MINNEAPOLIS -- Alex Rodriguez hit three home runs in a game for the fifth time in his career and keyed a ninth-inning rally against All-Star closer Glen Perkins, sending the New York Yankees over the Minnesota Twins 8-5 Saturday night.
The Yankees trailed 5-0 early. Rodriguez hit Perkins' first pitch for a tying home run, and John Ryan Murphy later connected for a three-run shot.
Rodriguez hit a 452-foot home run in the fourth and a 422-foot drive that made it 5-3 in the seventh. His 424-foot home run in the ninth cleared the center field wall.
A-Rod clapped as he trotted around first base after each home run while fans at sold-out Target Field booed. The last time Rodriguez hit three home runs in a game was Aug. 14, 2010, at Kansas City.
Rodriguez has 23 home runs this season and 677 in his career. He is now 6 for 10 lifetime against Perkins with two home runs.
With one out and runners on first and third, Murphy hit a 2-2 pitch from Perkins into the flower bed over the right-center field wall.
Perkins (0-2) didn't blow a save chance before the All-Star break, but is 0 for 2 since then. He had allowed just six runs all season before the Yankees tagged him for six.
Adam Warren (6-5) pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief of CC Sabathia. Andrew Miller worked the ninth for his 23rd save.
Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) hit his 208th career home run with the Twins, passing his mentor Kirby Puckett for sixth in team history and giving Minnesota a 5-0 lead in the third.
BLUE JAYS 8, MARINERS 6 Chris Colabello’s two-run, bases-loaded single in the ninth inning gave Toronto a victory over host Seattle.
ORIOLES 5, RAYS 1 Chris Davis hit his fifth career grand slam and Miguel Gonzalez took a shutout into the eighth inning as visiting Baltimore earned a victory over Tampa Bay.
TIGERS 5, RED SOX 1 Nick Castellanos drove in three runs with a home run and a double, Alfredo Simon pitched six solid innings and visiting Detroit bounced back after consecutive extra-inning losses with a victory over Boston.
ROYALS 2, ASTROS 1 (10) Alcides Escobar singled home Paulo Orlando with two outs in the 10th inning to lift host Kansas City to a victory over Houston. Orlando singled off Will Harris (4-3) with one out and stole second before Escobar's game-winning looper to shallow right gave the Royals the victory and snapped the Astros' five-game winning streak. Kelvin Herrera (2-2) pitched a scoreless 10th for the victory.
WHITE SOX 10, INDIANS 3 Chris Sale allowed two runs in seven innings and visiting Chicago used a five-run first to power past Cleveland. Sale (9-5) cruised after being handed the big lead before taking the mound. The left-hander struck out seven to regain the American League lead with 170. Sale allowed seven hits and didn't walk a batter. Jose Abreu drove in three runs, Melky Cabrera was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and Carlos Sanchez hit his first major league home run.
RANGERS 7, ANGELS 6 Delino DeShields capped a three-run rally in the eighth inning with an infield hit that drove in the go-ahead run, Rougned Odor homered, and Texas beat host Los Angeles. Spencer Patton (1-0) earned his second big league victory with a hitless seventh.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 1, BRAVES 0 Pinch-hitter Stephen Piscotty got his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Carlos Martinez outdueled former teammate Shelby Miller as St. Louis beat visiting Atlanta. The Cardinals won their fifth in a row despite getting just two hits. They lead the majors with a 63-34 record. Martinez (11-4) made his first post-All-Star break start and allowed 6 hits in 8 innings with 6 strikeouts and 1 walk, which was intentional. Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal has gotten two games off after working three in a row. Miller (5-7) allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 7-plus innings.
DIAMONDBACKS 2, BREWERS 0 Rubby De La Rosa pitched eight effective innings and Brad Ziegler held on for his 14th consecutive save, lifting host Arizona to a victory over Milwaukee. De La Rosa (8-5) allowed four hits and struck out six, winning for the sixth time in 11 starts at Chase Field. Ziegler gave up two 2-out singles and walked a batter in the ninth before striking out Gerardo Parra for his 16th save in 17 chances.
METS 15, DODGERS 2 Michael Conforto went 4 for 4 for his first big league hits and Kelly Johnson homered into the upper deck in his Mets' debut, powering New York past visiting Los Angeles. Lucas Duda homered twice for the Mets in their highest-scoring game since April 2013, and their biggest run total ever against the Dodgers. Matt Harvey (9-7) doubled, singled and pitched seven innings as the Mets ended a three-game losing streak. Los Angeles starter Zach Lee (0-1) was tagged in his major league debut.
NATIONALS 9, PIRATES 3 Rookie center fielder Michael Taylor had a home run and three RBI and Gio Gonzalez (8-4) won his fourth consecutive decision to lead Washington to a victory over host Pittsburgh. A.J. Burnett (8-4) suffered the loss.
PADRES 3, MARLINS 1 Matt Kemp, Yonder Alonso and Brett Wallace all homered to back seven strong innings from Andrew Cashner and lead host San Diego to a victory over Miami.
REDS 5, ROCKIES 2 Johnny Cueto shrugged off trade rumors and pitched eight scoreless innings, Todd Frazier connected for his 100th career home run, and visiting Cincinnati beat Colorado. Billy Hamilton had three hits and scored twice for the Reds. Cueto (7-6) put on a dominating display in hitter-friendly Coors Field, limiting the power-hitting Rockies' lineup to four singles before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth. He struck out five and walked one in a performance sure to heighten attention ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
INTERLEAGUE
GIANTS 2, ATHLETICS 1 Madison Bumgarner hit a home run and pitched seven innings for his third consecutive win, and host San Francisco beat Oakland. Matt Duffy added a tiebreaking single in the sixth while helping the defending World Series champs to their 10th victory in 11 games. Bumgarner -- a Silver Slugger award winner in 2014 -- homered on a 3-2 pitch from A's starter Chris Bassitt (0-3) in the third. It was Bumgarner's third home run this season and ninth of his career. Bumgarner (11-5) also struck out seven while working past the sixth inning -- something he failed to do in each of his previous three starts.
Sports on 07/26/2015