Sidney Ponson got his first win in a year as the Rangers beat the Royals 2-1. Ponson, who last won May 1, 2007, and signed a minor-league contract this spring, went eight innings with five strikeouts.
Austin Kearns’ two-out RBI single in the eighth inning scored Cristian Guzman to give the Nationals a 3-2 win over the Pirates and extend their winning streak to a season-high four games.
Ryan Howard has been struggling so far this season, hitting just .184, but Thursday he doubled in one run and broke a 2-2 tie with an eighth-inning homer as the Phillies defeated the Padres 3-2.
THREE DOWN
Adam Jones homered for the Orioles, but his seventh-inning error on Jason Bartlett’s single allowed two runners to advance and eventually score the winning runs in the Rays’ 4-2 victory.
Yankees starter Ian Kennedy is winless in six starts after dropping an 8-4 decision to the Tigers. Kennedy lasted just 4 2/3 innings and gave up four runs to bump up his ERA to 8.37.
J.J. Putz loaded the bases, then walked in the tying run to blow his second save in four chances in the Mariners’ 3-2 loss to the Indians in 11 innings. Putz couldn’t protect a 2-1 lead in the ninth.
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EDITED BY BOB FOLTMAN AND THOMAS L. OUTLAW
