Consecutive Homers Drop Rockies – MLB Roundup For May 31st

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Mets have completed their first-ever season series sweep of the Yankees.

Dillon Gee was the star as the Mets downed the Yankees 3-1, striking out a career-high 12 and yielding a run and four hits over 7 1/3 innings. He and the Mets' bullpen tossed shutout ball after Robinson Cano's (kuh-NOHZ') solo homer in the third.

The Mets also managed just four hits but took the lead for good on Marlon Byrd's two-run shot in the second inning. John Buck added an RBI single in the eighth to close the scoring.

The Yankees produced just seven runs in the four games.

In other major league play, Travis Wood hit a grand slam and allowed two runs over six innings of the Chicago Cubs' fourth straight win, 8-3 over the White Sox. Wood is the first Cubs pitcher to hit a bases-loaded blast at Wrigley Field since Burt Hooton in September 1972.

Ramiro Pena provided three hits and four RBIs in Atlanta's 11-3 laugher against Toronto. Freddie Freeman and Reed Johnson homered to back Mike Minor, who allows two earned runs and six hits in seven innings.

Freddy Garcia gave up just three hits over eight innings as Baltimore beat Washington 2-0. Nick Markakis (mahr-KAY'-kihs) and Manny Machado hit RBI doubles for the Orioles, who took three of four in the home-and-home series.

Jacoby Ellsbury set a Red Sox record with five stolen bases in a 9-2 romp over the Phillies in Philadelphia. Ellsbury also had three hits, and David Ortiz and Jonny Gomes (gohmz) homered to help the Red Sox win for the 11th time in 16 games.

Alex Colome (KAH'-loh-may) won his major league debut by limiting Miami to an unearned run and five hits before leaving in the sixth inning of Tampa Bay's 5-2 verdict over the Marlins. Matt Joyce hit a two-run homer and James Loney added a solo shot as the Rays dealt the Marlins their ninth straight loss.

Pittsburgh beat Detroit 1-0 on Russell Martin's bases-loaded single off the wall in the bottom of the 11th. Neil Walker had two hits and scored the lone run as the Pirates won for the 16th time in 20 games.

Scott Kazmir allowed one run over seven innings as Cleveland dumped Cincinnati 7-1. Michael Bourn had two RBIs for the Indians, who got all their runs with two out in the fourth and beat the Reds for the ninth straight time at Progressive Field.

Homers by Joe Mauer, Chris Parmelee, Brian Dozier (DOH'-zhur) and Ryan Doumit (DOH'-mit) as Minnesota handed Milwaukee its sixth straight loss, 8-6. The Twins have won five of six since a season-worst 10-game skid.

Pablo Sandoval hit a go-ahead, two-run single and the San Francisco Giants ended Oakland's six-game winning streak by downing the A's 5-2. Barry Zito allowed a run and three hits in six innings to win for the first time in seven starts. Brandon Belt's two-run double helped the Giants avoid a four-game season sweep by the Athletics.

Mitch Moreland hit a two-run homer and Elvis Andrus (AN'-droos) had two RBIs as Texas beat Arizona 9-5 to end its first three-game losing streak of the season. Rangers rookie Justin Grimm took a shutout into the sixth but was lifted after allowing three runs in the inning.

Chris Carter and Matt Dominguez hit consecutive homers during a six-run sixth that lifted Houston past Colorado 7-5. J.D. Martinez had a career-high four hits the Astros, who swept a series for the first time this season and won three of four against Colorado this week.

Chris Nelson's RBI single in the sixth snapped a 2-2 tie and gave the Angels a 3-2 win over the Dodgers. Jason Vargas held the Dodgers to two runs and five hits in seven innings of the Angels' season-high sixth straight home win.

Nick Franklin hit his first two big league homers in Seattle's 7-1 win at San Diego. Kendrys (KEHN'-drihs) Morales, Brendan Ryan and Endy Chavez also went deep to give the Mariners a season-high five round-trippers. Felix Hernandez limited the Padres to a run and three hits in eight innings.

The Royals and Cardinals needed more than eight hours to complete Kansas City's 4-2 win at St. Louis. The Royals erased a 2-1 deficit with a three-run ninth and had the bases loaded with nobody out when the game was stopped for almost five hours because of rain. Once play resumed, the Cardinals' bullpen worked out of the jam before the Royals ended their eight-game losing streak.

Jeff Francoeur (fran-KOOR') tied it with a homer leading off the ninth before Eric Hosmer hit a two-run double.

UNDATED (AP) — Hall of Famer George Brett has been appointed the Kansas City Royals' interim hitting coach as part of a shakeup aimed at pulling the struggling team out of its eight-game losing skid. Brett has helped the Royals in spring training for years, but has turned down full-time job offers because he didn't want to deal with the daily grind.

The Royals, who haven't scored more than three runs in their last six games, are near the bottom of the league in runs, walks, homers, RBIs and just about every other offensive category.

Also in the majors, The Yankees plan to activate Andy Pettitte from the disabled list on Monday and start the left-hander that night against the Cleveland Indians. The soon-to-be 41-year-old Pettitte came out of a start against Seattle on May 16 because of a tight left trapezius muscle, near his pitching shoulder.

Yanks first baseman Mark Teixeira and third baseman Kevin Youkilis are likely to be activated for Friday's series opener against Boston following two-day minor league injury rehabilitation assignments at Double-A Trenton.

And Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton will back off his rehab from a strained hamstring because of sore knees. There is no timetable for the return of Stanton, who went on the disabled list April 30 after getting hurt a night earlier.