Hernandez joins growing list
SEATTLE (AP) – Make it a record three perfect games in the major leagues this season.
Seattle’s Felix Hernandez faced the minimum 27 batters, striking out 12 of them, in the Mariners’ 1-0 victory over Tampa Bay. It’s the 23rd perfecto in major league history, with 12 of them, coming in the last 25 years.
Chicago’s Philip Humber threw a perfect game against the Mariners in April and San Francisco’s Matt Cain twirled one against Houston in June.
This also was the sixth no-hitter in the majors this season, three of them at Safeco Field. There have been seven no-hitters in a season twice since 1900. It happened in 1990 and again in 1991, with Nolan Ryan throwing one in each of those years.
For the Rays, it was an all-too-familiar feeling. This was the third time in four seasons they had a perfect game pitched against them.
In other AL action:
– The New York Yankees nipped Texas 3-2 despite two home runs by the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton. He is tied for the major league lead with 34 homers. The Yanks have taken the first three games of this series and go for the sweep this afternoon in the Bronx.
– Adam Dunn cracked his 34th home run and the Chicago White Sox worked over Toronto 9-5. Dayan Viciedo and DeWayne Wise also connected for the Sox, who won back-to-back games in Toronto for the first time in six years.
– Held hitless by Aaron Cook through five innings, the Baltimore Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate during a five-run sixth and beat the Boston Red Sox 5-3. Cook’s throwing error on a potential double play grounder led to three unearned runs.
– Miguel Cabrera became the first player in Tigers history to reach 30 home runs in five straight seasons as Detroit beat Minnesota 5-1. Cabrera also singled in the fifth to push his majors-leading total to 103 RBIs. Max Scherzer worked seven scoreless innings to pick up the win.
– Will Smith pitched seven strong innings, Chris Getz doubled home the go-ahead run and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-2.
– The L.A. Angels doubled up Cleveland 8-4. Angels rookie sensation Mike Trout connected for his 22nd home run.
Over in the NL:
– Clayton Kershaw won his fourth consecutive start, Matt Kemp drove in three runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers moved into first place in the NL West with a 9-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kershaw is 11-6.
– Stephen Strasburg outpitched two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum (LINZ’-ih-kuhm) in the Washington Nationals beat San Francisco 6-4. Strasburg is 14-5. He struck out seven in his six innings. Lincecum was routed for four runs on eight hits in four innings, his ERA rising to 5.45. Lincecum failed to reach five innings for the sixth time in his 25 starts this year.
– Atlanta remained four and a-half games back of Washington in the NL East by beating San Diego 6-1. Dan Uggla’s three-run homer in the third was the big hit.
– The Cincinnati Reds won their fifth in a row by beating R.A. Dickey and the New York Mets 6-1 on a Mike Leake four-hitter. Scott Rolen and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back homers and Jay Bruce also went deep for the Reds, who are 21-8 since the All-Star break.
– Greg Dobbs drove in the Marlins’ first run in 31 innings then hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth help Miami beat Philadelphia 9-2.
– David DeJesus hit two home runs to help the Cubs beat Houston 7-2. Starlin Castro also homered among his three hits for Chicago, which won for just the third time in 15 games.
– The St. Louis Cardinals got home runs from David Freese and Allen Craig in a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adam Wainwright improved to 11-10.
Cabrera suspended
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has been suspended for 50 games without pay after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
The commissioner’s office says the suspension is effective immediately.
Cabrera was the MVP of last month’s All-Star game. He’s batting .346 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs in his first season with San Francisco.
Henry refutes Yahoo! Sports report
UNDATED (AP) – Red Sox owner John Henry says no one at a meeting with players last month called for manager Bobby Valentine to be replaced.
Henry sent an email one day after Yahoo! Sports reported that several players met with Henry and team president Larry Lucchino (loo-KEE’-noh) on July 27 in New York to complain about the manager’s handling of the team.
Owner Tom Werner also was at the meeting, according to Henry, who says that no one who attended took the position that Valentine should be or needed to be replaced. The Red Sox are a disappointing 57-60 in Valentine’s first season.
There is some bad news for Red Sox fans. Slugger David Ortiz has been shut down as he strives to return from a strained right Achilles tendon. Ortiz had already been told not to take batting practice, and now he’s been ordered to also stop running. Ortiz has been on the DL since July 18.
Witten out of action
UNDATED (AP) – Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten sustained a “slightly lacerated” spleen in the preseason opener Monday night against Oakland. He’s expected to miss the rest of the preseason. Witten will rest for the rest of the week then be reassessed to see if surgery is needed.
Bynum happy to be in Philly
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – With hundreds of fans cheering him on, Andrew Bynum made his first appearance as a member of the 76ers after coming over from the L.A. Lakers in a four-team trade last week. The veteran center says he’s leaning toward making Philadelphia his home, bringing even louder cheers from an event that was more pep rally than press conference.
Bynum’s contract is up after this season, but the Sixers can offer him a max deal worth more than $100 million over five seasons.
US earns historic win in Mexico
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Michael Orozco Fiscal scored in the 80th minute, giving the United States its first-ever win at Mexico with a 1-0 victory in an exhibition match.
The U.S. had been 0-23-1 in 75 years of games at Mexico, including 0-19-1 in the thin air at altitude in Mexico City – where they have been outscored 81-14.
Nadal out
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) – The U.S. Open says that Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL’) has withdrawn from the last Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year because of tendinitis in his left knee. The third-ranked Spaniard hasn’t played a match since June 28, when he was upset in the second round of Wimbledon by the 100th ranked player in the world.
It’s the same problem that forced Nadal to pull out of the London Olympics and a U.S. Open hard-court tuneup tournament in Cincinnati.
The year’s final Grand Slam starts Aug. 27.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 5 Minnesota 1
Seattle 1 Tampa Bay 0
Baltimore 5 Boston 3
N-Y Yankees 3 Texas 2
Chi White Sox 9 Toronto 5
Kansas City 3 Oakland 2
L.A. Angels 8 Cleveland 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami 9 Philadelphia 2
Chi Cubs 7 Houston 2
Colorado 7 Milwaukee 6
Washington 6 San Francisco 4
L.A. Dodgers 9 Pittsburgh 3
Cincinnati 6 N-Y Mets 1
Atlanta 6 San Diego 1
St. Louis 5 Arizona 2