was solid through three innings. He got help from Rodriguez and Robinson Cano on two double plays to get out of the first and third, but he gave up four runs in the fourth.
Bobby Abreu and Howie Kendrick had RBI doubles and Brandon Wood and Robb Quinlan added RBI singles.
Mariners 5, Rangers 3
SEATTLE – Pinch-hitter Chris Shelton and Rob Johnson hit consecutive RBI singles with two out in the seventh inning to lead Seattle.
All-Star Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and drove in a run for the Mariners, raising his batting average to .362 and extending his hitting streak to 11 games.
Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz homered for the Rangers.
Derek Holland and Darren ODay (2-1) combined to retire the first two batters in the Seattle seventh, but Ken Griffey Jr. followed with the first of four straight singles for the Mariners.
Miguel Batista (6-3) pitched 1 1-3 innings to get the win and David Aardsma got three outs for his 20th save in 22 chances.
Red Sox 6, Royals 0
BOSTON – Josh Beckett capped a brilliant first half of the season with a three-hitter, joining teammate Tim Wakefield as the only 11-game winners in the AL.
Beckett (11-3) retired the first nine batters, five on strikeouts, and picked up his 100th career victory. It was his second shutout and complete game of the season following his 3-0 win over Atlanta on June 20.
He finished with seven strikeouts and no walks and threw just 94 pitches.
Red Sox Rookie Aaron Bates, called up last Monday, went 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI, and stabbed a line drive by Brayan Pena for the second out of the fifth.
Starter Bruce Chen (0-4) and five Royals relievers walked nine batters.
Orioles 4, Blue Jays 2
BALTIMORE – Brad Bergesen took a shutout into the seventh inning and Brian Roberts had two RBIs and Baltimore ended a miserable road trip for the Blue Jays.
Oscar Salazar homered and Roberts also scored a run for the Orioles. Baltimore has won six of its last nine series and trails the fourth-place Blue Jays by only three games in the AL East.
Toronto has lost 12 of 15 and went 2-8 on a swing through Yankee Stadium, Tampa Bay and Baltimore.
Bergesen (6-3) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings.
He outpitched fellow rookie Marc Rzepczynski (0-1), who allowed three runs and five hits over six innings in his second major league start.
Twins 13, White Sox 7
MINNEAPOLIS – Carlos Gomez drove in a career-high five runs and Minnesota had an unusually productive game against White Sox ace Mark Buehrle.
Buehrle (9-3) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.
Gomez, Brendan Harris and Denard Span homered against Buehrle, who has beaten Minnesota more times than any other opponent. Coming into the game, Buehrle was 23-13 with a 3.72 ERA lifetime against the Twins and 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA this season.
Harris and Span each had three RBIs. Gomez finished with three hits and scored three times.
Scott Baker (7-7) gave up five runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings for the Twins.
Athletics 7, Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orlando Cabrera hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Oaklands four-run seventh and the Athletics beat the Rays.
Kurt Suzuki and pinch-hitter Jack Cust each singled in a run and Mark Ellis drove in Landon Powell with a groundout to set up Cabreras hit off Chad Bradford that made it 4-3. Suzuki and Ellis each drove in two runs.
Oakland starter Brett Anderson left after four scoreless innings due to lower back stiffness.
Michael Wuertz (5-1) got the win, allowing a run and three hits in 1 1-3 innings and Andrew Bailey got six outs for his 10th save.
Rays right-hander James Shields took a shutout into the seventh, but allowed three runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings. Dan Wheeler (3-2), who followed Shields, was charged with one run while recording one out.
Tigers 10, Indians 1
DETROIT – Clete Thomas drove in five runs and Brandon Inge homered twice for Detroit.
All-Star Justin Verlander (10-4) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing five hits and three walks. He struck out eight, giving him 149 for the season – the most by a Tiger pitcher at the All-Star break since Mickey Lolich had 156 in 1972.
Thomas, who has replaced Magglio Ordonez in the lineup against right-handers, finished a double short of the cycle. Inge, headed to Tuesdays All-Star game, homered in the fourth and fifth innings.
Tomo Ohka (0-3) took the loss, giving up five runs on five hits and a walk in 3 2-3 innings. Cleveland has lost 11 of their last 16 games and 19 of 26.
