Brewers snap losing streak by beating Kershaw, Dodgers
Published 2:15 am Sunday, July 22, 2018
- Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell misses the ball on the throw from starting pitcher Nick Kingham to allow Cincinnati Reds' Michael Lorenzen to reach first safely in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 21, 2018, in Cincinnati. Lorenzen was charged with a throwing error. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a tying homer off Clayton Kershaw in a three-run sixth inning, and Milwaukee snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over Los Angeles.
Brewers reliever Josh Hader struck out four in two scoreless innings during his first appearance since Hader’s racist and homophobic tweets surfaced during the All-Star Game. Hader, who has apologized for the years-old social media messages, received an ovation from the crowd after he was introduced, with many fans at Miller Park standing.
Hader’s work highlighted five shutout innings from the Milwaukee bullpen. With a runner on, closer Corey Knebel retired Dodgers newcomer Manny Machado for his 12th save.
Keon Broxton had an RBI triple for the Brewers. Kershaw (3-5) allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings, though only one was earned. He lost for the first time since April 25, a span of eight starts.
Milwaukee rookie Corbin Burnes (1-0) picked up his first major league win with two scoreless innings, bailing starter Chase Anderson out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the fifth.
ASTROS 7, ANGELS 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — George Springer hit a grand slam while the Astros batted around in the sixth inning, and Justin Verlander ended his six-start winless streak with 11 strikeouts over six dominant innings in Houston’s victory over Los Angeles.
Verlander (10-5) yielded five hits while getting ample support in his third win over Los Angeles already this season. He has thrown 23 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three starts at Angel Stadium, including a five-hit shutout on May 16.
Four batters after Josh Reddick homered to lead off the sixth, Springer delivered his fifth career grand slam on a full count against reliever Noe Ramirez.
Verlander hadn’t won since June 14 despite setting career bests for strikeouts, ERA and opponents’ batting average before the break. The All-Star right-hander walked two and allowed just one runner to reach third base.
CUBS 7-3, CARDINALS 2-6
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Carpenter homered for the sixth consecutive game and Paul DeJong hit a tiebreaking double in St. Louis’ three-run ninth inning, helping the Cardinals beat Chicago to split their day-night doubleheader.
Carpenter entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth and hit a solo drive in the seventh for his fifth homer in two days. He also had a solo shot in the opener after he went 5 for 5 with three homers and seven RBIs while playing just six innings in St. Louis’ 18-5 victory on Friday.
Carpenter became the first player in Cardinals history to homer in six consecutive games during one season. He matched the club record held by Mark McGwire, who connected in six straight games over two years.
The Cardinals trailed 3-2 before Yairo Munoz hit a tying single with two outs in the eighth. DeJong came up with runners on first and second in the ninth and doubled to left field against Steve Cishek.
Tommy Pham added a two-run double for St. Louis. Sam Tuivailala (2-3) pitched a scoreless eighth and Bud Norris got three outs for his 18th save on a blustery day at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs won the first game behind Tyler Chatwood (4-5), who earned his first win since May 11. Ben Zobrist went 4 for 4, Javier Baez had three hits and two RBIs, and Tommy La Stella also drove in two runs in the makeup of an April 16 rainout.
The Cardinals finished with just two hits. Luke Weaver (5-9) allowed three runs in four-plus innings.
TIGERS 5, RED SOX 0
DETROIT (AP) — Jose Iglesias homered and drove in four runs, and Mike Fiers pitched impressively into the seventh inning to lead Detroit over Boston.
The major league-leading Red Sox lost for just the second time in 15 games, and their AL East lead over the New York Yankees slipped to 4½ games.
Fiers (7-6) worked his first scoreless outing since his Tigers debut April 8, when he beat the Chicago White Sox 1-0 for Detroit’s only other shutout this season. This time, he allowed seven hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings, striking out six.
Brian Johnson (1-3) gave up two unearned runs and five hits in five innings for Boston. He struck out five.
BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 1
TORONTO (AP) — Marcus Stroman pitched seven sharp innings, Aledmys Diaz had two hits and Toronto beat struggling Baltimore for the sixth straight time.
Stroman (3-7) allowed one run and five hits. He threw a season-high 107 pitches, the first time this season he has topped 100. Stroman is 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA in five starts since returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss more than a month.
Seunghwan Oh worked the eighth and Ryan Tepera finished for his seventh save in 12 opportunities.
POSTPONED
Atlanta’s game at Washington and the San Diego-Philadelphia game were postponed by rain on Saturday.
MARLINS 3, RAYS 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Pablo Lopez gave up three hits in six innings, Cameron Maybin homered and Miami beat Tampa Bay.
Lopez (2-1) struck out six in his fourth major league start, helping the Marlins match their longest winning streak of the season at four games.
Maybin’s third home run came in the seventh off Rays reliever Hunter Wood.
Martin Prado drove in the game’s first run with a double in the fourth off Ryan Yarbrough (8-5) and scored on Miguel Rojas’ ground ball.
Joey Wendle led off the Tampa Bay fourth with a home run, his fifth, after Lopez had pitched three perfect innings. Wendle had two of the Rays’ six hits.
PIRATES 6, REDS 2
CINCINNATI (AP) — Corey Dickerson hit two first-pitch home runs, rookie Nick Kingham overcame another Cincinnati rain delay to pitch six shutout innings and drive in two runs, and Pittsburgh beat the Reds for its season-high eighth straight win.
Dickerson homered on the first pitches he saw from Anthony DeSclafani (4-3) in the third and fifth innings for his seventh career multihomer game, helping the Pirates to their longest winning streak since an eight-game stretch Sept. 19-26, 2015.
The game was delayed 47 minutes by rain in the middle of the fourth inning, one night after the start was held up 2 hours, 55 minutes.
Kingham (5-4) allowed just one runner past second base before Curt Casali knocked him out of the game with a two-run homer that just barely reached the left field seats in the seventh.
ROYALS 4, TWINS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez homered, reliever Brian Flynn picked up the win with three scoreless innings and Kansas City beat Minnesota.
The Royals won back-to-back games for the first time since May 29-30.
Perez belted his 14th homer with Mike Moustakas aboard in the first. Perez hit a 2-2 pitch from Lance Lynn (7-8) out to right, only his third opposite-field homer this season. Perez has driven in four in two games since the All-Star break.
Joe Mauer led off the game with his 415th double, breaking a tie with Kirby Puckett to move into first place on the Twins’ career list. He scored on Eddie Rosario’s single.
ROCKIES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 5
PHOENIX (AP) — Tom Murphy’s two-out, pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth inning lifted the Colorado Rockies to a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
The Rockies overcame an early three-run deficit for their season-high seventh straight win. Colorado moved past Arizona into second place in the NL West and clinched its sixth consecutive series win, the first time the Rockies have accomplished that since 2014.
Murphy drove the first pitch he saw from Arizona’s Yoshihisa Hirano (2-2) over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season.
Scott Oberg (6-0) got the win in relief for the second night in a row, though he gave up Nick Ahmed’s tying RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. Adam Ottavino pitched the eighth and Wade Davis, who was out Friday due to an illness, escaped a jam in the ninth for his 28th save.
INDIANS 16, RANGERS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bartolo Colon’s third attempt at making major league history ended unsuccessfully again when his pitchers’ duel with Carlos Carrasco became one-sided in the fifth inning.
Yonder Alonso homered twice, Carrasco pitched into the seventh inning, and the Cleveland Indians scored in each of the last five innings in a 16-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.
Alonso’s two-run home run in the fifth inning highlighted a six-run outburst that broke a scoreless tie. His second, a solo homer and 15th of the season, came in the seventh.
Colon (5-8) failed in his third bid to record his 246th career win and break a tie with Dennis Martinez for the most career wins for a major league pitcher born in Latin America. He allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
“Cruise through four, and then it seemed like he lost feel for the fastball,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said of Colon, whose first 75 big-league wins came with Cleveland 1997-2002.
“Everything was up middle, and they didn’t miss.”
Carrasco (12-5) gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings to tie teammate Corey Kluber and four others for second place in the majors in wins, two behind Luis Severino of the New York Yankees. One win came in relief, last Sunday against the Yankees on the day before the All-Star break.
Carrasco took a shutout into a seventh before giving up a two-run homer to Adrian Beltre. He struck out eight and walked one.
“If you don’t see any runs, just keep throwing zeroes,” Carrasco said. “That’s pretty much what we did in the game.”
EXTREME HEAT? NO SWEAT
The first-pitch temperature of 107 degrees fell one degree short for the second consecutive night of this season’s major league high. When the Los Angeles Angels hosted the Dodgers on July 7, it was 108 degrees at first pitch.
Right-hander Mike Clevenger, Cleveland’s scheduled starter for Sunday afternoon’s series finale, said he made a rehab start in Arizona with the temperature at 128 degrees.
Clevenger adjusted his diet late last week with more carbohydrates and fruit in anticipation of Sunday’s heat, and will take an IV early in the day.
“I think that puts me in a good spot,” he said.
TAKING FOUR (INNINGS) FOR THE TEAM
Alonzo’s homers and one by Tyler Naquin came off Austin Bibens-Dirkx, who was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock earlier in the day. Bibens-Dirkx pitched four innings and allowed 11 runs in relief, a club record, and 13 hits. He threw 87 pitches, 14 more than Colon.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to him,” Banister said of Bibens-Dirkx, who was lifted with two outs in the ninth and two on. “It’s not pretty, but he understands what the situation was.”
CHOO FINALLY KEPT OFF BASE
Shin-Soo Choo went 0 for 4 to end his 52-game on-base streak. That stretch tied Kevin Millar’s streak in 2007 as the longest since Orlando Cabrera’s 63-game streak in 2006.
“I’m very excited about what I did,” Choo said.
SHORT HOPS
Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez singled and tripled for his 39th multi-hit game, tying him with Boston’s J.D. Martinez and Atlanta’s Nick Markakis for the major league lead. … Indians RF Melky Cabrera had two doubles and a single in his first major league game since June 13. … Cleveland LHP Ryan Merritt, who had a memorable start in the 2016 ALCS, cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Columbus. … Texas optioned RHP Ricardo Rodriguez to Round Rock.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: OF Bradley Zimmer (right shoulder), sidelined since mid-June, will miss another 8-12 months following arthroscopic surgery Friday in Dallas.
Rangers: LHP Alex Claudio (left-ankle sprain) was activated off the 10-day disabled list.
UP NEXT
Indians: Clevenger (7-5, 3.47) has the American League’s fifth-best road ERA (2.61), going 4-2.
Rangers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 8.60) equaled a season high by allowing six earned runs in his previous start, an 8-4 loss at Boston on July 10.
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Diamondbacks starter Zack Godley had a three-run lead and a no-hitter through four innings, but the Rockies scored two runs on three hits, a walk and a wild pitch in the fifth.
Steven Souza Jr.’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth pushed Arizona’s lead back up to two.
In the sixth, Godley threw wide on a bouncer back to the mound for an error before losing track of Ian Desmond at first base and allowing a stolen base. Desmond had driven in a run with a single, and reliever Silvino Bracho’s wild pitch allowed Trevor Story to score the tying run, making it 4-4.
Andrew Chafin relieved Bracho and got pinch hitter Raimel Tapia to hit into a pitcher-to-third double play to end the inning.
Godley got through five innings and gave up three runs with six strikeouts and four walks.
The Diamondbacks struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Souza, batting .185 entering the game, had three hits and drove in two runs.
Colorado answered with Desmond’s triple to lead off the fifth, Garrett Hampson’s double and Charlie Blackmon’s two-out ground-rule double to make it 3-2. The Rockies had two on base against the struggling Godley, but he struck out All-Star Nolan Arenado to end the inning.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland lasted five innings and allowed four runs and five hits.
SOLID DEBUT
Hampson, called up before the game, made his major-league debut Saturday, playing second base. He turned in a nice play ranging far to his right to throw out Chris Owings at first base in the second inning, and his first major-league hit was a run-scoring double in the fifth.
Hampson also stole a hit from Jon Jay with a diving stop and throw in the eighth.
A POWERFUL PITCH
Eight-year-old Hailey Dawson threw out the ceremonial first pitch wearing a 3-D printed robotic hand. She has a condition from birth that caused her to have a missing right pectoral muscle and only two underdeveloped fingers on her right hand.
Hailey’s goal is to throw a first pitch at every Major League Baseball stadium. Eight ballparks remain on her list, which is expected to be completed by mid-September.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: 2B DJ LeMahieu was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain. Manager Bud Black said the two-time All-Star could miss a few weeks.
Diamondbacks: Pitcher T.J. McFarland (neck) threw 15 pitches off a mound Saturday and could come of the disabled list as soon as Monday. … OF Jarrod Dyson (groin) is doing baseball activities but not running the bases as yet.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzetela (3-2) is set to be reinstated from the disabled list to face Arizona after missing a turn in the rotation with a blister on his right middle finger.
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (10-5) makes his first start since before the All-Star Game after not pitching for the NL last Tuesday.
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