MLB capsules: Twins avoid sweep
The short-handed Minnesota Twins desperately needed to change things up before the all-star break. They'd loss four straight games, including a pair to division-rival Detroit, and were missing two all-stars to injury.
Carl Pavano made sure to alter the status quo.
He pitched well into the eighth inning Sunday, helping visiting Minnesota win 6-3 and keep from falling further behind the White Sox and Detroit in the AL Central.
"I hope a lot of people watched Carl and saw how he handled things today," said manager Ron Gardenhire, who gave his Twins a pep talk before the game. "We've been in this situation before, and the key is cheering for each other and staying positive."
Pavano (10-6) is 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 8 career starts against the Tigers.
"He was very good today," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We've always had trouble with him, and that didn't change today."
The Twins were missing Justin Morneau due to a concussion and catcher Joe Mauer, who would have gotten the day off from catching anyway but did not DH because of a sore shoulder.
Phillies 1, Reds 0: Cole Hamels tossed 6-hit ball into the eighth inning, Jimmy Rollins drove in the only run, and the host Phillies completed a four-game sweep of the NL West-leading Reds.
Hamels (7-7) struck out three, walked three and didn't allow a run for the first time in 18 starts this season. J.C. Romero fanned the only batter he faced in the ninth, and Brad Lidge got the final two outs for his sixth save.
It's the first time Philadelphia has had consecutive 1-0 wins since April 18-19, 1913, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Yankees 8, Mariners 2: CC Sabathia allowed a run in 7 innings and joined Tampa Bay's David Price as the only 12-game winners in the American League, and the visiting Yankees roughed up the Mariners to head into the all-star break with baseball's best record.
The World Series champions are 56-32 and have a 2-game lead over the Rays in the American League East. New York has won nine of 11.
Sabathia (12-3) won his eighth straight decision and made it look easy. After consecutive singles from Casey Kotchman and Justin Smoak in the second inning, Sabathia set down the next 11 before Michael Saunders' single leading off the sixth.
Brewers 6, Pirates 5: Corey Hart hit a 2-run homer in the ninth inning to give the host Brewers a dramatic victory over Pittsburgh.
The Brewers trailed 5-4 when pinch hitter Jim Edmonds led off the ninth with a ground-rule double off Octavio Dotel. Rickie Weeks flied out before Hart belted a 2-0 pitch from Dotel (2-2) over the wall in left for his second game-ending home run of the season.
Cardinals 4, Astros 2: Matt Holliday hit a 3-run homer and the Cardinals ended the first half of the season with a win over the host Astros. The Cardinals trailed 2-0 before Holliday's shot to left field in the fourth inning, his 16th.