Castro lifts Yankees over Indians

RETIRING TEIXEIRA TRADEMARK: New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira doubles during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium Friday In New York. Before the game, Teixeira annnounced his plans to retire at the end of teh season. (AP)

By The Associated Press :
NEW YORK (AP) — Starlin Castro hit a third-inning grand slam off Josh Tomlin that gave the Yankees a six-run lead and Mark Teixeira got two hits after tearfully announcing his retirement as New York beat Cleveland 13-7 in Major League Baseball on Friday night.
Jacoby Ellsbury had a four-hit game, and Michael Pineda (6-10) won for the third time in four outings following a six-start winless streak, allowing four runs and six hits in six-plus innings.
New York's Gary Sanchez made his first league start behind the plate and threw out Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli trying to steal second base in the first two innings. The rookie, called up from the minors on Wednesday, doubled in the fifth for his first big league RBI and walked with the bases loaded in the sixth.
"That arm, man, that a special arm right there," Teixeira said of Sanchez. "You just love seeing a 23-year-old with all the physical skills that you need to be a great player."
Teixeira once had those skills. Slowed by injuries in the last five seasons, he said before the game he would retire after this season at age 36.
He doubled in the first inning after warm ovation, then legged out a single in the third and took third on Brian McCann's double.
"It was special tonight," Teixeira said. "I had a lot of the Indians come over and say congratulations and the umpires, just telling me that they enjoyed watching me and playing against me."
Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games, its AL Central lead over second-place Detroit was cut to two games.
The Tigers scored their ninth victory in 10 games by beating the Mets 4-3, with Victor Martinez getting a home run and pitching ace Justin Verlander limiting New York to four hits in six innings.
Verlander (12-6) allowed only two runs and struck out nine, but the Mets ran his pitch count up to 103 to force him out of the game. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 31st save.
In Oakland, Jorge Soler hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat following a two-month absence and Jon Lester pitched seven innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the A's 7-2.
Dexter Fowler also homered, and Javier Baez added a two-run double to help Chicago win its fifth straight. The Cubs also improved to a major league-best 67-41.
Lester (12-4) had eight strikeouts, allowed two runs and nine hits while winning for the third time in his last four starts.
In Washington, Gio Gonzalez pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and Trea Turner and Wilson Ramos homered as the Nationals beat San Francisco 5-1 in a matchup of first-place teams.
Washington jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Jeff Samardzija (9-8), and Gonzalez made it stand. Coming off a 3-1 loss in San Francisco on Sunday, Gonzalez (7-9) struck out seven, walked one and had five three-up, three-down innings.
The Giants remained atop the NL West, though their lead is dwindling. Since the All-Star break, San Francisco is 5-14 and has allowed 32 home runs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, second in the NL West, lost 9-0 at home to the Red Sox, when knuckleballer Steven Wright threw a three-hitter and Mookie Betts had one of Boston's three homers.
In other games, St. Louis won 1-0 at home to Atlanta, Baltimore won 7-5 at the Chicago White Sox, Toronto won 4-3 at Kansas City, Minnesota won 6-2 at Tampa Bay, Miami won 5-3 at Colorado, Seattle beat the visiting LA Angels 6-4, Houston won 5-0 at home to Texas, Pittsburgh beat Cincinatti at home 3-2, Arizona beat visiting Milwaukee 3-2 in 11 innings, and Philadelphia won 5-4 at San Diego.