Sunday's highlights
Tigers stop Twins: Placido Polanco drove in three runs, Ryan Raburn homered, and Detroit's bullpen pitched four shutout innings as the Tigers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-2 win over host Minnesota. The Tigers raised their AL Central lead to three games and halted the Twins' six-game winning streak.
Rushing in: Gary Matthews Jr. hit a tiebreaking homer and two-run single for the Los Angeles Angels in a 10-5 victory over the host Texas Rangers. Howie Kendrick drove in five runs with a two-run homer and a bases-loaded triple for the Angels, who stretched their AL West lead to 71/2 games.
Slugging away: Jason Giambi homered for the second consecutive game, and Ubaldo Jimenez outpitched Dan Haren to help the Colorado Rockies tighten their wild-card grip with a 5-1 victory over the host Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hanging on: The Philadelphia Phillies ended rookie Tommy Hanson's streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings, beating host Atlanta 4-2 and damaging the Braves' faint NL wild-card hopes. Brad Lidge pitched another shaky ninth inning but posted his 31st save.
Pulling away: Andre Ethier hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Ronnie Belliard added a two-run single off Tim Lincecum, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, as the host Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 to go 30 games over .500 for the first time since 1985.
In the news
Cubs suspend Bradley: The Chicago Cubs suspended volatile outfielder Milton Bradley for the rest of the season, one day after he criticized the team in a newspaper interview.
Bradley was disciplined Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team, general manager Jim Hendry said. Bradley, scratched from Saturday's lineup due to left knee soreness, was quoted in the Daily Herald of suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., as saying "you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here."
More surgery: Minnesota Twins third baseman Joe Crede plans to have another surgery on his injured back. Crede, out for the season, said the procedure by Dr. Andrew Dossett, a Dallas orthopedist, will remove fluid from a herniated disk that is impeding on a nerve.
Ouch: Seattle Mariners catcher Rob Johnson was unavailable for Sunday's game against the New York Yankees after spraining his left ankle during the postgame celebration following Ichiro Suzuki's game-winning homer Friday night. Johnson was jumping up and down in the batter's box and twisted his ankle in the hole where hitters dig in.
What they're writing
Peavy in fine form
[Jake Peavy] made his long-awaited White Sox debut Saturday night, and Chicago got its first look at what self-recrimination looks like in a baseball uniform. It's a good show. It's sort of like Carlos Zambrano but without the nuclear meltdowns and the stitches on Michael Barrett's face.
Peavy yells at himself. He scowls. He angrily accepts the ball back from his catcher.
The important thing Saturday was that he didn't strain a facial muscle doing it.
Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune
