Boof Bonser held the Rangers to two runs and six hits in five innings, striking out six and walking two, to win his third straight start for the Twins. “I battled [Wednesday],” Bonser said. “I didn’t really have much command, but we pulled through.”
Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, on the DL with a strained left quadriceps, hit a game-winning home run and went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in a rehab start at Class A Lakewood. “It feels great,” Howard said. “I don’t feel any knots or anything like that.”
Baltimore’s muchmaligned bullpen, which had compiled a 6.33 ERA in its last 28 games, got the job done in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Toronto. Before Chris Ray got three straight outs for his 11th save, Chad Bradford and Jamie Walker each pitched a perfect inning.
THREE DOWN
Roger Clemens allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1?3 innings while pitching for the Yankees’ Double-A Trenton farm team. In his second minor-league start since signing with New York, he threw 64 of 102 pitches for strikes, struggling at times with control.
The Mariners placed reliever Chris Reitsma on the DL due to inflammation in his right elbow. The 29- year-old, who had surgery last summer on the same elbow that ended his brief stint as the Braves? closer, is 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 games this season.
Phillies closer Brett Myers left Wednesday’s game against the Marlins in the ninth inning with a strained right shoulder and the team said he may return home Thursday for further examination. “It should be all right,” he said. “I don’t think it popped or tore.”
