AL capsules

[July 30, 2012]  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Zack Greinke was outpitched by Jeremy Hellickson in his Los Angeles Angels' debut, losing to the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 Sunday.

Obtained Friday from Milwaukee, the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings and struck out eight.

Greinke (0-1), eligible for free agency after the season, was 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 21 starts with the Brewers.

Hellickson (6-6) pitched two-hit ball through six innings, striking out five and walking none.

Fernando Rodney got three outs for his 30th save in 31 attempts, tying Baltimore's Jim Johnson for the AL lead. With runners on first and second, Rodney fell behind Albert Pujols 3-0 in the count before inducing a game-ending, double-play grounder.

RED SOX 3, YANKEES 2, 10 INNINGS

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pedro Ciriaco blooped an RBI single in the 10th inning for his latest big hit against New York and Boston squeaked out the victory moments after manager Bobby Valentine was ejected.

Felix Doubront held the Yankees scoreless until Russell Martin homered leading off the seventh inning. Martin also hit a tying single with two outs in the eighth off closer Alfredo Aceves (2-6), who went the rest of the way for the win.

Ryan Sweeney hit an early two-run double for the Red Sox, who took two of three in their first visit to New York this season despite grounding into four double plays against Hiroki Kuroda.

Valentine was ejected in the 10th inning for arguing whether a pitch by David Robertson (1-4) hit Will Middlebrooks on a bunt attempt.

ORIOLES 6, ATHLETICS 1

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Rookie Wei-Yin Chen struck out a career-high 12, Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer and the Baltimore Orioles beat Oakland to avoid a three-game sweep.

It was a rare setback for the A's, who fell to 18-4 this month.

Chen (9-6) allowed one unearned run, three hits and four walks in 5 2-3 innings against a torrid Oakland team that had scored 40 runs in its previous four games.

A's starter Travis Blackley (3-3) gave up five runs, six hits and four walks in five innings. He was 3-0 in six starts since June 10.

RANGERS 2, WHITE SOX 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Scott Feldman tied a career high by pitching eight shutout innings, and Texas snapped a two-game skid with a victory over the Chicago White Sox.

David Murphy had three hits, including a double, and Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz each scored a run.

Feldman (5-6) gave up seven hits and retired eight of the last 10 batters he faced. He threw only 88 pitches in matching the eight shutout innings he tossed two other times, the last being June 2, 2010, also against the White Sox in Chicago.

Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save.

Gavin Floyd (8-9) gave up seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. He was 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his previous five starts.

TIGERS 4, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO (AP) -- Jhonny Peralta hit two home runs, Doug Fister pitched eight innings and the Detroit Tigers beat Toronto to avert a three-game sweep.

The Tigers had lost three in a row and four of five to fall out of the AL Central lead.

Peralta hit a three-run drive off Brett Cecil (2-4) in the second and added a solo shot against Joel Carreno in the ninth. It was Peralta's first multihomer game of the season and seventh of his career.

Fister (5-7) allowed one run and seven hits. He struck out nine and matched his longest outing of the season.

Jose Valverde closed for his 20th save in 24 chances as Detroit avoided being swept in Toronto for the first time since Sept. 5-7, 2003.

TWINS 5, INDIANS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer, Brian Duensing threw six smooth innings as a late fill-in for Francisco Liriano and the Minnesota Twins finished a three-game sweep of Cleveland.

Duensing (2-6) lost all four of his previous starts this year, but he needed only 70 pitches to finish six frames and yield to the bullpen after scattering five singles without a walk.

Ubaldo Jimenez (8-10) worked into the seventh and struck out six, but the Indians lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games.

MARINERS 7, ROYALS 6

SEATTLE (AP) -- Felix Hernandez shook off a line drive to his left wrist and threw seven strong innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat Kansas City for a four-game sweep.

Seattle swept Kansas City in a four-game set for the first time since May 2001.

Hernandez gave up just five hits and two runs but lost out on his sixth straight win when the Mariners' bullpen gave up three runs in the eighth.

Oliver Perez (1-2) got the win. Tom Wilhelmsen gave up a run in the ninth, but still finished his 14th save in 16 chances.

Reliever Jose Mijares (2-2) threw away a bunt in the eighth.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.