THREE UP
Right fielder Nelson Cruz picked the right time Sunday for his first home run of the season, a solo shot with one out in the ninth inning off Scot Shields into the Texas bullpen that gave the Rangers their first win over Angels after five straight losses.
Jack Cust’s fifth homer in four games capped a five-run ninth inning that carried the Athletics to a 10-7 victory over the Indians. Cust, acquired from San Diego this month, hit his sixth homer in 26 at-bats came after Milton Bradley’s two-run shot tied it.
Making an emergency start, reliever Shaun Marcum gave the Blue Jays six hitless innings before coming out after 78 pitches only to have the Devil Rays rally for a 2-1 win. “I didn’t figure I’d get tired as soon as I did,” he said. “There was a lot of adrenaline early in the game.”
THREE DOWN
Sidney Ponson said he has been released by the Twins, and he cleared out his locker and said goodbye to teammates one day after his latest disappointing outing. Ponson gave up six runs — five earned — and six hits in just four innings during an 8-2 loss to the Tigers.
The Mets optioned struggling right-hander Mike Pelfrey to Triple-A New Orleans. Pelfrey won the fifth spot in the rotation in the spring but went 0-5 with a 6.53 ERA in six starts. He allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee.
Angels pitcher Hector Carrasco and manager Mike Scoscia were ejected in the seventh inning Sunday after the right-hander hit the Rangers’ Ian Kinsler with a pitch. Umpire Alfonso Marquez ejected Carrasco, and when Scoscia came out to argue, he also was tossed.
