american league

Penny, Tigers win seventh in a row

• DETROIT 3, KANSAS CITY 0: Brad Penny pitched eight scoreless innings with the help of some terrific fielding, and the host Tigers beat the Royals on Saturday for their seventh consecutive victory. Detroit scored three runs in the first inning off Jeff Francis, then held on for its 10th victory in 11 games. The Tigers made four marvelous plays in the field to prevent a Kansas City comeback.

• BOSTON 6, NEW YORK 0: Adrian Gonzalez homered for the fourth consecutive game and Josh Beckett shut down the skidding Yankees for the second time this year, sending the visiting Red Sox to victory. New York has lost four in a row and eight of 11, and fell to 1-4 against its longtime rivals this season.

• OAKLAND 6, CHICAGO 2: David DeJesus recorded his 1,000th career hit and drove in two runs, Tyson Ross took a shutout into the sixth inning and the host Athletics beat the White Sox, who lost for only the second time in seven games. Chad Pennington, Daric Barton and Kurt Suzuki also drove in runs for the A's.

• LOS ANGELES 3, TEXAS 2: Maicer Izturis hit a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning and the Angels beat the Rangers in Arlington, Texas. Los Angeles' Dan Haren wound up without a decision after giving up only two runs in 7 2/3 innings, and he is winless in his last five starts despite a 1.93 ERA, second-best in the American League.

• BALTIMORE 6, TAMPA BAY 0: Brad Bergesen threw a four-hitter for his first major league shutout, Jake Fox hit a two-run homer and the Orioles beat the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Bergesen had been 0-5 with a 9.13 ERA in five career starts against Tampa Bay.

national league

Cueto pitches Reds back into first

• CINCINNATI 7, ST. LOUIS 3: Johnny Cueto got the better of the Cardinals team he kicked around the last time they met, taking a shutout into the eighth inning as the Reds moved back into first place in the NL Central. Ramon Hernandez hit solo homers on each of the first two pitches he saw from Kyle McClellan and Brandon Phillips drove in three runs for the Reds. Cueto and Phillips were the central figures in a brawl last Aug. 10; Cueto slashed two Cardinals with his cleats and got a seven-game suspension.

• FLORIDA 1, WASHINGTON 0: Anibal Sanchez shut down the host Nationals once again, giving up only three hits in eight innings, and Mike Stanton hit a long home run for the Marlins. Sanchez struck out nine, improving to 7-0 lifetime against the Nationals.

• ARIZONA 1, LOS ANGELES 0: Josh Collmenter pitched two-hit ball over six innings in his first major league start, and a miscommunication on a pickoff throw by Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley led to the only run for the visiting Diamondbacks.

• ATLANTA 5, PHILADELPHIA 3: Martin Prado homered and drove in three runs, Jair Jurrjens took a perfect game into the sixth and the host Braves beat the Phillies. Jurrjens (5-0), who opened the year on the disabled list, beat the Phillies for the second time in a week.

• HOUSTON 7, NEW YORK 3: Carlos Lee delivered his 2,000th hit with an RBI single during a four-run first inning, and the host Astros went on to beat the Mets.

• MILWAUKEE 8, PITTSBURGH 2: Prince Fielder, Brandon Boggs and Ryan Braun each hit solo home runs and the host Brewers beat the Pirates for the eighth meeting in a row.

• SAN FRANCISCO 3, CHICAGO 0 (6): Ryan Vogelsong pitched six scoreless innings in a rain-shortened game at Wrigley Field.

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