Hank Blalock atoned for an earlier error with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to lift the Rangers to a 9-8 victory over the Blue Jays in Toronto on Saturday. Blalock’s fielding error extended the Jays’ ninth and allowed them to tie the game against fill-in closer Akinori Otsuka.
The Reds’ Matt Belisle took a perfect game into the sixth en route to an 8-1 win over the Pirates. He scattered five hits and struck out five while making just 91 pitches (66 strikes) in his first complete game in just his 12th start. The former reliever had never surpassed six innings.
Ex-Cub Corey Patterson hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth as the Orioles rallied to defeat the Indians 7-4. The O’s were also the beneficiary after a quirky situation in the third inning when Nick Markakis was at third base and Miguel Tejada on first with one out. …
THREE DOWN
… After the Indians’ Grady Sizemore made a diving catch of Ramon Hernandez’s drive, Markakis tagged up and scored. At the time, Tejada was thrown out running back to first. Umpire Marvin Hudson waved off the run, but it was announced in the sixth that the run counted.
The Tigers’ Justin Verlander was pounded in an 11-3 loss to the Twins. Verlander (1-1) suffered his first poor outing of the year, allowing five runs (three earned) and eight hits in just three innings. He came in with a 2.08 ERA, third best among AL starters.
Jeff Weaver, who signed with the Mariners for $8.325 million, surrendered five consecutive hits to start the game and didn’t last long in an 8-3 loss to the Royals. Weaver lasted just one-third of an inning, allowing six runs on seven hits.
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Compiled by Mike Pankow
