Escobar Shuts Down Punchless Dodgers; Jenkins Drives in Five

Sunday's Peak Performers and Fabulous Flops American League Kelvim Escobar threw 8 scoreless innings in a 4-1 win, giving up just 3 singles and a pair of walks as the LA Angels won their 5th straight and swept the Dodgers in their 3-game LA series, outscoring their SoCal rivals, 19-4. Scott Shields came in to work the 8th and allowed the Dodgers' only run, but Francisco Rodriguez came in to get the final out and his 14th save. Escobar is 5-2 with a 2.82 ERA. The Angels have opened up a 4-game lead over Oakland in the AL West. Matt Morris was tough as nails, allowing just 1 earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks in San Francisco's 4-1 win over the Oakland A's, helping the Giants avoid a sweep in the 3-game Bay area series. Morris pitched the entire 9 innings for his first complete game of the season. He threw 126 pitches and struck out 9, improving to 5-1. Other AL Scores Detroit 6 St. Louis 3 - Tigers sweep 3-gm. series with Cards Cleveland 5 Cincinnati 3 - Indians take all-Ohio series, 2-1 Florida 4 Tampa Bay 3 - Marlins sweep 3 in all-Florida series Boston 6 Atlanta 3 - Red Sox (30-13) best in majors, 10 1/2-gm. AL East lead San Diego 2 Seattle 1 National League We knew it was only a matter of time before this guy would begin making regular appearances as a Peak Performer, so, Milwaukee'sGeoff Jenkins performance on Sunday wasn't surprising as he single-handedly got the Brewers back on the winning track by driving in 5 runs in Milwaukee's 6-5 win over the Twins. Jenkins cracked his 9th homer of the season - a 3-run shot that tied the game in the 5th inning at 5-5 - after singling in a run in the 3rd, but he wasn't quite finished. Jenkins knocked in the game-winner with a scratch single in the 7th, plating Prince Fielder. After that, reliever Derrick Turnbow shut down the Twins in the 8th and closer Francisco Cordero struck out the side in the 9th for his 17th save, which tops the majors. The win was only Milwaukee's 3rd in their last 10 games, but the Brewers still maintain a 5 1/2-game lead in the NL Central over Houston and are 6 games up on the Chicago Cubs.

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Mark Teixiera and Victor Diaz both had 4 hits, drove in 4 runs and scored twice, including a pair of homers each, in the Rangers 14-1 romp over the Houston Astros. But the most efficient Ranger was Ramon Vazquez, playing in just his 3rd game of the season, who scored 3 times, drove in 5 with a 2-run homer, a 2-run double and a single in 3 at-bats. He's batting .750 (6-8). Other NL Scores Arizona 5 Pittsburgh 2 - R. Johnson (W, 2-2), 10 K; J. Valverde, S (16) Philadelphia 5 Toronto 3 Washington 4 Baltimore 3 - O's take Beltway series, 2-1 White Sox 10 Cubs 6 - AJ Pierzynski GS HR (8), Cubs take 2 of 3 in Windy City series Kansas City 10 Colorado 5, 12 innings NY Yankees 6 NY Mets 2 - Yanks avoid Subway series sweep, A. Rodriguez, HR (17)