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Tampa Bay snaps Halladay's win streak
TORONTO - Carl Crawford and Pat Burrell homered and the Tampa Bays Rays ruined Roy Halladay's return with their sixth straight victory, 4-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
Halladay (10-2) came in having won his past seven decisions, the longest streak in the majors, but lost for the first time since April 21, against Texas. The Blue Jays have lost three straight.
He was starting for the first time since June 12, against Florida, when he left two pitches into the fourth inning with a sore groin that landed him on the disabled list. Halladay allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander, who walked two and struck out seven, failed to pitch at least seven innings for only the second time in 15 starts.
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Randy Choate got the last out for his fourth save in as many chances.
Boston 4, Baltimore 0: Jon Lester pitched seven shutout innings, J.D. Drew came within a double of hitting for the cycle, and the Boston Red Sox cruised past the Baltimore Orioles 4-0.
Jonathan Papelbon got the final out with two on to earn his 132nd career save, tying Bob Stanley for the most in Red Sox history. Papelbon has 19 saves this season in 20 opportunities.
Lester (7-6) gave up five hits, struck out eight and walked none. The left-hander allowed only one runner past first base, but even then he proved to be overpowering: In the fifth inning, despite yielding a pair of two-out singles, Lester struck out the side.
Lester is 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA against Baltimore in 10 career starts. The only other pitcher to win his first eight decisions against the Orioles was Todd Stottlemyre (1988-93).
Chi. White Sox 6, Indians 3: Gavin Floyd shut out Cleveland on five singles over 7 2-3 innings and the surging Chicago White Sox climbed back to .500 with a 6-3 win over the free-falling Indians, who lost for the 11th time in 13 games.
Floyd (6-5), who started the season by losing four of his first six decisions, improved to 3-0 in June, 4-1 since May 22 and has a 1.39 ERA in his last eight starts. The right-hander walked two, struck out five and escaped a bases-loaded threat in the seventh with a head's-up fielding play.
Floyd charged off the mound, scooped Ryan Garko's slow roller as it trickled up the first-base chalk and threw to first for the inning's final out. Floyd was lifted in the eighth by manager Ozzie Guillen with a runner on and Grady Sizemore coming up. Thornton came on and got Sizemore to swing at his first pitch and lift a harmless fly out to left.
National League
Milwaukee 10, N.Y. Mets 6:
Casey McGehee hit his first career grand slam moments after committing a costly gaffe and J.J. Hardy tied a career high with four hits, including a homer.
The Mets have lost four straight, falling under .500 (37-38) for the first time since May 5, and not even the previously unflappable Fernando Nieve (3-1) could help. He gave up 11 hits and three runs before being pulled.
McGehee made up for giving the Mets life with starter Braden Looper (6-4) cruising and Milwaukee leading 3-0.
Florida 4, Washington 2: Ricky Nolasco retired the final 13 batters he faced, Emilio Bonifacio drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth and the Florida Marlins stayed perfect against the Washington Nationals.
Hanley Ramirez had three hits and an RBI for Florida, which snapped a three-game slide.
and is 7-0 against Washington this season. Nolasco (5-6) went eight innings, yielding four hits and two runs with eight strikeouts.
