Japan's Ichiro Suzuki belted his first home run as a <strong>Yankee</strong> and the 100th of his Major League Baseball career but he could not quite lift New York to a victory over the <strong>Baltimore Orioles</strong> on Monday. Nick Markakis had three hits and Wilson Betemit homered as the visiting Orioles defeated the Yankees 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. Eric Chavez and Suzuki helped the Yankees get to within one run in the seventh inning with back-to-back two out home runs to right field. The 38-year-old Suzuki has now hit safely in each of his first seven games with New York. Suzuki tried to rally the Yankees in the ninth inning as he grounded into a fielder's choice and then stole second base. But Baltimore pitcher Jim Johnson struck out Russell Martin to get the third out and end the game. Kendrys Morales earned himself a spot in the record books as the <strong>Los Angeles Angels</strong> swept aside the <strong>Texas Rangers</strong> 15-8. Designated hitter Morales become only the third player in major league history to hit a home run both left-handed and right-handed in the same inning. He achieved the feat during a nine-run sixth for the Angels, striking a two-run homer from the left side of the plate off Roy Oswalt before later smashing a right-handed grand slam off reliever Robbie Ross. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end as they were downed 11-5 by the <strong>San Diego Padres</strong>, for whom Will Venable drove in four runs and Yonder Alonso tied a team record with three doubles. The <strong>Atlanta Braves</strong> recorded their sixth successive victory after beating the <strong>Miami Marlins</strong> 8-2 as Jason Heyward homered and scored three runs. The <strong>Chicago Cubs</strong> were big winners over the <strong>Pittsburgh Pirates</strong> as Anthony Rizzo and Darwin Barney hit three-run homers in a 14-4 triumph, while the <strong>Boston Red Sox</strong> beat the <strong>Detroit Tigers</strong> 7-3 after Dustin Pedroia hit a tiebreaking homer and drove in three runs. The <strong>Milwaukee Brewers</strong> held off a late fightback from the <strong>Houston Astros</strong> to record an 8-7 victory. Cody Ransom's homer capped a four-run burst in the eighth inning to leave Milwaukee 8-4 ahead, and despite the Astros threatening in the ninth, John Axford got JD Martinez to ground out with runners at the corners to complete the victory. There were also close games in Minnesota, where the <strong>Twins</strong> overcame the <strong>Chicago White Sox</strong> 7-6, and <strong>Oakland</strong>, where Jemile Weeks' sacrifice fly in the 15th inning lifted the Athletics to a 4-3 win against the <strong>Tampa Bay Rays</strong>. Elsewhere, the <strong>Seattle Mariners</strong> defeated the <strong>Toronto Blue Jays</strong> 4-1, the <strong>Arizona Diamondbacks</strong> were 7-2 winners against the <strong>Los Angeles Dodgers</strong> and the <strong>New York Mets</strong> edged the <strong>San Francisco Giants</strong> 8-7. sports@thenational.ae Follow us
