Endy Chavez’s first home run of the year, a go-ahead two-run shot in the fifth inning, led the Mets to a 3-2 win. Chavez also threw out Johnny Damon trying to stretch a game-opening hit into a double, and the sputtering Yankees rarely threatened after that.
Grady Sizemore went 4-for-5, including his seventh home run, in the Indians’ 9-4 win over the Reds. He has hit .555 (10-for-18) in his last four games to raise his batting average 37 points to .276. Sizemore had one stolen base and is 15-for-15 in steal attempts this season.
The Pirates’ Adam LaRoche, one of baseball’s best hitters this month after being one of its worst in April, had two hits, scored twice and drove in two runs in an 11-5 win over Arizona. LaRoche has a .357 average in his last 13 games after hitting .133 in April.
THREE DOWN
The Cardinals’ Braden Looper (5-3) gave up a career-high seven runs and nine hits over four-plus innings in a 14-4 loss to the Tigers. He had allowed only one run in his two previous starts and entered the game among NL leaders with a 2.29 ERA.
Tony Armas was sent to the Pirates’ bullpen after failing to pitch longer than three innings in his last two starts. Armas (0-3, 8.46 ERA) was the only Pirates starter not to win this season, never going longer than six innings in any of his seven starts.
Twins reliever Jesse Crain will miss the rest of the season with a right shoulder injury. A specialist confirmed Friday that Crain has a torn labrum and rotator cuff, leaving him unavailable for at least eight months. An orthopedist recommended the surgery.
