MLB Roundup: Braves sweep Reds
Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 8, 2011
Associated Press
The major-league roundup …
NEW YORK ó Julio Teheran gave flashes of his vast potential in earning his first big league win and the Atlanta Braves, using a lineup with Chipper Jones starting as the No. 2 hitter for the first time in 15 years, beat the New York Mets 5-1 Thursday night to complete a sweep of a doubleheader made necessary by the threat of Hurricane Irene.
Jones had a sacrifice fly and RBI double in the nightcap and a solo homer and a double in the opener, a 6-5 victory for Atlanta. The Braves were making a quick stop in New York to play two games postponed Aug. 27-28 after being handed their first three-game sweep of the season, by the Phillies.
Dodgers 7, Nationals 4
WASHINGTON ó Tony Gwynn hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Dodgers beat the Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday.
Gwynn drove in Jerry Sands and Rod Barajas with a long double to center off Drew Storen (6-3). Dee Gordon added a run-scoring single ó setting a career high with his fourth hit of the game.
Phillies 7, Brewers 2
MILWAUKEE ó Cole Hamels pitched a four-hitter and Hunter Penceís triple keyed a six-run sixth inning as the Phillies beat the Brewers.
Hamels (14-7) gave up solo home runs to Yuniesky Betancourt and Corey Hart, but kept Milwaukee from mounting any big innings in a game between two best teams in the National League.
Orioles 5, Yankees 4
BALTIMORE ó Robert Andino singled home the winning run in the 10th inning after tying it in the eighth, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied to beat the New York Yankees 5-4 Thursday.
Vladimir Guerrero homered, doubled twice and scored two runs for the Orioles, who celebrated their second straight extra-inning win over the Yankees by mobbing Andino at second base.
Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 4
TORONTO ó Ricky Romero won for the seventh time in nine starts, J.P. Arencibia hit a three-run homer and the Blue Jays beat the Red Sox.
Edwin Encarnacion and Eric Thames added solo shots as the Blue Jays won back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at Baltimore.
Rookie David Cooper went 3 for 4 and had two RBIs as Toronto evened its record at 72-72.
White Sox 8, Indians 1
CHICAGO ó Brent Morel hit two homers and Paul Konerko had a grand slam, lifting the Chicago White Sox to an 8-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.
Morel hit a solo shot off Indians starter David Huff (2-4) in the third and a three-run homer off Frank Herrmann in the seventh ó both on the first pitch. It was Morelís first career multi-homer game and his four RBIs were a career-high.
Konerkoís 10th career grand slam tied Robin Venturaís White Sox record and capped Chicagoís seven-run seventh.
Gavin Floyd struck out four and held Cleveland to one run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. Matt Thornton (1-4) retired all four batters he faced, striking out three.
Huff gave up three runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings, striking out five, as the Indians lost their fourth straight.
Both clubs were recently swept by first-place Detroit, giving the Tigers a commanding lead in the AL Central and virtually reducing this weekendís series into a battle for second place.
Putting a further damper on a matchup that had lost its once-anticipated luster, a misty rain began to blow across the field during the top of the third and fell for much of the game.
The small, subdued crowd at U.S. Cellular Field saved its biggest cheers for Clevelandís Jim Thome, whose RBI single in the first scored Asdrubal Cabrera for the gameís first run.
The White Sox honored Thome in a ceremony before the game in recognition of his 600th career homer, which he hit on Aug. 15. Thome, who played for Chicago from 2006 to 2009, also received a standing ovation before his first plate appearance.
Morel tied the game with a homer to left-center in the bottom of third. Later in the inning, Juan Pierre singled for his 2,000th career hit, also earning a nice ovation as he tipped his cap. Pierre, 34, became the 268th big-leaguer to reach the milestone.
Despite holding the Indians to one run, Floyd fell behind a number of hitters working from a slippery mound, running up his pitch count. At one point in the sixth, he requested that the field crew come out and apply sand around the pitching rubber.
Floyd departed after throwing 112 pitches, giving way to Will Ohman, who got Thome on an inning-ending grounder with a runner on first.
Huff pitched into the seventh, when he allowed a walk and a single to begin the inning. He struck out Tyler Flowers before giving way to Herrmann, whose first pitch Morel hammered into the left-field bleachers.
Herrmann allowed a walk and a single before being replaced by Josh Judy, who hit Brent Lillibridge with a pitch and gave up Konerkoís grand slam. The White Sox scored seven runs on just four hits in the inning.
NOTES: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said that RF Carlos Quentin (sprained left shoulder) will likely return to the lineup over the weekend. … Cleveland rookie 2B Jason Kipnis, a Northbrook, Ill., native, singled in his first big-league game in his hometown. He was injured the last time the Indians were in Chicago. … Indians manager Manny Acta said 1B Matt LaPorta would likely be back with the club in the ěnext couple of days.î The former first-round pick was sent to Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 29 after struggling to a .238 average in 97 games. … Clevelandís Jeanmar Gomez will square off against Chicagoís Mark Buehrle on Friday. Buehrle allowed a season-high eight runs in his last outing.