Clearly Bobby Valentine is not familiar with the Houston Astros.
The rambunctious Red Sox manager kept talking his way out the door with another verbal cannon shot yesterday, this one aimed at his own stripped-down team.
“Are you kidding? This is the weakest roster we’ve ever had in September in the history of baseball,” he said when asked whether there was one area of the last-place Red Sox (65-80) most in need of improvement, according to ESPN.com. “It could use help everywhere.”
Then, perhaps proving Valentine to be crazy like a fox, the Red Sox — with Opening Day ninth-place hitter Mike Aviles batting third — went out and beat the Blue Jays, 8-5, with a three-run ninth inning in Toronto.
Mauro Gomez provided the key two-run triple in the ninth, and former Yale catcher Ryan Lavarnway drove in four runs.
Tigers 4, Indians 0
In Cleveland, Justin Verlander pitched seven shutout innings and Detroit stayed in step with first-place Chicago in the AL Central. Verlander (14-8) allowed six hits, escaping jams in the fifth and sixth innings.
White Sox 6, Twins 0
In Minneapolis, Chris Sale threw six scoreless innings to notch his 17th victory, helping the White Sox keep their one-game lead. Sale (17-6) scattered three singles and struck out five without a walk.
Angels 9, Royals 7
In Kansas City, Mo., pinch hitter Kendrys Morales had a two-run homer during an eighth-inning rally that sent the Angels over the Royals on a night police said a man shot and wounded a female parking lot employee several hours before the game before killing himself.
Rangers 9, Mariners 3
In Arlington, Texas, Yu Darvish surpassed 200 strikeouts in his rookie season by fanning nine in seven innings to win his 15th game, and Josh Hamilton hit his 42nd home run as the AL West-leading Rangers beat the Mariners.
National League
Phillies 12, Astros 6
In Houston, Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer, Domonic Brown had a two-run shot and John Mayberry and Ryan Howard each had three RBIs as the Phillies beat the Astros.
Dodgers 8, Cardinals 5
In Los Angeles, Luis Cruz greeted Cardinals reliever Edwin Mujica with a first-pitch, three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Dodgers tightened up the NL wild card race.
Giants 6, Diamondbacks 2
In Phoenix, Hunter Pence hit a grand slam, Matt Cain dodged trouble for five-plus innings and the Giants beat the Diamondbacks.
Braves 2, Nationals 1
In Atlanta, Kris Medlen struck out a career-high 13 and the Braves pulled out a win over the Nationalswhen Andrelton Simmons scored on a throwing error by Ian Desmond in the ninth inning.
Cubs 7, Pirates 4
In Chicago, the Pirates lost their seventh straight game and kept fading in the NL wild-card race as Starlin Castro hit a three-run homer in the Wrigley Field matinee.