Verlander (24-5) extended his scoreless streak to 17
innings, becoming the first pitcher to win a dozen starts in a row since
Minnesota’s Johan Santana in 2004, according to STATS LLC.
Verlander has the most wins in a major league season since
Arizona’s Randy Johnson in 2002. With another victory, he would become the
winningest pitcher in a season since Oakland’s Bob Welch went 27-6 in 1990.
In Boston, David Price took a line
drive off his chest but stuck around to pitch four solid innings, and Tampa Bay
capitalized on wild knuckleballs from Tim Wakefield (7-7) to cut Boston’s AL
wild-card lead to two games.
Boston lost for 11th time in 14 games, including defeats in
six of seven against the Rays. Tampa Bay trailed Boston by nine games on Sept.
3.
Price took Mike Aviles’ liner off his right shoulder Price
pitched the fourth before leaving for what the team said was precautionary
reasons.
In Toronto, Mariano Rivera remained at 601 saves as Adam Lind homered twice off
Freddy Garcia (11-8) to back Brandon Morrow (10-11).
Morrow allowed four hits in eight innings, struck out eight
and walked one. Frank Francisco pitched around an Eduardo Nunez double in the
ninth for his 16th save.
New York remained 4 1-2 games ahead of second-place Boston
in the AL East.
In Seattle, Adrian
Beltre hit a two-run homer in the fourth off former teammate Felix Hernandez (14-13)
as Texas remained 4 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Angels in
the AL West.
Matt Harrison (13-9) won his third straight start, striking
out a career-high nine in 6 2-3 innings, and Neftali Feliz got three outs for
his 28th save.
In Baltimore,
Erick Aybar went 4 for 4, homered twice and tied a franchise record set by Tim
Salmon in 1998 by scoring five runs as the Angels averted a three-game sweep.
Vernon Wells also connected for the Angels.
Pitching on three days’ rest, Jered Weaver (18-7) allowed
two runs and six hits in six innings.
Vladimir Guerrero homered, tripled and had two RBIs for the
Orioles, whose four-game winning streak ended. Alfredo Simon (4-9) gave up six
runs and eight hits, including three home runs, in five innings.
In Minneapolis, Shelley Duncan homered to start a six-run seventh and added a
two-run double in the inning as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep and
extended Minnesota’s losing streak to eight.
Trailing 3-0, the Indians scored five unearned runs in the
seventh with help from an error by first baseman Chris Parmalee. Duncan led off
with a homer and also doubled in a pair of runs in the inning.
Minnesota’s Jason Repko left after being hit in the head by
a pitch from Justin Masterson (12-10) in the sixth. Repko walked off the field
with assistance and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
In Kansas
City, Missouri, A.J. Pierzynski homered twice among his four hits and drove in
four runs as Chicago stopped a seven-game losing streak and ended Kansas City’s
seven-game winning streak, the Royals’ longest since September 2008. Paul
Konerko and Pierzynski had back-to-back homers leading off the seventh against
rookie Louis Coleman .
John Danks (7-12 allowed four runs and 10 hits in six-plus
innings. Bruce Chen (11-8) gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.
