Lackey Leads Majors With 9th Win; Rookie Lewis Slams Phils

American League LA Angels 3 Baltimore 2 - John Lackey (right) became the majors' first 9-game winner as he and the Angels ended the O's 6-game winning streak Friday at Anaheim. Lackey (9-3) gave up 5 hits and 2 earned runs over 7 1/3 innings and the Angels' bullpen did the rest. Francisco Rodriguez picked up his league-leading 19th save. The Angels lead Seattle by 5 1/2 in the West. Chicago White Sox 3 Toronto 0 - Javier Vazquez allowed just 6 hits over 8 innings to even his record at 3-3 and Bobby Jenks worked the 9th to get his 15th save as the Sox ended their 5 game skid amid hopes that June would turn out better. Chicago ended May with a 12-14 record and are in danger of falling out of the AL Central and Wild Card races. Any ground they make up in June will be against non-divisional opponents. The Sox play only two games at the end of the month against any teams in the AL Central, and those are against last place Kansas City. NY Yankees 9 Boston 5 - The Yankees took the first of a 3-game series at Boston, and now trail the Red Sox by only 12 1/2 games. The Yanks beat up on knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5-6), who couldn't locate his pitches, allowing 5 hits, 6 walks and 8 earned runs over just 3 2/3rds innings.

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Jorge Posada led the effort with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI. His .358 batting average leads the league. Boston's Kevin Youkilis went 1-3 to keep his 23-game hitting streak going. Cleveland 12 Detroit 11 - In five tries, the Tigers haven't beaten the Indians this year, but they came close Friday night, carrying a 4-run lead into the bottom of the 9th with closer Todd Jones looking to finish off the Tribe. Things didn't quite go right from there, however, as Cleveland scored 5 runs in the frame and extended their AL Central lead to 4 1/2 days over Detroit. The Indians are 19-4 at home. This game was an offensive showcase, with the two teams combining for 31 hits. Cleveland's Victor Martinez had two of the bigger ones - a pair of 2-run homers - with one coming in the decisive 9th inning. Martinez' 4 RBI gave him 48, 2 behind the Tigers' Magglio Ordonez, who leads the AL. Other AL Scores Kansas City 4 Tampa Bay 1 - B. Bannister (W, 1-3) 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Minnesota 3 Oakland 2, 10 innings - Twins 4th straight W Texas 9 Seattle 8 - I. Suzuki, 2-5, 3 R, 25-game hitting streak National League Atlanta 8 Chicago Cubs 5 - Unfortunately, the best action in this game occurred in the Chicago clubhouse. Carlos Zambrano, lifted after 5 innings, got into it with his catcher, Michael Barrett, sending Barrett to the hospital with a reported pair f black eyes and a split lip. Zambrano had complained to Barrett about his fielding, after a passed ball and throwing error added to the day's frustration. Of course, Zambrano (5-5) might just as well punched himself out after allowing 13 hits, 2 walks and 6 earned runs without a strikeout. Manager Lou Piniella promised that both players would be reprimanded. MLB will certainly impose fines as well. Both of these players richly deserve some bench time. Zambrano is hoisting around a 5.62 ERA and Barrett isn't exactly scorching the record books with his .241 batting average. San Francisco 13 Philadelphia 0 - Matt Morris gave up just one hit over 6 innings to go to 6-2 as the Giants stormed into Philly for the first of a 4-game series. Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz each cracked 3-run homers, but rookie Fred Lewis (right) outdid them both with a grand slam. Lewis also singled and scored 3 times in 5 at-bats. A leading early candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, Lewis hit for the cycle earlier this season. In 18 games, he's batting .268 with 2 homers, 12 RBI and 2 steals. The Phillies, after getting over the .500 mark for the first time all season, have promptly lost 4 straight to drop back to 26-28. Arizona 5 NY Mets 1 - Brandon Webb kept the Mets at bay on 4 hits - the lone run was unearned - over 8 innings as the Diamondbacks won their 8th straight and remain deadlocked with the Dodgers atop the NL West. Webb (5-3) walked just one batter and struck out 8. Shortstop Stephen Drew put the game out of reach with a 3-run blast in the 8th. For the Mets, Jose Reyes stole his league-leading 30th base and Julio Franco stole his 2nd, leading all 48-year-olds in that - and every other - department. Other NL Scores Washington 4 San Diego 3, 10 innings - C. Guzman, 4-5, 3 R; D. Young, 4-4, 2 RBI LA Dodgers 5 Pittsburgh 4 - Dodgers share 1st in West with D-Backs St. Louis 8 Houston 1 - Cards plate 7 in top of 9th Milwaukee 8 Florida 5 - F. Cordero, 20th Save leads majors Cincinnati 4 Colorado 2 - Ken Griffey Jr., HR (12), career #575

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)