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June 11, 2010

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Saunders paces Angels past A's

JOE Saunders pitched a complete game on Wednesday to help the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 7-1.

The result extended Oakland pitcher Dallas Braden's losing streak to 0-4 since he pitched a perfect game on May 9.

The left-hander (4-6) was replaced in the sixth inning where Los Angeles scored four times and was charged with 11 hits and five runs.

Saunders had taken a 7-0 shutout into the ninth inning before Oakland's Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in a run.

Saunders allowed seven hits and struck out two in his fourth career complete game.

"Honestly, I didn't have my best stuff," Saunders told reporters. "A lot of credit goes to the defense. The defense played unbelievable behind me.

"Both (Braden) and myself were kind of battling tonight. It was just a case of being fortunate to make a few pitches and get the ground ball for a double play."

Left-hander Saunders also got plenty of offensive support as Erick Aybar recorded four hits and two RBIs while Juan Rivera had a home run and two RBIs for the Angels (33-29).

"Erick's starting to come alive on the offensive side," said Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia. "It's good to see him this last little stretch start to feel comfortable in the batter's box."

Los Angeles had its six-game winning streak snapped by the Athletics (31-30) on Tuesday but gained revenge and remained one half-game behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Los Angeles tacked on one run apiece in the eighth, where Rivera homered, and ninth where Hideki Matsui produced an RBI single.

In Cleveland, Justin Masterson beat his former team by pitching a two-hitter for his first career shutout as the Indians routed the Boston Red Sox 11-0.

Travis Hafner hit his 10th career grand slam - first since May 7, 2007 - in an eight-run eighth inning against Boston's bullpen.

Masterson (2-5) faced the Red Sox for the first time. It was the first complete-game shutout by an Indians pitcher against Boston since Jack McDowell in 1996. Masterson was sent from Boston to Cleveland with two minor league pitchers for Victor Martinez just before last year's trade deadline.

Also, it was: Rays 10, Blue Jays 1; White Sox 15, Tigers 3; Yankees 4, Orioles 2; Rangers 12, Mariners 2; and Twins 6, Royals 2.

In the National League, Derrek Lee hit his 300th homer, Marlon Byrd and Geovany Soto hit two each as the Chicago Cubs powered past the Milwaukee Brewers 9-4.

Chicago's five homers marked its biggest outburst this season and were more than the Cubs hit in the previous nine games combined.

Elsewhere, it was: Dodgers 4, Cardinals 3; Nationals 7, Pirates 5; and Reds 6, Giants 3.


 

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