Chase Utley, who missed a month with a broken right hand, hit a game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning as the Phillies moved within two games of first place by completing a four-game sweep of the Mets with an 11-10 win. “We’ve overcome a lot,” Utley said.
Chien-Ming Wang took a no-hitter into the seventh as the Yankees capped a three-game sweep of the first-place Red Sox with a 5-0 win. He allowed one hit and four walks in seven innings. Wang tied for the big-league lead in wins (16) and improved to 13-2 since June 1.
The Tigers’ Magglio Ordonez continued his stellar August with three more hits, a home run and three RBIs in a 6-1 victory over the Royals. Ordonez hit a two-run shot in a four-run fifth inning and is hitting .402 for the month. He ranks second in the AL with 119 RBIs.
THREE DOWN
The NL East-leading Mets dropped their fifth straight game as closer Billy Wagner blew a two-run lead as he attempted to earn a two-inning save in the loss to the Phillies. “We’ll bounce back,” Mets manager Willie Randolph said. “We’re not going to fold any tents.”
Despite rallying to win 5-4, the Reds had two runs taken off the board when Adam Dunn was called out for missing third base on an apparent two-run single by Edwin Encarnacion in the fourth. Dunn would have been the second run, but the Pirates successfully appealed.
Jeremy Guthrie is winless in his last six starts after allowing six runs in six innings as the Orioles lost their ninth straight game, an 8-6 defeat at the hands of the Devil Rays. His ERA has climbed to 3.62 after starting the month at 2.89.
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Compiled by Mike Pankow
