MILWAUKEE — Jimmy Rollins capped a six-run fifth inning with a three-run home run to help Philadelphia Phillies rookie J.A. Happ earn his 11th victory, 9-4 over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.
Pedro Feliz had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run for Philadelphia, which had 14 hits and reduced its magic number to clinch the National League East Division to four.
Ryan Howard came into the game an RBI behind Prince Fielder, who entered with 131, for the major league lead, but Howard drove in two runs. Fielder drove in a run to tie the sluggers at 132.
Happ (11-4), who missed two starts because of a strained right oblique, retired the first seven batters, the last five on strikeouts.
Leading 2-1, the Phillies broke the game open with six runs in the fifth to chase Jeff Suppan (7-11).
Jayson Werth reached on shortstop Alcides Escobar's throwing error and then four consecutive singles produced three runs, including one by Happ, who drove in his first run, just before Rollins hit his 20th of the season.
Suppan allowed 8 runs - 7 earned1- and a season-high 12 hits over 4/3 innings. He had not faced the Phillies since Game 4 of the NL division series last season at Miller Park, when he gave up 5 runs on 3 home runs in 3 innings of the decisive 6-2 loss.
DODGERS 7, NATIONALS 6
Rafael Furcal hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth off Ron Villone (4-6) for his fourth hit of the game as Los Angeles reduced its magic number to one for clinching a playoff berth and handed host Washington its 100th loss of the season. The Nationals, who were 59-102 last season, are the first NL franchise to lose 100games in consecutive seasons since the San Diego Padres, who lost 102 in 1973 and 1974.
REDS 4, PIRATES 1
Bronson Arroyo (14-13) allowed a Lastings Milledge home run in the seventh while giving up 5 hits, striking out 4 and walking 1 as Cincinnati won its eighth consecutive against host Pittsburgh. Joey Votto had a two-run double following Drew Sutton's RBI double in a four-run third inning against Charlie Morton (4-9).
PADRES 5, ROCKIES 4
Nick Hundley, who earlier hit a home run, drove in the tiebreaking run with an eighth-inning single as San Diego overcame a 3-0 deficit and beat host Colorado. Hundley then stole second and scored on Tony Gwynn's single to make it 5-3. Troy Tulowitzki gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead with a three-run home run, his 30th, in the first inning.
American League RED SOX 10, ROYALS 3 David Ortiz had a home run and three RBI and Clay Buchholz (7-3) shook off the effects of a head cold and took a shutout into the seventh as Boston beat host Kansas City. Jacoby Ellsbury had four hits and two RBI, Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to 23 games and Dustin Pedroia pushed his to 16 games, moving Boston within three games of clinching the AL wild card. The Red Sox had 15 hits and have won 12 of 16. Buchholz is 6-0 over his past eight starts. The right-hander retired 13 consecutive batters after working out of a two-on, one-out jam in the first inning. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 8 in 6 2 /3 innings. Royals starter Anthony Lerew (0-1) allowed 2 earned runs - 4 total - on 7 hits in 4 2 /3 innings. The Royals purchased the contractof the Northwest Arkansas Naturals right-hander Wednesday. Lerew, who went 10-6 with a 4.09 ERA for the Northwest Arkansas this year, appeared in 11 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2005-2007.
ATHLETICS 12, RANGERS 3
Jack Cust hit a home run, Cliff Pennington hit a two-run triple and Eric Patterson has three RBI to help rookie Brett Anderson (11-10) win his fourth consecutive start as host Oakland beat Texas. Anderson (11-10) allowed 3 runs, 1 earned, and 6 hits in 5 2 /3 innings. He is 8-3 over his past 16 starts.
TIGERS 6, INDIANS 5
Justin Verlander (17-9), who lost his past two decisions, struck out 11 in seven innings and Carlos Guillen had three hits and an RBI as Detroit handed host Cleveland its 11th consecutive loss. Verlander won all four of his starts against Cleveland this year, allowing three earned runs in 30 innings (0.90 ERA).
MARINERS 5, BLUE JAYS 4 Felix Hernandez (17-5) had a season-high 11 strikeouts and Josh Wilson hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the eighth as Seattle beat host Toronto Blue Jays. Hernandez allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, and 7 hits in 8 innings to improve to 5-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his past 6 starts.
Thursday's games NATIONAL LEAGUE Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 1 LA Dodgers 7, Washington 6 Philadelphia 9, Milwaukee 4 San Diego 5, Colorado 4 Chicago Cubs at San Francisco, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE Oakland 12, Texas 3 Detroit 6, Cleveland 5 Seattle 5, Toronto 4 Boston 10, Kansas City 3
Sports, Pages 26 on 09/25/2009