Rookies Desmond Jennings and Robinson Chirinos were major contributors yesterday, helping the Tampa Bay Rays rally twice in extra innings to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jennings’s solo homer in the 10th made it 4-4. Chirinos tied it again in the 11th with a two-out, pinch single up the middle against Shawn Camp (1-2), then won it with another two-out single in the 12th.
A third rookie, righthander Brandon Gomes (1-1), pitched one scoreless inning for his first major league win.
“It’s not like we have to wait for them to be good. I feel very confident in them,’’ Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Obviously, they lack experience. Obviously they need to be tested in even hotter moments than today. But I think they can achieve in those moments because their makeup is so good, combined with their skill level.’’
The Blue Jays took a brief lead in the 10th when Colby Rasmus delivered an RBI double for his biggest hit since being acquired from St. Louis in an eight-player trade July 27. Reliever Jon Rauch blew a save chance in the bottom half when Jennings homered.
Jose Molina’s two-run triple off Juan Cruz put Toronto ahead in the 11th.
Matt Joyce’s RBI grounder pulled Tampa Bay within a run before Chirinos singled to extend the game once again.
Yankees 7, White Sox 2 - Ivan Nova struck out a career-high 10 as visiting New York routed Chicago to complete a four-game sweep and win its seventh straight overall.
Russell Martin, who drove in four runs, hit a three-run homer in the ninth to break open the game.
Nova (10-4) pitched 7 2/3 innings and won his sixth consecutive decision. He held Chicago to one run and six hits and didn’t walk a batter.
Paul Konerko had two singles for a quiet White Sox offense in his first start since Sunday. He missed the three previous games with a bruised left leg. Adam Dunn homered in the ninth.
Rangers 5, Tigers 2 - Alexi Ogando shut down Detroit once again and visiting Texas ended a three-game skid.
Ogando (11-5) allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings, walking none and striking out seven. He became the first pitcher to defeat the Tigers three times this season.
Cardinals 7, Marlins 4 - Albert Pujols hit his 25th home run and finished a triple shy of the cycle, and six relievers combined to pitch six innings to help St. Louis beat Florida in Miami.
Pujols came into the game only 1 for 14 on the Cardinals’ trip. He walked and scored in the first inning, singled and scored in the third, homered in the fourth, and doubled in the sixth.
Royals 9, Orioles 4 - Alex Gordon matched his career high with four hits and Yamaico Navarro drove in three runs to lead host Kansas City over Baltimore.
Cubs 7, Pirates 6 - Carlos Pena hit one of three home runs and walked with the bases loaded during a three-run eighth-inning rally that gave Chicago its first four-game sweep in Pittsburgh in 52 years.
Rockies 6, Nationals 3 - Troy Tulowitzki homered among his three hits and Esmil Rogers pitched effectively into the sixth inning to lift host Colorado over Washington.
Angels 7, Twins 1 - Dan Haren (12-6) took a one-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up Jim Thome’s 598th career home run and rookie Mark Trumbo had a homer and four RBIs for host Los Angeles.
Phillies 3, Giants 0 - Cliff Lee (11-7) threw a seven-hitter and Hunter Pence and John Mayberry hit back-to-back home runs as visiting Philadelphia shut out San Francisco.![]()




