The San Diego Padres know deep down that they are more than just a bunch of supporting players built around Adrian Gonzalez. And they are determined to prove it to the pennant-contending teams they will face down the stretch. Gonzalez hit his 35th home run of the season Sunday night after Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in San Diego's first three runs, and the Padres got a huge effort from their bullpen…
Thanks to Garrett Jones and a rare failure by the Cardinals' Ryan Franklin, the Pittsburgh Pirates must wait at least a day to set one of the most unwanted records in pro sports. Jones hit a game-ending RBI single to cap a two-run rally in the ninth inning against one of the majors' top closers and the Pirates ended a nine-game losing streak, beating St.
On a day of miscues and muffed plays, one scary moment stood out. Rookie Randy Ruiz hit an RBI single during an eight-run fifth, then was struck in the face by a pitch later in the inning as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 14-8 on Sunday. His left cheek swollen and his lip bloodied, Ruiz was checked out by doctors at the stadium.
Chris Young won the home-run derby. Seth Smith and the Colorado Rockies won the game. Young hit three home runs for the Diamondbacks, but Smith homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs as Colorado completed a three-game sweep with a 13-5 romp Sunday. "I have mixed feelings," Young said.
Joe Saunders' uneven day was enough to lead the Los Angeles Angels to another victory over the Kansas City Royals. Saunders won his third straight start, Bobby Abreu drove in three runs and Los Angeles beat Kansas City 7-2 on Sunday. The Angels improved to 9-0 against the Royals this season and have won 33 of the last 43 games between the two clubs.
Prince Fielder closed his glove and completed Milwaukee's first triple play in 10 years. Then he swung his booming bat and ended the game. Fielder hit a solo home run with one out in the 12th inning and the Brewers, boosted by their fielding gem, beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 Sunday. "It was fun, especially the way the season is going now for us," Fielder said.
If Jon Lester's strikeout milestone was "pretty cool," his seven shutout innings for the Boston Red Sox were pretty important. Lester allowed four hits and Boston, boosted by home runs from Mike Lowell and Victor Martinez, beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 Sunday. Lester fanned eight and became just the 10th different Boston pitcher to reach the 200-strikeout plateau.
Brandon Inge struck out in each of his first three at-bats Sunday. Then, one swing changed everything. Inge hit a grand slam in the ninth inning and the Detroit Tigers picked apart Tampa Bay's bullpen in a 5-3 victory over the Rays that completed a three-game sweep. "It's one of those days where I couldn't really figure out why I was missing," Inge said.
Micah Owings walked off the field after getting beaned with the bases loaded in the 12th inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Sunday for their seventh consecutive win. Owings (7-12), who pitched two scoreless innings, was hit on the batting helmet by an 0-1 fastball from Kenshin Kawakami.
The Texas Rangers were without All-Stars Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, yet that wasn't supposed to be a serious handicap against a last-place team heading for a 12th consecutive losing season. Unfortunately for the Rangers, their bats fell silent at a most inopportune time. Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven innings of six-hit ball, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Rangers 7-0 Sunday to earn…
