Brignac connected off Sergio Mitre (0-3), the fourth Yankees
reliever that followed CC Sabathia, who pitched eight scoreless innings in
pursuit of his major league-leading 20th win.
Grant Balfour (2-1) pitched one inning to get the win for
the Rays, who pulled ahead of the defending world champions for the division
lead.
The Yankees have lost a season-high four straight and
managed just four hits — three off 17-game winner David Price — as the teams
began a stretch in which they’ll meet seven times over 11 days.
Orioles 4 Blue Jays 3, 11 innings: At Baltimore, Luke Scott singled in the
winning run in the 11th inning as Baltimore ended a 12-game losing streak
against Toronto.
Brian Roberts homered for the Orioles, now 1-12 against
Toronto this season. Those 12 losses came before manager Buck Showalter arrived
in Baltimore and rejuvenated a 32-73 team that has gone 24-15 since his debut
on Aug. 3.
Nick Markakis led off the 11th with a single off Brian
Tallet (2-6). After a groundout by Ty Wigginton advanced Markakis, Scott lined
a single to center that easily brought home the decisive run.
Athletics 3 Royals 1: At Kansas City, Missouri, Bobby Cramer , a former
teacher who started this season in the Mexican League, won his big league debut
by pitching Oakland over Kansas City.
Cramer held the Royals to one run and four hits in 5 1-3
innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Cramer (1-0), a left-hander who turns 31 next month, started
his pro career in 2003 in the Tampa Bay system. He was a high school math
teacher and worked in pipeline maintenance while out of baseball in 2005-06,
and played in an independent league in 2008.
Red Sox 5 Mariners 1: At Seattle, Jon Lester held Seattle to just three
hits over eight innings in Boston’s win over the Mariners.
Lester (17-8) has won four straight decisions and six of his
last seven starts. He gave up three singles, two to Chone Figgins , walked
three and struck 12. It’s the seventh time this season he has struck out 10 or
more.
Lester now is tied for second in the American League in
wins. He is third in strikeouts (208), eighth in ERA (3.17), and tied for third
in opponents batting average (.220).
