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SPORTSThursday 1 October 2015
AL Capsules
Pujols, Aybar send Angels to 7th straight win
The Associated Press Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols, left, celebrates after he scored on a single hit by David Murphy five games — or some help
ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) — Al- as Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt looks away during the first inning of a baseball game, — to reach the postseason
bert Pujols had an RBI dou- Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, in Anaheim, Calif. for the first time since 2012.
ble among his three hits, WHITE SOX 4, ROYALS 2
Erick Aybar drove in three Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Eric Hos-
runs and the Los Angeles mer and Kendrys Morales
Angels took over the lead who lost to Boston 10-4, ging Houston for second NEW YORK (AP) — Michael homered and Johnny Cue-
for the second AL wild-card maintains the top wild-card place — the Astros are 2 Pineda was hit hard at the to threw six quality innings,
playoff spot with their sev- spot with the Angels now 1/2 games back. Los Ange- start, and New York’s play- but Kansas City lost to Chi-
enth consecutive victory. second. Houston slips a les starts a four-game series off push was delayed once cago.
A few minutes after match- half-game behind Los An- in Texas Thursday to end again by its longtime rival The Royals, who have lost
ing their longest winning geles the regular season. as Boston got two homers four of their last five, fell be-
streak of the season, the As for the AL West race, Adrian Beltre had three and five RBIs from rookie hind 3-0 after Adam Eaton
Angels (83-74) moved a division-leading Texas beat hits and drove in two runs, catcher Blake Swihart. drove a two-run homer into
half-game ahead of the Detroit 7-6, and has a two- including Shin-Soo Choo Rick Porcello (9-14) recov- the bullpen in right field off
Astros (83-75) when Hous- game lead over the Angels when they had consecu- ered neatly from a rocky Cueto (10-13) in the fifth in-
ton lost 6-4 at Seattle. and 2 1-2 over the Astros. tive doubles in the fourth to first inning, and the Red Sox ning.
Nick Tropeano (3-2) struck The victory broke the Mari- break a 6-all tie. Choo also won their season-best fifth Cueto lost for the third time
out 11 during 6 2-3 innings ners’ six-game losing streak. had a two-run homer in the straight game to pass the in his four September out-
of three-hit ball for the An- Robinson Cano hit his 20th first. Orioles for third place in the ings and gave up three
gels, who have won 10 of home run, a two-run shot in Hamels is 6-1 in 11 starts AL East. runs and eight hits over six
12 overall during their ma- the sixth off Mike Fiers that since getting traded from New York is running sec- innings. He struck out two
jors-best 18-8 run through tied the game at 4-all. Philadelphia at the end of ond in the division and and walked two.
September. RANGERS 7, TIGERS 6 July, and the Rangers have was spared the possibil- Kansas City got within 3-2 in
The Angels remained two ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — won his last nine starts after ity of the Blue Jays clinch- the sixth when Hosmer and
games behind the AL West- Cole Hamels won his sixth losing the first two. The lefty ing the crown when they Morales hit back-to-back
leading Texas Rangers (85- consecutive decision, over- surpassed 200 innings for were rained out in Balti- homers off Chicago start-
72), who beat Detroit. The coming a shaky start to the seventh time in his ca- more. Toronto will play a er Jeff Samardzija (11-13),
Minnesota Twins (81-75) strike out eight in six innings, reer and 200 strikeouts for doubleheader Wednesday who won for the second
were rained out in Cleve- and AL West-leading Texas the fourth time. against the Orioles and straight time after losing
land, dropping them 1 1-2 snapped a three-game Buck Farmer (0-4), the sec- needs only one win — or nine of his 10 previous out-
games behind Los Angeles skid. ond of six Detroit pitchers, another Yankees loss — to ings.
in the wild-card race. Texas’ lead in the division retired the first six batters he wrap up its first AL East title
With four games in Texas to stretched to two games, faced. in 22 years. The runs were the first the
close the season, the An- with the Angels leapfrog- RED SOX 10, YANKEES 4 Pineda (12-9) and the Yan- Royals scored in 17 in-
gels are in control of their kees began the day look- nings during a three-game
playoff destiny no matter ing to lock up at least a stretch that included Kan-
the result of the wild-card wild card, but that chance sas City being shut out 1-0
race. Rebounding splen- was washed away when in 11 innings by the Chica-
didly from an awful August, Minnesota was rained out go Cubs on Monday night.
the Angels have chased in Cleveland. New York RAYS 4, MARLINS 2
down the AL leaders with needs two wins in its final ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)
five games to play. — Asdrubal Cabrera hit a
MARINERS 6, ASTROS 4 go-ahead two-run homer
SEATTLE (AP) — Shawn in the eighth inning, a one-
O’Malley damaged Hous- out drive off Bryan Morris
ton’s playoff hopes with a (5-4), to push the Rays to
two-run, bases-loaded sin- 12-6 in interleague play this
gle in the eighth inning that season.
gave Seattle a comeback Adam Conley gave up two
victory. runs and five hits over six in-
The Astros, who are still in- nings for the Marlins, who
volved in two postseason had a five-game winning
races, were displaced in streak end. Miami dropped
the American League wild- to 0-8 in road games
card chase by the Los An- against American League
geles Angels, an 8-1 winner teams this season.
over Oakland on Tuesday. Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore,
The New York Yankees, bidding to win consecutive
starts, allowed one run and
seven hits in seven innings.
Miami pulled even at 2 in
the eighth on Martin Pra-
do’s run-scoring single off
Alex Colome (7-5). Brad
Boxberger pitched the
ninth for his 39th save.q
