MILWAUKEE – Jason Kendall hit a two-out double in the eighth inning to tie the game before scoring the winner on the same play in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
Twins starter Nick Blackburn (6-3) scattered nine hits through 7 2-3 innings and had a 3-2 lead when he allowed a single to J.J. Hardy. Kendall hit a ball off the wall in left-center and Brendan Harris’ relay throw to the plate skipped past catcher Joe Mauer.
Blackburn, backing up the play, threw to third trying to get Kendall, but the ball sailed away from Joe Crede, allowing Kendall to score easily.
The Brewers, who had lost 10 of 14, snapped a season-high four-game losing streak.
At Washington, David Ortiz got his 1,000th RBI as Boston beat Washington, 6-4, and won for a second straight night in its first regular-season visit to Washington since 1971.
Ortiz and Jason Varitek homered and Jon Lester (6-6) allowed three runs and six hits over six innings for the Red Sox, who have won 16 of 21. Jonathan Papelbon got his 17th save.
Craig Stammen (1-3) was perfect for three innings for the Nationals, but the rookie threw a 3-2 changeup to Ortiz with two outs and two on in the fourth. Ortiz has 1,002 RBIs.
At Detroit, Gerald Laird and Miguel Cabrera homered to help Detroit beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-3, for its sixth straight win.
Zach Miner (5-1), the third of seven Detroit pitchers, picked up the win. Fernando Rodney finished for his 15th save in as many tries.
Rookie Rick Porcello allowed two runs and seven hits. He walked four in five-plus innings.
Rich Harden (4-4) took the loss, giving up four runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings.
At Atlanta, Francisco Cervelli hit his first career homer to break New York’s 14-inning scoring drought, 8-4, and Alex Rodriguez came through with a two-run single to snap Yankee’s three-game losing streak over Atlanta. (AP)