Rays/MLB

NL roundup

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 22, 2006

ASTROS 5 TWINS 3: HOUSTON - Adam Everett had two doubles and two RBIs and Lance Berkman hit a home run as the Astros snapped Minnesota's eight-game winning streak.

Preston Wilson singled off reliever Kyle Lohse to start the Astros' two-out rally in the eighth that led to their 10th win in 14 games. Eric Munson walked before Jason Lane muscled a soft liner into right to score Wilson.

Everett followed with a double off the leftfield wall to score Munson and knock Lohse out of the game before he retired a batter.

Berkman gave the Astros a 1-0 lead in the first inning, launching a 3-and-1 pitch from starter Carlos Silva just inside the foul pole in leftfield. His 20th homer of the season was the 200th of his career, and he extended his hitting streak to nine games.

NOTABLE: The Astros snapped the Twins' 12-game streak of scoring four or more runs, Minnesota's longest since 1995.

BLUE JAYS 6 BRAVES 3: ATLANTA - Lyle Overbay had two RBIs in Toronto's four-run third inning as the Blue Jays handed the Braves their longest losing streak in 18 years.

Tim Hudson, who has dominated Toronto in his career, couldn't rescue the Braves from their first nine-game losing streak since opening the 1988 season with 10 straight losses.

The Braves have lost 19 of 22 games, including a 2-17 mark in June. They trail first-place New York by 141/2 games in the NL East, their largest deficit since 1990 when they finished last, 26 games back.

Vernon Wells hit his 18th homer for Toronto, and Ted Lilly gave up six hits and three runs in six innings.

Wells' homer in the seventh inning made it 5-3, and a run scored on a wild pitch in the eighth.

NOTABLE: Atlanta is 12 games under .500, another low point for the franchise since the end of the 1990 season.

YANKEES 5 PHILLIES 0: PHILADELPHIA - Jaret Wright combined with four relievers on a three-hitter to lead New York.

Wright gave up three hits, struck out a season-high six in five innings and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Johnny Damon went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Yankees, who have won two straight after losing eight of 11.

Rookie Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings for the Phillies, who finished 2-7 on their only homestand this month to fall to 35-37.

A night after Ryan Howard put on a tremendous power display with two homers, one triple and seven RBIs, the Yankees shut him down. Howard went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and the rest of Philadelphia's offense wasn't any better.

NOTABLE: Left-handed batters are 4-for-37 with 13 strikeouts against Yankees left-handed reliever Ron Villone.

ANGELS 6 GIANTS 3: SAN FRANCISCO - Maicer Izturis hit a tiebreaking, three-run double off the wall in left in the eighth inning as Los Angeles avoided a three-game sweep.

"Izzy gave us a big hit and a big lift," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We did things better. With guys in scoring position, we got some big hits."

Juan Rivera hit a go-ahead two-run homer to left in the sixth, but the Giants tied it the next inning. Barry Bonds entered as a pinch-hitter with runners on the corners and no outs, and he grounded into a double play that allowed Pedro Feliz to score the tying run from third.

Fans jumped to their feet and chanted "Barry! Barry!" and the slugger emerged from the dugout to rousing applause.

QUOTABLE: "Tell (Jeff) Weaver, my bad. I'm scared to talk to him. He deserved a lot more than a no-decision." - Angels reliever Scot Shields, who blew a lead but earned the win instead of Weaver, who started

BREWERS 4 TIGERS 3: MILWAUKEE - Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh to lift the Brewers, who snapped Detroit's six-game winning streak.

"It was over the plate," Weeks said. "You've got to do something to it."

Weeks' seventh homer of the season came off reliever Joel Zumaya, landing just over the wall in left-centerfield as Curtis Granderson tried to make a leaping catch.

Zumaya was disappointed he couldn't bring home a victory for starter Nate Robertson, but he wasn't exactly impressed by Weeks' estimated 385-foot shot.

"I hate giving up a home run in that situation when a guy is pitching his tail off," Zumaya said. "My role is to come in and get that guy out, and I gave up a little home run. Those are the ones that kill me, that barely go over. I'd rather have Weeks hit one 500 feet instead of a ball going 350 feet."

QUOTABLE: "I don't have any problem with a game like that, they earned it. Give them credit. It's not like we threw the game away." - Tigers manager Jim Leyland

REDS 6 METS 5: NEW YORK - Brandon Phillips hit a two-out, two-run single off closer Billy Wagner in the ninth inning to help the Reds overcome Jose Reyes' cycle.

Wagner retired the first two batters easily but walked Austin Kearns and pinch-hitter David Ross. Pinch-hitter Rich Aurilia reached on an infield single to third, and Phillips followed with a sharp single to center.

"I just tried to hit the ball hard and drive it somewhere," Phillips said. "He threw me a fastball inside, a pitch high, another pitch high. If he threw me one more time a high pitch, I would've struck out."

Kearns and pinch-runner Quinton McCracken scored to put the Reds in front 6-5. Wagner blew his fourth save in 18 tries.

Reyes hit his fourth career leadoff homer to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He doubled in the second, tripled into right-center in the fifth and grounded a single into centerfield in the ninth.

NOTABLE: The last player to hit for the cycle for the Mets was Eric Valent in July 2004.

[Last modified June 22, 2006, 01:11:48]