Twins falter again during difficult road trip

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OAKLAND, Calif. — Liam Hendriks was left to wait for his first major victory yet again.

He had had 13 tries spanning two seasons as a starter.

A day after being recalled from Triple-A Rochester, for his third big league stint of the year with Minnesota, the 23-year-old Aussie struggled along with the Twins offense in a 5-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.

It was another stumble on this tough road trip.

“It was just a bad day for us,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “It’s too bad we lost the series.”

Coco Crisp homered, hit an RBI double, and scored three runs for the A’s, tinkering a bit with his batting stance.

Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning that held up for Tommy Milone, and Crisp also singled and stole his 28th base to give the A’s a much-needed boost.

Milone (10-9) allowed one run and two hits, struck out five and walked one in eight impressive innings to end a five-start winless stretch in which he had gone 0-3 since his last victory, a 9-3 decision at Minnesota on July 14.

Hendriks (0-6) is yet to win in nine starts this season. The right-hander allowed four runs and six hits in five innings — and he didn’t get much help from the Twins’ stagnant bats. They managed only three hits, Matt Carson getting two of them.

“I wasn’t given a lead and trying to blow it,” Hendriks said. “We had some good at bats against Milone. It was just one of those days where I had to keep us in the game. It’s unfortunate I only went five.”

Not even the steady Josh Willingham had a hit in him this time as Minnesota lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Willingham, who hit 29 home runs in 2011 during his lone season with the A’s, went 0 for 4 after he had hit safely in each of his first eight games against his former club this year.

ANGELS 5, RED SOX 3

BOSTON (AP) — Mark Trumbo hit his career-high 30th homer, Ervin Santana pitched 6 1-3 solid innings and the Los Angeles Angels snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

Mike Trout had two hits, giving him 139 in the first 100 games of his rookie season, the most since 1964 when Tony Oliva had 144 for Minnesota. But his streak of 30 successful stolen base attempts ended in the eighth when Jarrod Saltalamacchia threw him out at second base on a pitchout.

Santana (7-10) allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks, leaving after throwing 100 pitches.

Ernesto Frieri pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 16 opportunities.

Aaron Cook (3-7) was touched for five runs on 11 hits in five innings and fell to 1-6 in his last eight starts.

WHITE SOX 7, YANKEES 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Kevin Youkilis hit a grand slam, Paul Konerko homered and Dewayne Wise had four hits as the White Sox rallied for the second straight game to beat the Yankees.

Wise, designated for assignment by the Yankees in July, had four singles from the leadoff spot and has played well while filling in for the injured Alejandro De Aza.

With the game tied 2-2, the White Sox loaded the bases in the fifth inning on Alexei Ramirez’s double, a walk and single by Wise. Youkilis connected off Ivan Nova (11-7) for his second grand slam at U.S. Cellular Field this season.

Chicago’s Francisco Liriano (5-10) also went six innings, surrendering Derek Jeter’s leadoff homer and two runs in the first while allowing six hits and three walks.

ROYALS 1, RAYS 0, 10 INNINGS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Eric Hosmer’s two-out single in the 10th inning lifted Kansas City to a 1-0 victory over Tampa Bay in a classic pitchers’ duel between the Royals’ Luke Hochevar and the Rays’ David Price.

The run off Joel Peralta (1-5) was unearned after an error on Tampa Bay shortstop Ben Zobrist. Kelvin Herrera (1-1) got the win and Greg Holland pitched the 10th inning for his sixth save.

Price and Hochevar both pitched eight innings, giving up a combined four hits.

Hochevar, the first overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, gave up one hit and struck out 10.

Price, the first overall draft pick in 2007, gave up three hits and struck out eight.

TIGERS 5, BLUE JAYS 3

DETROIT (AP) — Max Scherzer struck out eight in seven impressive innings, and the Tigers took advantage of Ricky Romero’s wildness in a victory over Toronto.

Romero (8-11) lost his 10th straight decision, allowing five runs, seven hits and eight walks in 5 1-3 innings. He didn’t strike out a batter.

Austin Jackson had three hits, and Scherzer (13-6) was sharp for the Tigers. Scherzer allowed five hits, including Edwin Encarnacion’s solo homer. He walked two.

ORIOLES 5, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nate McLouth’s two-run homer keyed Baltimore’s four-run fifth inning and the Orioles held off the Texas Rangers.

Chris Tillman (6-2) gave up three runs on six hits and struck out seven and walked one in 6 2-3 innings before giving way to the Orioles’ bullpen, which now has a 1.57 ERA in the last 18 games. Jim Johnson worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his 38th save.

Manny Machado had a run-scoring triple and J.J. Hardy also drove in a run with a double in the fifth against Scott Feldman (6-9).

The Rangers scored two on Geovany Soto’s two-run homer in the seventh inning to pull to 5-3 and then put the tying run on base, but Pedro Strop struck out Josh Hamilton on a slider to end the threat.

MARINERS 5, INDIANS 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Felix Hernandez allowed one run in 7 2-3 innings in the first start following his perfect game, Jesus Montero hit a three-run homer in Seattle’s four-run seventh inning, and the Mariners won their seventh straight by beating the Indians.

Greeted by a crowd of more than 39,000, most of them in yellow shirts with the words “King of Perfection,” Hernandez (12-5) gave up a leadoff single to Jason Kipnis on a 0-2 pitch. He allowed seven hits and struck out five.

Cleveland starter Roberto Hernandez (0-2) didn’t allow a hit until Eric Thames’ homer with two outs in the fifth.

Seattle has won 14 of 15 at home and Felix Hernandez improved to 8-0 with a 1.53 ERA over his last 13 starts.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, MARLINS 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Tyler Skaggs allowed three hits through 6 2-3 innings in his major league debut, pitching Arizona to a 3-2 victory over Miami on Wednesday in the opener of the first home doubleheader in Diamondbacks history.

The 21-year-old left-hander gave up a two-run homer to Justin Ruggiano in the second, then shut down the Marlins on one hit the rest of his outing. Skaggs (1-0) He fanned four and survived five walks, then left to a standing ovation from a crowd of 17,239, Arizona’s smallest at home this season.

Aaron Hill had a two-run homer and an RBI single. Jacob Turner (0-1), in his first start for Miami since coming to the Marlins in a trade deadline deal with Detroit, allowed three runs and four hits in six innings.

Miami managed just five hits against Skaggs, Brad Ziegler, David Hernandez and J.J. Putz, who pitched a scoreless ninth for his 16th straight save and 25th in 28 tries this season.

BREWERS 3, CUBS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Braun hit his NL-leading 34th homer and Yovani Gallardo pitched seven strong innings as Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep of Chicago.

John Axford pitched a scoreless ninth to convert his second straight save, returning to his role as the Brewers’ closer after he was demoted earlier in the season.

Gallardo (13-8) gave up two runs and four hits, with nine strikeouts and two walks.

Braun hit a solo shot deep to right-center in the sixth and had an RBI double in the first. With Wednesday’s homer, Braun has surpassed the 33 he hit during his 2011 NL MVP season.

David DeJesus and Bryan LaHair homered for Chicago.

Cubs starter Travis Wood (4-10) gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings with a walk and six strikeouts.

BRAVES 5 NATIONALS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kris Medlen pitched seven shutout innings in his latest winning performance and Martin Prado’s two-run double proved decisive to help the Braves end a four-game losing streak.

Medlen (5-1) allowed seven hits while striking out seven and walking one in his fifth start of the season. The Braves have won 16 consecutive starts behind the right-hander dating to May 2010.

Atlanta salvaged the three-game divisional series and halted the Nationals’ three-game winning streak.

Coming off a shutout in his last outing, Medlen extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings. Since entering the Braves rotation on July 31, the right-hander is 4-0 with a 0.84 ERA.

For the first time in five games the Braves offense scored more than two runs.

Two of the Braves’ three ninth-inning runs against reliever Tom Gorzelanny were unearned.

REDS 3. PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bronson Arroyo allowed three hits in eight-plus innings, and Jay Bruce homered to lead Cincinnati.

Arroyo (10-7), who gave up both runs while striking out four and walking none, retired the first 14 batters before Domonic Brown’s two-out homer in the fifth. Brown doubled off the wall in right-center with one out in the eighth and pinch-hitter Kevin Fransden reached on an infield single leading off the ninth for the other hits off Arroyo.

Arroyo, who was 0-6 with a 9.46 ERA in his last seven regular-season starts against the Phillies, improved to 6-1 with a 3.50 ERA in his last seven starts.

Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his 31st save in 35 chances.

Philadelphia starter Vance Worley (6-9) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings. It was Worley’s third straight loss but the longest outing in four starts for the righty, who has one win in his last seven starts.

ROCKIES 5, METS 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Wilin Rosario hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, and Colorado won its seventh straight victory at Citi Field.

Rosario also had a sacrifice fly, and DJ LeMahieu drove in a run with a squeeze bunt to help the last-place Rockies win their fourth straight and eighth in 11 games. Colorado will go for a four-game sweep on Thursday, a feat the Rockies accomplished during their previous visit to Queens in April 2011.

Rookie Matt Harvey struck out nine over six innings of three-hit ball, but the Mets lost their fourth straight and fell to 11-27 since the All-Star break, leaving them a season-worst 10 games below .500.

With two runners on in the ninth inning, New York’s Ronny Cedeno flied out to the warning track in left to end it.

New York cut it to 3-2 in the eighth. Scott Hairston, who had a sacrifice fly in the first, hit a two-out double off Carlos Torres (2-1) and scored on Ike Davis’ single against Matt Reynolds. Will Harris struck out pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin to preserve the lead.

Rafael Betancourt worked a scoreless ninth for his 25th save in 30 attempts.

Rosario connected off Ramon Ramirez (2-3) leading off the seventh.

CARDINALS 4, ASTROS 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kyle Lohse pitched seven innings of three-hit ball to earn his seventh consecutive win for St. Louis.

Lohse (13-2) gave up two runs and retired his last 14 batters while improving to 7-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 12 starts since he dropped a 3-2 decision against Kansas City on June 15.

The Cardinals have won consecutive games to grab a half-game lead on Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot in the National League.

Mitchell Boggs worked a scoreless eighth and Jason Motte finished for his 29th save in 34 chances, completing a three-hitter.

Allen Craig extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games with a first-inning single and scored a run for St. Louis. Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso and Yadier Molina each drove in a run.

Brett Wallace and Chris Snyder homered for the Astros, who are winless in three games under interim manager Tony DeFrancesco.

Bud Norris (5-11) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings to fall to 0-10 with a 6.78 ERA in his last 14 starts.

PADRES 4, PIRATES 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Andrew Werner allowed two runs over six-plus innings in his major league debut and Carlos Quentin drove in three runs for San Diego.

The Padres swept the three-game series and have beaten the Pirates in 18 of 21 games.

Quentin had three RBIs for the second straight game, including a two-run double in the first inning and an RBI single in the fifth.

Werner, a left-hander who was called up from Triple-A Tucson earlier in the day, allowed four hits, walking four and striking out two.

Brad Brach, Luke Gregerson and rookie Tommy Layne finished the four-hitter. Layne pitched the ninth for his first major league save.

Werner (1-0) was coming off one of his worst starts of the season in which he allowed a season-high eight runs in 4 1-3 innings.

James McDonald (11-6) gave up four runs and five hits over five innings. He walked five and struck out two.

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