Monday's baseball roundup

Last update: April 29, 2008 - 1:03 AM

American League

Mussina, New York topple Cleveland

• NEW YORK 5, CLEVELAND 2: Mike Mussina earned his 253rd victory, tying Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell on the career list, and the Yankees made the most of their five hits against the host Indians.

Mussina gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, just long enough to catch Hubbell for 41st place. The 39-year-old had his second consecutive solid outing after there was speculation he might lose his spot in the starting rotation.

Held without a hit for five innings by Aaron Laffey, who was called up to make his season debut for Cleveland, the Yankees strung together four hits -- three of them didn't leave the infield -- two groundouts and a hit batter to score four times in the sixth and take a 4-2 lead. Hideki Matsui's RBI double in the eighth made it 5-2.

• OAKLAND 14, LOS ANGELES 2: Daric Barton hit a three-run homer, and Jack Hannahan and Emil Brown also homered to back six strong innings by Chad Gaudin as the Athletics beat the Angels in Anaheim, Calif. The A's scored eight runs in the seventh inning in taking a one-game lead over Los Angeles for first place in the AL West.

National League

Haren leads Arizona past Houston

• ARIZONA 5, HOUSTON 3: Dan Haren pitched into the eighth inning and hit an RBI double for the Diamondbacks against the Astros in Phoenix. Haren scattered five hits over a season-high 7 2/3 innings and Mark Reynolds hit a two-run double for Arizona.

• CINCINNATI 4, ST. LOUIS 3: Bronson Arroyo pitched six innings for his first victory of 2008 and Edwin Encarnacion hit two RBI doubles the Reds beat the host Cardinals. Arroyo earned his first victory since Sept. 12 against St. Louis. He had been 0-4 in eight outings since.

• SAN FRANCISCO 4, COLORADO 0: Matt Cain got an early lead and his teammates held it, helping the Giants' hard-luck pitcher to his first win of 2008 with a victory over the visiting Rockies. Giants manager Bruce Bochy moved past former San Francisco skipper Felipe Alou for most victories by a foreign-born manager in major league history with 1,034. Aaron Rowand doubled and drove in two runs, including when he and Rich Aurilia each drew bases-loaded walks to force home a pair of insurance runs in the fifth.

League notes

• Texas third baseman Hank Blalock has a small tear in his left hamstring and will be out at least three weeks. The Rangers will put Blalock on the disabled list today.

• After lasting only four innings Sunday, Braves righthander John Smoltz is to have his troublesome right shoulder examined in Atlanta today.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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