Detroit: Detroit closed the gap on American League Central leaders Kansas City to just one game by beating the Royals 9-5 on Monday, with Torii Hunter having two hits in a six-run third inning that effectively decided the contest.
The tight fight for the Central was in marked contrast to the other two AL divisions, where Baltimore and the Los Angeles Angels both won to stretch their leads in the East and West to ten and eight games respectively.
In the National League, Washington’s lead in the East reached equally prodigious proportions after they beat nearest rivals Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat San Diego to move 3-1/2 games clear in the West.
Detroit’s Nick Castellanos had two hits and two RBIs, while Victor Martinez had three hits and Hunter finished with three hits, two runs scored and drove in a run.
Starting Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (13-12) allowed six hits in seven innings to take the win, while Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie only lasted 2-2/3 innings, having given up eight runs.
Angels starter Jered Weaver became the first 16-game winner in the AL this season, steering his team to a 12-3 win over Cleveland. Weaver (16-8) allowed six hits in six innings as Los Angeles notched a fifth-straight win.
Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer in the ninth for the Angels, who hit four homers. Kole Calhoun hit a two-run homer and David Freese had a three-run drive in the fifth off Danny Salazar (6-7), whose run of 21 consecutive innings without conceding a run came to a very abrupt halt.
Washington’s Doug Fister pitched seven scoreless innings to steer the Nationals to a 2-1 win over Atlanta in the opening game of a three-game series between the top two NL East teams.
Fister (13-6), who had lost three straight starts, allowed only two singles in helping Washington move eight games clear of the Braves.
Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon each drove in a run for the Nationals.
The Braves trail Pittsburgh by 1-1/2 games for the second NL wild card.
