Swisher helps Yankees slam Rangers

By HOWIE RUMBERG

AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK — Derek Lowe was being given a tour of the Yankees’ facilities and changing at a locker without a nameplate Monday afternoon. David Phelps had little more than a day to prepare for a spot start in place of ace CC Sabathia.

No matter. The unlikely duo combined to shut down the potent Texas Rangers.

Phelps pitched a career-high five innings and picked off two runners, and Lowe completed New York’s 8-2 victory on Monday night with four shutout innings in his Yankees debut.

“To have those two guys step up to do what they did today, to give those guys like D-Rob (David Robertson) and (Rafael) Soriano a full day off and not have to warm up and anything that’s big,” said Nick Swisher, who hit a grand slam off Ryan Dempster and drove in five runs.

In the opener of a four-game series between the teams with the AL’s best records, the Yankees powered their way to a sixth straight victory over Texas in the Bronx.

Swisher’s second slam this season was his 200th career homer. Eric Chavez also homered off Dempster (1-1), the Rangers’ recent acquisition. Ichiro Suzuki tripled and Derek Jeter followed with a long RBI double in the seventh to end Dempster’s third start for Texas.

Dempster matched a season high by allowing eight runs. The other time he allowed eight was in his first start for Texas on Aug. 2. In three starts since coming from the Chicago Cubs in a trade-deadline deal, Dempster has allowed 19 runs — 16 earned — in 17 1-3 innings.

“Too much is made of that,” Dempster said of switching leagues. “I know how to make pitches. When you’re facing lineups and you don’t get that break at the bottom of the lineup where you have the pitcher hitting, and you always have a hitter, every pitch is really, really valuable and it just comes down to executing one pitch at a time. Simple plan. Nothing more and nothing less than that. And tonight, I paid for my mistakes.”

Swisher added an RBI single in the seventh as New York won for the fifth time in six games.

Phelps (3-3) was being held to a 75-80 pitch limit. Phelps needed 26 pitches in the first without being hit hard. But thanks in part to a nifty pickoff move, he fulfilled his manager’s wish to make it through five innings.

“I really wanted to get him through the fifth inning. I thought it was important for him,” Joe Girardi said. “It’s important for us, too.”

Phelps turned over a 5-2 lead to Lowe in the sixth. Designated for assignment by Cleveland on Aug. 2 and released Friday, Lowe signed with New York earlier Monday and made his first appearance since July 31.

Lowe earned his first regular-season save since 2001 while with Boston, shutting down Texas on two hits. He walked none and struck out four.

Lowe went 8-10 with a 5.52 ERA for the Indians this season, and he had an 8.80 ERA in his final 12 starts for Cleveland.

“I had to get back to hiding the ball a little better,” Lowe said. “I’m not going to do jumping jacks because you pitch one good game because you’re in this for the long haul.”

The 39-year-old right-hander, a longtime rival of the Yankees while he pitched for the Red Sox, received little notice from the fans when his name was called to start the sixth. After retiring three straight in the seventh, the crowd gave him a loud ovation.

The high-powered Rangers had ample opportunities to break open the game early against Phelps, making his fourth start and first since July 4. They scored a run in the first on a broken-bat single by Nelson Cruz and added another when David Murphy led off the second with a homer.

Phelps hit Ian Kinsler with a pitch with two outs in the second. He then picked him off first base to end the inning with Elvis Andrus at bat. Andrus opened the third with a single and advanced to second on Adrian Beltre’s infield single with one out. But Phelps picked off Andrus at second for out No. 2.

“They’re huge,” Phelps said of the pickoffs. “They’re two outs where I don’t have to throw a pitch.”

BLUE JAYS 3

WHITE SOX 2 (11)

TORONTO — David Cooper singled home the winning run in the 11th inning as Toronto beat the Chicago White Sox.

Rajai Davis popped out to open the 11th before left-hander Leyson Septimo came on to replace Jesse Crain. After Septimo (0-2) walked Johnson on four pitches, White Sox manager Robin Ventura brought in Nate Jones to face Edwin Encarnacion, whose single moved Johnson to third. Cooper followed with a liner that bounced just in front of a hard-charging Alex Rios in right, scoring Johnson easily.

Steve Delabar (3-1) struck out six batters in two innings to earn the win.

Chicago’s Adam Dunn hit two home runs, including a game-tying shot in the ninth inning, boosting his major league-leading total to 33. It was his 32nd career multihomer game and second this season.

TWINS 9, TIGERS 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Darin Mastroianni and Ryan Doumit each homered and drove in three runs, Samuel Deduno baffled struggling Detroit for seven innings, and Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak.

Deduno (4-0) held the Tigers hitless through four innings and retired nine of 10 batters before getting into trouble in the eighth. The 29-year-old right-hander struck out six and remained undefeated in seven career starts.

Doumit broke it open with a three-run homer off reliever Duane Below that made it 8-1 in the seventh. Joe Mauer added three hits to raise his average to .321.

Miguel Cabrera got his 99th RBI for Detroit, which has lost three straight and five of six.

Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez (1-3) took a grounder off his left knee in the first, but stayed in the game. He allowed five runs and 12 hits over 5 1-3 innings. The right-hander has an 8.41 ERA since being acquired in a trade with Florida on July 23.

PADRES 4, BRAVES 1

ATLANTA — Eric Stults combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, Chase Headley homered and drove in two runs, and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1.

Stults (3-2) gave up five hits and one run in 7 2-3 innings — his longest start in three years. While with the Dodgers, Stults beat the Giants 8-0 on May 9, 2009, his last complete game.

The Padres, who had a six-game winning streak snapped on Sunday, have won eight of 10 for the first time this season.

Yonder Alonso had three hits, and Chris Denorfia had two hits and scored two runs for the Padres.

Stults lost his bid for a shutout in the eighth when Michael Bourn singled and scored on Martin Prado’s triple.

Dale Thayer pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Mike Minor (6-9) gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings.

DODGERS 5, PIRATES 4

PITTSBURGH — Shane Victorino hit his 10th homer of the season and drove in three runs to lift Los Angeles over Pittsburgh.

Matt Kemp added two hits for the Dodgers, who moved within 1½ games of the Pirates for one of the two National League wild card spots. Aaron Harang (8-7) pitched six effective innings to snap a two-game losing streak. Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth for his 24th save.

Victorino, acquired in a trade from Philadelphia two weeks ago, hit his first homer with the Dodgers in the fifth inning. The two-run shot off Jeff Karstens (4-3) broke a 2-2 tie and helped Los Angeles beat the Pirates for the seventh straight time.

Garrett Jones had four hits and drove in all three runs for the Pirates, who have dropped four of five.

PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 0

MIAMI — Cole Hamels pitched his second consecutive shutout for Philadelphia in a win over Miami.

Hamels, coming off a five-hitter against Atlanta last Tuesday, scattered seven hits and struck out five in his sixth career shutout and 12th complete game. He walked one and threw 85 of 113 pitches for strikes.

It was the first time Hamels tossed two shutouts in a row. The previous Phillies pitcher to accomplish the feat was Cliff Lee, who had three straight in June 2011.

Hamels (13-6) entered 0-3 with a 5.21 ERA in three outings against the Marlins this season. But in his three August starts, he is 2-1 with a 0.72 ERA. He has struck out 20 and walked two.

Juan Pierre had three hits, and Jimmy Rollins scored twice for the Phillies, who snapped a five-game losing streak against Miami.

Nathan Eovaldi (3-8) allowed three runs — two earned — and eight hits in five innings for the Marlins, who have lost four of five.

CUBS 7, ASTROS 1

CHICAGO — Jeff Samardzija struck out a career high-tying 11 in seven innings and the Chicago Cubs routed Houston.

Darwin Barney and Alfonso Soriano hit two-run homers, and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for the Cubs.

Chicago won for just the second time in 13 games. The Astros have lost 25 of its last 27 road games.

The crowd of 31,452 was the smallest of the season at Wrigley Field.

Samardzija (8-10) allowed one run and four hits. He also fanned 11 at Atlanta on July 2.

The Astros, who have the worst record in the majors, got their run on the first career homer by rookie Brandon Barnes, a pinch-hit shot in the sixth.

Armando Galarraga (1-2) was tagged for five runs and seven hits.

ROCKIES 9, BREWERS 6

DENVER — DJ LeMahieu had a career-best four hits, Jeff Francis pitched effectively into the sixth inning, and Colorado beat Milwaukee.

Dexter Fowler, Eric Young Jr., Tyler Colvin and Chris Nelson each had two of Colorado’s 15 hits. Every position player for the Rockies had at least one hit as they ended a four-game home losing streak.

Carlos Gomez homered among his three hits, and Rickie Weeks also homered for the Brewers.

Milwaukee starter Mike Fiers couldn’t duplicate his outing on Tuesday when was perfect through six innings against Cincinnati.

Fiers (6-5) showed none of that sharpness in losing for the first time since July 22. He came into the game 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in August but was hit hard early. Fiers allowed eight runs and nine hits, and struck out one in two-plus innings. It was his shortest start of the season and the first time this year he failed to go at least five innings.

Francis (4-4) allowed three runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two in 5 1-3 innings. He earned his first win since beating Arizona on July 25.