UNDATED (AP) – The New York Yankees didn’t miss CC Sabathia on Monday night. Not with Nick Swisher hitting grand slams before their newest pitcher tossed four scoreless innings.
The Yanks won a battle of American League division leaders as Nick Swisher’s slam in the third inning allowed the Bombers to turn a 2-0 deficit into an 8-2 rout of the Rangers. Derek Lowe gave up just two hits in his first Yankees appearance, just hours after he signed with the team.
David Phelps got the victory by working five innings as a spot starter for Sabathia, who’s on the disabled list with elbow inflammation.
David Murphy’s home run couldn’t stop the Rangers from seeing their AL West lead shrink to six games over Oakland.
Also in the American League, Tampa Bay remains five games behind the East-leading Yankees as Justin Upton hit a two-run homer in the Rays’ 4-1 verdict over Seattle. Alex Cobb held the Mariners to a run and four hits in seven innings to help the Rays won for the 10th time in 12 games.
Toronto beat the White Sox 3-2 on David Cooper’s RBI single in the bottom of the 11th. Chicago’s Adam Dunn leads the majors with 33 homers after hitting two more, including a game-tying shot in the ninth.
The White Sox still lead the AL Central by two games over Detroit after Darin Mastroianni and Ryan Doumit each homered and drove in three runs to lead Minnesota’s 9-3 pounding of the Tigers. Samuel Deduno is 4-0 after limiting the Tigers to three runs and five hits in seven innings.
Justin Masterson scattered six hits in six shutout innings as Cleveland dumped the Angels 6-2 in Anaheim. Brent Lillibridge hit a solo homer for the winners.
Over to the National League, where the Nationals expanded their lead in the East while San Francisco fell into a first-place tie with Los Angeles in the West.
Danny Espinosa went 4-for-6 with a two-run homer, three RBIs and three runs scored to lead Washington’s 21-hit attack in a 14-2 thrashing of the Giants. Roger Bernadina finished with four hits and three ribbies, while Kurt Suzuki drove in four runs with three hits.
That was more than enough offense for Gio Gonzalez to pick up his 15th win, tying R.A. Dickey for the National League lead. He had a five-hit shutout until Brandon Crawford hit a two-run homer to chase Gonzalez with two out in the seventh.
Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong entered the game as the league’s ERA leader before surrendering eight runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The rout gives the Nats a six-game lead over the Braves.
The Dodgers were 5-4 winners at Pittsburgh behind Shane Victorino’s two-run homer and three RBIs. Matt Kemp added two hits for the Dodgers, who also moved within 1 1/2 games of the Pirates for one of the two National League wild card spots.
Atlanta suddenly has a two-game losing streak after winning 14 of 17. Eric Stults allowed a run and two hits in 7 2/3 innings as the Padres dumped the Braves 4-1. Chase Headley homered and had two RBIs for the Padres, who have won seven of their last eight.
The National League slate includes Philadelphia’s 4-0 shutout of Miami as Cole Hamels went the distance on a seven-hitter. Juan Pierre went 3-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored to support Hamels’ 13th win.
The Cubs won for only the second time in 13 games as Jeff Samardzija struck out a career-high 11 over seven innings of a 7-1 pounding of Houston. Darwin Barney and Alfonso Soriano hit two-run homers, and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for the Cubs.
BOSTON (AP) – One of the most beloved athletes in Boston sports history has died.
Long-time Boston Red Sox fixture Johnny Pesky died Monday at 92. The cause of death is not known.
Pesky was a lifetime .307 hitter in 10 major leagues seasons and compiled a .313 average during his eight years with the Bosox. He helped Boston win the American League pennant in 1946, earning his lone All-Star berth and finishing fourth in the AL MVP balloting after hitting .a career-high .335.
Pesky later served as a manager, coach and broadcaster. He recently served as a special instructor as part of his 60-plus years affiliation with the Red Sox. Unofficially, he was the club’s goodwill ambassador.
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) – Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin says the decision to release six-time Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson wasn’t based on any single incident and wasn’t made to send a message. Philbin said the Dolphins simply decided the fit was wrong for both the team and Johnson.
The Dolphins terminated Johnson’s contract Sunday night, about 24 hours after he was arrested in a domestic battery case involving his wife.
The incident also caused VH1 to cancel plans for a reality show featuring Johnson and his wife.
Checking out the rest of the NFL:
– Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak says quarterback Jake Locker will get his first start of the preseason Friday against Tampa Bay. The plan calls for Locker and Matt Hasselbeck to play longer than they did in the opener, with Locker going about 20 to 25 plays with the offense.
– Guard T.J. Lang has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Green Bay Packers. He started 15 games at left guard and one at right tackle in 2011, after an injury to regular right tackle Bryan Bulaga.
– Philadelphia cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was evaluated for a concussion after colliding with teammate Nate Allen during a training-camp session Monday. Asomugha also left with a lacerated lip and sore neck as a result of the mid-air collision, which occurred on a pass play during a seven-on-seven period.
– New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks can start practicing with the team after being taken off the physically unable to perform list. Nicks missed the first two weeks of training camp at the University at Albany while completing rehabilitation on a broken right foot that he hurt in May during Organized Team Activities.
– Colts coach Chuck Pagano says starting inside linebacker Pat Angerer could miss at least six weeks because of a broken foot. Last year’s leading tackler suffered the injury in Sunday’s exhibition win over the Rams. Pagano also says backup linebacker Scott Lutrus will need season-ending surgery after a torn ACL, while starting offensive guard Mike McGlynn will be out indefinitely because of a high ankle sprain.
– Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt says running back Darren Sproles will not play in the next preseason game against Jacksonville on Friday night because knee soreness. Sproles was one of several players who sat out Monday’s practice, the first since the Saints played at New England last Thursday night.
UNDATED (AP) – The NHL Players’ Association is preparing to present its vision for a new collective bargaining agreement to the NHL when labor talks resume on Tuesday.
The presentation will come a month after the NHL made its first proposal, which included a 20 percent reduction of players’ share of revenues and limitations to free agency.
NHLPA executive director Don Fehr (feer) said on Monday the union’s proposal will offer a “different kind of an approach” and an “alternate view.”
Speaking of NHL contracts, the Colorado Avalanche have signed goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere (ZHAHN seh-BAS’-chehn zhee-GEHR’) to a one-year extension that keeps him with the team through the 2013-14 season. Giguere recorded a 2.27 goals-against average last season, the lowest of any Colorado goaltender since the 2003-4 season.
And Montreal has signed forward Max Pacioretty (pash-uh-RET’-ee) to a six-year extension. Pacioretty led the Canadiens with 65 points last season and was second with 33 goals.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N-Y Yankees 8 Texas 2
Toronto 3 Chi White Sox 2, 11 Innings
Minnesota 9 Detroit 3
Cleveland 6 L.A. Angels 2
Tampa Bay 4 Seattle 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
L.A. Dodgers 5 Pittsburgh 4
Philadelphia 4 Miami 0
San Diego 4 Atlanta 1
Chi Cubs 7 Houston 1
Colorado 9 Milwaukee 6
Washington 14 San Francisco 2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Dallas 3 Oakland 0