BALTIMORE (AP) — The Boston Red Sox put an end to a difficult two-day stretch with an uplifting victory on the road.
Kevin Youkilis put the Red Sox ahead with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury also connected to help Boston beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Friday night.
The win came one day after the Red Sox learned Ortiz was on the list of more than 100 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. And it came hours after Boston got All-Star Victor Martinez from Cleveland and Casey Kotchman from Atlanta shortly before the non-waiver trade deadline.
The Red Sox lost leads of 3-0 and 4-3 before rallying to end a five-game skid away from Fenway Park.
“The game took a few turns. We came out and got ahead. They came back and took the lead and we came right back,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “It was an emotional day all the way around after an emotional day yesterday. We made mistakes but didn’t let them beat us.”
The Red Sox made two errors, and Ortiz was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single. But it was still a good night for Boston’s cleanup hitter, who has two homers in two games since learning of his positive drug test.
“I don’t think about that when I’m playing. That’s how you’ve got to do it,” Ortiz said. “If you think about problems when you’re playing, you’re not going to be able to do what you’ve got to do. We need to win games and move on.”
John Smoltz (2-4) earned his second victory in seven starts for Boston despite allowing five runs and eight hits in six innings. The 42-year-old Smoltz was 0-1 with a 7.00 ERA in two previous appearances against Baltimore this season.
“I was just grinding it out, just trying to find a way to get people out and keep us in the game,” Smoltz said.
Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his 27th save. He has converted 23 of 24 career save opportunities against the Orioles.
Nolan Reimold and Aubrey Huff homered for Baltimore. Huff’s was the 200th of his career, a sixth-inning drive with a man on that put the Orioles in front 5-4.
Youkilis wiped out the deficit in the next inning, hitting a 2-1 pitch from Jeremy Guthrie (7-10) into the left-field seats after Ellsbury singled. The homer came on the last of Guthrie’s 112 pitches.
“I left Guthrie in the game one hitter too long. I’ll take that,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “I really believed that he was going to get him out. He made a bad pitch.”
Ellsbury had three hits and made a sensational leaping catch at the center-field wall in the sixth inning to rob Luke Scott of a home run.
Asked whether he would rather hit the homer or make the home-run robbing catch, Ellsbury replied, “Tonight I’ll take both. We needed both to win.”
Guthrie gave up six runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings. The three homers he allowed upped his AL-leading total to 26, surpassing the number he surrendered last year.
“I don’t have the explanation, I don’t have the solution, obviously, or I would have hopefully corrected it by now,” Guthrie said. “I would take any suggestion, I have taken suggestions. The few that I have gotten, I haven’t been able to apply properly to achieve the results, but I’m willing to work as hard as I can to correct it. Obviously I’m not working on the right thing.”
Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the second but got only one run, on a sacrifice fly by Nick Green. Ortiz made it 3-0 in the third, hitting a shot to right on a 3-0 pitch after a single by Youkilis.
In the bottom half, the Orioles got a run on a throwing error by Green at shortstop before Reimold hit a two-run homer. The drive, which hit the top of the 25-foot wall in right field, was confirmed to be a home run after a review by the umpire crew.
Ellsbury put the Red Sox up 4-3 by leading off the fifth with his sixth homer.
NOTES: Baltimore went 9-16 in July, their worst month of the season. ... Ellsbury took over the team lead in multihit games (36). ... Summoned from Double-A Portland before the game, Boston’s Josh Reddick grounded out in his first major league at bat. ... Boston is 12-2 against Baltimore since Sept. 1, 2008.
Pirates snap 5-game streak with 5-4 win over Nats
PITTSBURGH (AP) — In front of his rebuilt former team, Lastings Milledge made a good first impression on the new-look Pittsburgh Pirates.
Milledge had two RBI singles in his Pittsburgh debut, Steve Pearce hit his first homer of the season and the refurbished Pirates snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
“He got off to a good start,” Pittsburgh manager John Russell said of Milledge, who was recalled from the minors after a flurry of trades by the Pirates this week. “You get that first hit out of way, the first RBI, first nice play in the outfield, it makes you feel pretty good. He’s a very good player. He’s a guy we like. He did a good job tonight and we look forward to watching him play the rest of the year.”
Ross Ohlendorf (9-8) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, Matt Capps earned his 21st save and Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 3 for the Pirates.
Ryan Zimmerman homered and Cristian Guzman went 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Nationals, who have lost three straight.
The last-place teams met on a trade deadline day that included the first game for their respective watered-down rosters.
Earlier Friday, the Nationals traded first baseman Nick Johnson and reliever Joe Beimel. The Pirates had dealt regulars Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson on Wednesday and reliever John Grabow during an off day Thursday. Pittsburgh had traded starting first baseman Adam LaRoche the day of their previous home game, July 22.
“Obviously, we have a much different team than we had, but I still think we have a team that can do real well,” said Ohlendorf, who has started the game following three major Pirates trades this season — all victories. “It takes a lot of courage when you trade popular players away, but this will really help us down the road.”
In an added trade-related twist, Milledge faced the team that gave up on him earlier this season, demoting the former top prospect to the minors and trading him along with reliever Joel Hanrahan to Pittsburgh for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett on June 30.
Milledge’s hits came in the third and seventh off Nationals starter John Lannan (7-8), but the left fielder misplayed Guzman’s sinking liner into an RBI double with Hanrahan on the mound in the eighth.
Milledge had his left thumb examined by the Pirates’ training staff after the play but stayed in the game.
“It’s always good to have another opportunity,” said Milledge, a one-time top prospect with the New York Mets. “I feel like this time I want to be more precious with it and put things together out there and try to be successful.”
With several of their favorite players having been traded this season, Pittsburgh fans gave warmer applause each time the popular Morgan was announced than for anyone on the Pirates.
Morgan popped out to end the game with two on.
“There were a lot of mixed emotions, but mainly real positive,” Morgan said. “It definitely felt good to get that ovation from the fans that was very much appreciated.
“I think my emotions left after my first at-bat, but I think they came back in the last at-bat. I kind of got out of my element a little bit. I just wanted to do something special.”
Pearce’s homer, the fifth of his career, led off the fourth.
Pearce — given a chance to be the everyday first baseman after the LaRoche trade — scored the Pirates’ first run when he doubled and was driven in by Andy LaRoche’s single in the second. Willie Harris’ RBI double gave Washington its only lead in the top of the inning.
“It’s been a crazy last couple days, but obviously (general manager Neal Huntington) is not going to do anything to try to have us lose,” said Andy LaRoche, Adam’s younger brother. “He obviously wants to win just as bad as we do. ... Everybody’s counting us out right now, but who knows what’s going to happen these last two months? We might surprise some people.”
Zimmerman’s home run, his 20th, went to deep left-center and led off the seventh. The Nationals scored on Evan Meek’s wild pitch in the eighth to cut the deficit to one.
Lannan entered the game having allowed a total of two runs in his past two starts but was charged with more than three earned runs in a game for only the third time in his past 20 outings. He allowed five runs and nine hits in seven innings.
“I had it bad out there today, but I took some positives out of it,” Lannan said. “You knew that something was going to happen today. Nick’s a great ballplayer and Joe helps any staff. On deadline day, you know a lot of things are going to go down, so it really didn’t affect my mentality.”
NOTES: The game was also the Pirates’ debut for SS Ronny Cedeno, who was acquired in the Wilson trade from Seattle. Cedeno went 1 for 4 and made a nice diving play in the field. ... Entering the game, the entire Pirates lineup combined for 26 home runs this season — the same number as Nationals 1B Adam Dunn, who went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts. ... The Pirates have won five of their past seven at home.
Upton helps Arizona beat New York 3-2
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Upton scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks capitalized on Sean Green’s control problems in a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.
Mark Reynolds and Miguel Montero homered for Arizona, which has won four of its last six games. Doug Davis pitched six effective innings.
Arizona loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Green (1-3) hit Upton with a pitch and walked Reynolds after Pedro Feliciano gave up a leadoff single to Manny Parra.
The Mets looked as if they might escape after Daniel Murphy turned a nifty 3-2-3 double play but Green’s next pitch bounced away from catcher Omir Santos and Upton scampered home to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead.
Esmerling Vasquez (2-2) pitched a scoreless seventh, Jon Rauch worked the eighth and Chad Qualls finished for his 19th save. Third baseman Reynolds dropped Cory Sullivan’s popup with one out in the ninth but Angel Pagan grounded into a double play to end the game.
David Wright and Daniel Murphy homered for New York, which has lost its last two after winning five straight. Livan Hernandez gave up two runs and four hits in six innings.
Arizona manager A.J. Hinch admired Citi Field’s spacious outfield before his club’s first visit to New York’s sparkling new home, but the Diamondbacks didn’t seem fazed by the dimensions once the game started after a 54-minute rain delay.
Reynolds hit a 415-foot drive to center in the second for his 29th homer and Montero connected in the fourth, reaching the upper deck in right for his 10th of the season. Reynolds had two hits and is batting .396 (21 for 53) since the All-Star break.
Murphy and Wright supplied the offense for New York. Murphy hit an 0-2 pitch from Davis off the right-field foul pole in the second and Wright tied it at 2 with a leadoff drive into the left-field seats in the sixth.
It was Wright’s seventh homer and second in the past week. He also had a solo shot in New York’s 10-3 win at Houston last Saturday.
The Mets had the bases loaded with two out in the sixth but pinch-hitter Angel Berroa grounded into a fielder’s choice on Davis’ first pitch.
Arizona wasted an opportunity in the seventh when Stephen Drew bounced out to shortstop with runners on first and second to end the inning.
Davis, thought to be an option for some contenders before the deadline, walked six but limited New York to two runs and four hits.
NOTES: Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he probably will wait until after Saturday’s game to make a decision on who will start Monday against the Diamondbacks. ... Mets C Brian Schneider (left knee) was available but Omir Santos got the start behind the plate. Santos also caught both games in Thursday’s day-night doubleheader split against Colorado. ... Arizona LHP Scott Schoeneweis visited some of his former teammates in the Mets’ clubhouse before the game. Schoeneweis was acquired from New York in December.
Schmidt, Dodgers blank Braves 5-0
ATLANTA (AP) — Jason Schmidt gave up one hit in his longest start in more than two years, Andre Ethier hit a homer and drove in four runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-0 on Friday night.
Schmidt, Ramon Troncoso, George Sherrill and James McDonald combined on a three-hitter. McDonald retired the final six batters.
Ethier hit a three-run homer in the fifth off Tommy Hanson (5-2) and added a run-scoring double in the ninth.
Schmidt (2-1) walked five and struck out three in six innings, his longest start since going six innings for the Dodgers at San Diego on June 5, 2007. The right-hander made his third start of the season after missing 2008 following surgery on his right shoulder.
Sherrill, acquired from Baltimore on Wednesday, struck out the side in the seventh in his debut with the Dodgers.
After Troncoso gave up singles to Diory Hernandez and pinch-hitter Greg Norton, Sherrill struck out Nate McLouth and Kelly Johnson before walking Chipper Jones to load the bases. Sherrill got Brian McCann on a called third strike to end the inning.
Jones’ third-inning single was the only hit off Schmidt.
Hanson gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings to lose his second straight start.
Russell Martin and Rafael Furcal reached on fifth-inning singles before scoring on Ethier’s homer.
Ethier leads the Dodgers with his career-best 21 homers. He passed James Loney for the team lead with 65 RBIs.
Orlando Hudson walked and scored on Furcal’s single in the seventh, pushing the lead to 4-0.
Manny Ramirez was 1 for 4 with two strikeouts on the one-year anniversary of his trade to Los Angeles from Boston.
NOTES: Braves manager Bobby Cox said OF Ryan Church (elbow) and SS Yunel Escobar (bruised right wrist) were unavailable. 2B Martin Prado (bruised left ankle) did not start and hit a deep fly ball to center in the ninth as a pinch-hitter. ... Cox had to change his lineup after the team traded 1B Casey Kotchman to Boston for 1B Adam LaRoche. 1B Barbaro Canizares started after he was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game. ... RHP Tim Hudson was scratched from his injury rehab start at Gwinnett with a mild groin strain. ... Sherrill filled the roster spot of RHP Claudio Vargas, traded to Milwaukee on Friday for minor league C Vinny Rottino.
Baker breaks tie in 8th; Marlins beat Cubs 5-2
MIAMI (AP) — John Baker drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the eighth inning, and the Florida Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Friday night.
Pinch-hitter Wes Helms followed Baker with a two-run double.
Chris Volstad and three relievers combined on a seven-hitter against the Cubs, who had scored 12 runs in each of the past two games.
The Marlins have won eight of their last 10 games to surge into NL wild-card contention and were buoyed by the addition of Washington first baseman Nick Johnson minutes before Friday’s trade deadline. He’s expected to be in the lineup Saturday.
The score was 2-all when Carlos Marmol (2-2) came into the game in the eighth with a scoreless streak of 8 1-3 innings, but he walked the first two batters. Dan Uggla scored from second on Baker’s hit, and Helms doubled to hike his average as a pinch-hitter to .387.
Florida won despite striking out 13 times, stranding nine runners and committing an error for the first time in nine games.
Brendan Donnelly (1-0) retired two batters in the eighth for his first NL victory, and Leo Nunez pitched a hitless ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances.
Volstad retired the first 12 batters and took a shutout into the seventh, but Jake Fox’s two-out, two-run homer tied the score at 2-all.
The hit brought a roar from the crowd of 25,024, with many of the fans clad in Cubs blue. It was the 22nd homer allowed by Volstad, who went 6 2-3 innings.
Florida took a 1-0 lead in the second. Jeremy Hermida led off with a single and scored on Volstad’s two-out double — the pitcher’s first career RBI and extra-base hit. Jorge Cantu hit a two-out homer in the third, his 11th.
Cubs starter Rich Harden tied a career high with 11 strikeouts but departed for a pinch hitter after five innings trailing 2-0.
John Grabow made his Cubs debut by pitching a hitless sixth.
Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, the NL batting leader, singled and struck out three times in four at-bats.
NOTES: Newly acquired LHP Tom Gorzelanny will join the Cubs on Saturday and is scheduled to make his first start for them Tuesday at Cincinnati. ... Before the game, the Cubs recalled OF Sam Fuld from Triple-A Iowa, and RHP Mitch Atkins was optioned to Iowa. ... Kosuke Fukudome went 0 for 3 against Volstad but made the right-hander throw 24 pitches. ... Florida CF Cody Ross robbed Mike Fontenot in the third inning with an over-the-shoulder running catch one step from the wall. ... Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano, who is 0 for 9 against Volstad, was given the night off.
