ARLINGTON, Texas — Ian Kinsler hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning to become a 30-30 player for the first time and the Texas Rangers clung to their slim playoff hopes, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Friday night.
Kinsler is the third major league second baseman with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. Alfonso Soriano has done it three times and Brandon Phillips once. Kinsler stole his 30th base Thursday.
The Rangers, who have nine games left, trail the Los Angeles Angels by 6 games in the American League West. The Angels, whose magic number is four, lost to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
Texas moved within seven gamesof the Boston Red Sox, who lost 9-5 to the New York Yankees, in the wild card.
TWINS 9, ROYALS 4
Michael Cuddyer hit his 30th home run and walked with the bases loaded as Minnesota beat host Kansas City for its 10th victory in 11 games. Billy Butler had four hits and drove in all the Royals' runs with two home runs, including a three-run shot .
WHITE SOX 2, TIGERS 0
Jake Peavy (2-0), in his second start since being acquired from San Diego on July 31, allowed 6 hits and 2 walks and struck out 8 in 7 innings, and Gordon Beckham hit a two-out, two-run home run in the sixth to break up Eddie Bonine's no-hit bid as host Chicago beat Detroit. With one out, Alex Rios reached when third baseman Brandon Inge bobbled his grounder and threw late to first. After Scott Podsednik was thrown out when Bonine (0-1) deflected his grounder to second baseman Placido Polanco, Beckham hit a home run.
YANKEES 9, RED SOX 5
Alex Rodriguez hit a home run, drove in four runs and tied a career high with three steals as host New York, already assured of a playoff berth, beat Boston and lowered to three the magic number for theirfirst AL East title since 2006. Jon Lester (14-8) crumpled to the mound in pain when struck by Melky Cabrera's liner in the third inning. Boston said Lester had a bruised quadriceps. He allowed 5 runs and 8 hits in 2 1 /3 innings.
BLUE JAYS 5, MARINERS 0
Roy Halladay (16-10) struck out nine in a seven-hitter and Aaron Hill hit a two-run home run as host Toronto beat Seattle.
INDIANS 4, ORIOLES 2
Fausto Carmona (4-12) allowed 2 runs and 9 hits in 6 innings as host Cleveland ended its 11-game losing streak, handing Baltimore its eighth consecutive loss.
National League PIRATES 3, DODGERS 1 Brandon Moss' two-run single gave host Pittsburgh an early lead against Los Angeles. The Dodgers, who own the NL's best record at 92-62, could have secured their third playoff appearance in four seasons with a victory. The Dodgers' magic number for repeating as the NL West champion remained at four.
REDS 10, ASTROS 4 Joey Votto drove in four runs with a home run and a double as Cincinnati won its fifth consecutive, beating host Houston. Jay Bruce had a home run and double and Juan Francisco went 3 for 5 for the Reds, who have won 9 of 11 and 22 of 32.
BREWERS 8, PHILLIES 4 Prince Fielderhit his 43rd home run and drove in four runs to become the major league leader in RBI as host Milwaukee beat Philadelphia. Fielder hit a runscoring single in the first and a three-run home run in the fifth to give him 136 RBI - one more than the Phillies' Ryan Howard, who drove in three runs with two singles. Mike Cameron also hit a three-run home run off Phillies starter Cliff Lee (Benton, Arkansas Razorbacks), who gave up 7 runs and 9 hits in 6 innings and dropped to 7-3.
METS 6, MARLINS 5
Pinch hitter Cory Sullivan hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the ninth as New York beat host Florida. Closer Leo Nunez (4-6) yielded singles to Daniel Murphy and Jeff Francoeur before pinch hitter Jeremy Reed walked to load the bases with no outs. Sullivan then hit Nunez's 0-1 pitch into left field, scoring Murphy and Francoeur.
BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 1
Javier Vazquez (15-9) allowed 1 run, 3 hits and 1 walk and struck out 7 for his fifth consecutive victory and third complete game of the season as Atlanta beat host Washington for its fourth consecutive victory and 12th in 14 games.
Friday's games NATIONAL LEAGUE Atlanta 4, Washington 1 Pittsburgh 3, LA Dodgers 1 NY Mets 6, Florida 5 Cincinnati 10, Houston 4 Milwaukee 8, Philadelphia 4 Colorado 2, St. Louis 1 Chicago Cubs 3, San Francisco 0 San Diego 4, Arizona 0 AMERICAN LEAGUE Cleveland 4, Baltimore 2 NY Yankees 9, Boston 5 Toronto 5, Seattle 0 Texas 8, Tampa Bay 3 Minnesota 9, Kansas City 4 Chicago White Sox 2, Detroit 0 Oakland 3, LA Angels 0
Sports, Pages 30 on 09/26/2009