|
Brandon McCarthy and Chase Headley are quickly putting their stamp on a playoff surge for the New York Yankees. Acquired earlier this month from NL West also-rans, they teamed up Thursday to help the Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 4-2. McCarthy threw six more solid innings, Headley delivered another timely hit and New York won for the sixth time in seven games. |
‘’From the beginning of spring training, it’s about giving yourself a chance in the postseason,’’ said Headley, obtained this week in a trade with San Diego.
What an opportunity for me,’’ he said. ‘’I take it as an honor and privilege to be here.’’
McCarthy improved to 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three starts since the Yankees got him from Arizona. He was 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA at the time of the trade.
‘’I really felt I wanted more pressure,’’ he said. ‘’It’s ramped up all the way. I feel like I’ve responded.’’
‘’It’s the opposite of how I felt earlier in this year. I was a burden on the team and holding things up,’’ he said.
With the Yankees, the newcomers are now in the thick of the race for the AL East crown and the wild-card spots
Elsewhere, Nori Aoki singled home the winning run in the 14th inning as the Kansas City Royals topped the Cleveland Indians 2-1.
The Royals (51-50) won their third consecutive game and moved a half-game above the Indians in the American League Central as Cleveland (51-51) lost for the fourth time in five games.
The Indians tied the score in the ninth when catcher Yan Gomes’ two-out single scored first baseman Carlos Santana.
Indians right-hander Corey Kluber limited the Royals to two hits and one unearned run over nine innings, striking out 10 and walking none. He lost his perfect-game bid in the seventh.
First baseman Brandon Moss hit his third grand slam of the season while right-hander Jeff Samardzija threw eight strong innings as the Oakland A’s routed the Houston Astros 13-1.
Samardzija (2-1) allowed one run and five hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking none.
The A’s led 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning when Moss made it 8-1 with the grand slam.
Right fielder Josh Reddick went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for the A’s while catcher Derek Norris and shortstop Jed Lowrie both had three hits in the A’s 14-hit attack.
Cole Hamels pitched the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants as he struck out 10 in eight innings and gave up just one run.
Philadelphia took advantage of two San Francisco blunders to score two unearned runs.
Marcus Stroman allowed one hit in seven innings and Juan Francisco homered and drove in four runs as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-0.
Stroman (6-2) did not allow a hit until Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino led off the seventh with a soft single to center.
The rookie right-hander struck out seven and allowed two walks while Francisco, the Blue Jays first baseman, hit a triple and scored a run in the second inning, hit a two-run homer in the third and had a two-run single in the fifth.
Miami catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two doubles and drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the ninth inning against Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel to give the Marlins a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Braves.
Saltalamacchia, a former Brave, completed a ninth-inning rally by lining a single to center field that scored Marcell Ozuna.
Atlanta led early after a two-run homer to Chris Johnson in the second inning.
