DATELINETORONTO — Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas each had two RBIs, right-hander Casey Janssen won for the first time in more than two years and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
The Blue Jays returned home after losing all nine games on a three-city trip to Boston, Atlanta and Baltimore that dropped them from first to third in the AL East. Toronto won its fifth straight at Rogers Centre, where it is 17-6 overall, and ended a four-game skid against Boston.
Janssen (1-1), who missed the 2008 season after shoulder surgery, started for the second time since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas last Friday. He allowed three runs and 11 hits in seven innings to win for the first time since May 24, 2007, at Baltimore. He walked two and struck out two.
Brandon League worked a perfect eighth and Scott Downs closed it out for his sixth save in seven opportunities.
The loser was Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (6-3), who allowed six runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. He walked four and struck out five.
Slumping Boston slugger David Ortiz batted with the bases loaded and two outs in the first but ended the inning by flying out to the warning track in center.
Batting sixth for the fourth straight game, Ortiz finished 0 for 4, dropping his average to .189. After his near-miss in the first, Ortiz lined to first in the third, popped to center in the fifth and flied to left in the eighth.
Jacoby Ellsbury gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI double down the line in right but Rolen tied it with an RBI double in the third. Ellsbury restored Boston’s lead with a run-scoring single in the fourth.
Toronto ended Wakefield’s night with a five-run fifth, doing all its damage with two outs. Rolen started the rally with an RBI double over the head of Jason Bay in left, Kevin Millar walked, Lyle Overbay scored Rolen with a double to right, Barajas hit a two-run single and Marco Scutaro chased Wakefield with an RBI double over Ellsbury in center.
J.D. Drew cut it to 6-3 with a solo homer to center in the seventh, his seventh.
Notes: Red Sox manager Terry Francona was feeling better Friday, a day after he was treated for high blood pressure following Boston’s victory at Minnesota. Emergency personnel treated Francona in the clubhouse before the Red Sox left to catch their flight to Toronto.
“The guy told me to relax,” Francona said. “I said ‘Are you (kidding) me? Do you watch this game?”‘ … Boston OF Mark Kotsay (back) will play three more rehab games for Triple-A Pawtucket this weekend before being reevaluated. … Toronto voided its option on RHP Robert Ray (shoulder) and placed him on the 15-day disabled list. Ray was optioned to Triple-A last Friday. … Toronto’s Aaron Hill extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a first-inning single. … Boston RHP Daniel Bard struck out five in 2 1-3 scoreless innings of relief.
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DATELINE — BALTIMORE — Luke Scott extended his recent power surge with a grand slam and a solo shot off Dontrelle Willis, and the surging Baltimore Orioles received a fine pitching performance from rookie Brad Bergesen in a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Many in the crowd of 42,704 came to see the major league debut of Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters, who went 0 for 4. That might have been the only negative for the Orioles, who stretched their season-high winning streak to five games behind Scott and Bergesen (2-2).
Since coming off the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, Scott has five home runs and 12 RBIs in three games. His second consecutive two-homer game included his first lifetime grand slam, a third-inning shot that put Baltimore up 5-0.
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DATELINE — Jones hits tiebreaking HR, Rangers beat A’s Eds: Rangers 6, Athletics 3. UPDATES.
//AP Photo ARL105 ANDRUW JONES HIT A TIEBREAKING TWO-RUN HOMER IN THE EIGHTH INNING AND THE TEXAS RANGERS BEAT THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS 6-3 FRIDAY IN THE FIRST GAME OF A DOUBLEHEADER.
WITH THE SCORE 3-ALL, Santiago Casilla (1-2) Walked Josh Hamilton Leading Off The Eighth. Jones Followed, Pulling A 2-1 Pitch Off The Screen On The Left-Field Pole For His Fifth Homer.
Nelson Cruz, Who Had Three RBIs, Followed Jones With His 13th Homer To Give The Rangers A 6-3 Lead.
C.J. Wilson (2-2) Worked A Perfect Eighth For The Win. Frank Francisco Pitched The Ninth For His 11th Save In As Many Chances And 16th In A Row Over The Last Two Seasons.
Marlon Byrd Also Homered For The Rangers, Who’ve Won Five Of Seven.
Travis Buck Homered And Went 3 For 4 For The A’s, Who Also Got Three Hits From Adam Kennedy.
Oakland Got Another Strong Performance From Rookie Left-Hander Josh Outman, Who Struck Out A Career-High Nine And Allowed Three Runs And Three Hits In 6 2-3 Innings.
Outman Has Given Up Five Earned Runs And 13 Hits In His Last 26 1-3 Innings Over Four Starts.
Rangers Starter Tommy Hunter, Called Up From Triple-A Oklahoma City Earlier Friday For His First Big League Start This Season, Allowed Three Runs And Seven Hits In 5 1-3 Innings.
Last Season Hunter Went 0-2 With A 16.36 ERA In Three Starts For Texas.
Left-Hander Matt Harrison Was Placed In The 15-Day Disabled List, Retroactive To May 26, Due To Left Shoulder Soreness, Opening A Roster Spot For Hunter.
Cruz Gave Texas The Lead With A Two-Run Double In The First.
Outman Settled Down, Retiring 17 Of 18 From The First Through The Seventh Until Byrd’s Solo Homer Tied It At 3.
Buck’s 423-Foot Two-Run Shot Tied It In The Second, And Ryan Sweeney’s RBI Single In The Sixth Gave Oakland A 3-2 Edge.
Notes:@ The Game Was The Makeup Of An April 29 Rainout. …
Francisco Hasn’t Given Up A Run In 17 2-3 Innings This Season. …
Rangers 1B Chris Davis Went 0 For 4 With Four Strikeouts. Davis Leads The Majors With 75 Strikeouts, But Manager Ron Washington Said He Has No Plans To Bench Davis. “I’m Not Giving Up On Chris,” Washington Said. “He’s Our First Baseman.” … Oakland’s Bobby Crosby Pinch-Hit For DH Jack Cust In The Third. Cust, Who Flied Out In The First, Has Been Slowed By Lower Back Spasms. …
The Doubleheader Leaves Oakland On Tuesday Without A Pitcher Who Would Have The Usual Four Days’ Rest. A’s Manager Bob Geren Said There Were “too Many Factors” To Name A Starter For Tuesday’s Road Game Against The Chicago White Sox. … Byrd Had Gone 32 Games Without A Homer Until Connecting In The Seventh.
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Yankees vs. Indians
CLEVELAND — Late game.
Mariners vs. Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Late game.
The Associated Press
