Baseball Capsules
August 10, 2015
NEW YORK (AP) Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista each hit a long home run, and the Toronto Blue Jays earned their eighth straight victory by beating the New York Yankees 2-0 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep that tightened the AL East race.
Marco Estrada (10-6) tossed three-hit ball into the seventh inning against the suddenly slumping Yankees, outpitching Masahiro Tanaka (8-5) during Toronto's second consecutive shutout.
In a series that featured the top two offenses in the majors, New York mustered only one run and went scoreless over the final 26 innings. Not since 1999 had the Yankees been blanked in two straight games.
With their 11th win in 12 games, the streaking Blue Jays pulled within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Yankees. It was the first time since May 2003 that Toronto swept New York in a series of at least three games.
Roberto Osuna worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.
PIRATES 13, DODGERS 6
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jung Ho Kang's three-run homer capped a nine-run seventh inning and Andrew McCutchen homered and drove in four runs for Pittsburgh, which sept the three-game series.
Kang greeted reliever Joel Peralta with his ninth homer of the season. Jim Johnson (3-4) was charged with eight runs in two-thirds of an inning.
The Pirates won for the fifth time in six games and the 15th time in their last 18 at PNC Park.
McCutchen's homer - a shot off the batter's eye in center field - came with a runner on in the fifth inning to draw the Pirates within 5-3. He added a two-run single during the big seventh inning that put Pittsburgh on top 12-5.
Francisco Cervelli had three hits, including a solo homer in the eighth, and three RBIs for the Pirates.
Arquimedes Caminero (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Adrian Gonzalez and Yasmani Grandal led the Dodgers' 14-hit attack with two hits and two RBIs each.
CUBS 2, GIANTS 0
CHICAGO (AP) - Jake Arrieta pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning, and the Cubs beat the Giants for a four-game sweep of the defending world champions.
Arrieta also tripled and scored in the second as the Cubs won for the 10th time in 11 games. Chicago's first four-game sweep of San Francisco since June 1977 increased its lead for the second NL wild card to 3 1/2 games over the reeling Giants.
Arrieta (13-6) struck out six and walked two in 7 2-3 innings. The right-hander is 7-1 with a 1.23 ERA in his last 10 starts dating to a four-hit shutout at Minnesota on June 21.
Justin Grimm got the final out of the eighth, and Hector Rondon worked out of a jam in the ninth while recording his 19th save in 22 chances.
Giants right-hander Jake Peavy (2-5) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.
ANGELS 5, ORIOLES 4, 11 INNINGS
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - David Murphy's bases-loaded single in the 11th inning lifted the Angels to the victory.
Murphy also had a three-run homer in the third inning. Rookie Trevor Gott (3-0) pitched two innings for the win.
Los Angeles moved within a half-game of AL West-leading Houston, which lost 5-4 at Oakland.
Gerardo Parra and Chris Davis homered for Baltimore, and rookie Chaz Roe (2-2) got the loss.
ATHLETICS 5, ASTROS 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Danny Valencia homered in the fourth inning for Oakland, and singled in the winning run in the ninth.
Oakland's Josh Reddick had two hits and drove in two runs, including the tying run in the ninth. The A's have won three in a row and six of nine.
Colby Rasmus hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Astros a 4-3 lead and set off a celebration in the dugout. But the Athletics responded with two runs in the bottom half.
Luke Gregerson (5-2) was handed his fifth blown save in 27 chances. The Astros have lost six of seven.
INDIANS 8, TWINS 1
CLEVELAND (AP) - Corey Kluber pitched a three-hitter for his third complete game of the season, leading Cleveland to the victory.
Kluber (7-12) didn't allow a hit until Joe Mauer's two-out single in the seventh. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner struck out 10 and walked one in his sixth career complete game - all coming in the last two years.
Aaron Hicks hit an RBI double for Minnesota with two out in the ninth, but Mauer bounced to first on Kluber's 100th pitch for the final out.
Chris Johnson went 4 for 4 with two doubles for Cleveland, and Abraham Almonte homered for the second straight day.
Almonte's home run was the 28th allowed this season by Phil Hughes, a major league high. Hughes (10-8) was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in three innings.
RAYS 4, METS 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Rookie Richie Shaffer hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, and Tampa Bay once again rallied from an early three-run deficit.
For the second straight day, the Rays quickly fell behind 3-0 to the NL East leaders.
Shaffer's third hit in three at-bats against Bartolo Colon (10-11) was a solo shot into the left-field seats. Shaffer entered with one hit - a homer - in seven at-bats this season.
John Jaso drove in three runs for the Rays, who reached the .500 mark at 56-56.
Xavier Cedeno (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh while Jake McGee got three outs to pick up his sixth save.
The Mets have lost two straight following a seven-game winning streak.
ROCKIES 6, NATIONALS 4
WASHINGTON (AP) - DJ LeMahieu hit a tiebreaking two-run single off Drew Storen with two out in the eighth inning, sending the Rockies to the road win.
Carlos Gonzalez hit two solo shots and Daniel Descalso also went deep for Colorado, which has won three of four. Gonzalez, who hit a grand slam against Storen on Friday night, is batting .394 with 15 homers and 34 RBIs in his last 27 games.
John Axford (4-5) got five outs for the win, and Tommy Kahnle worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth while recording his second save.
Ryan Zimmerman homered twice for the Nationals, who remained 1 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Mets. Max Scherzer struck out 10 in six innings, but allowed four runs and eight hits.
Storen (2-2), who lost the closer job when Jonathan Papelbon was obtained in a July 28 trade with Philadelphia, had a 1.52 ERA coming into the series. Sunday's outing left him with a 2.70 ERA.
RED SOX 7, TIGERS 2
DETROIT (AP) - Jackie Bradley Jr. homered and drove in a career-high five runs, leading Boston to the road win.
Bradley walked with the bases loaded in the second, homered in the seventh and tripled home three more runs in the eighth. Coming into the game, Bradley had a .121 batting average with one extra-base hit and four RBIs in 58 at-bats.
Henry Owens (1-1) pitched five-plus innings for his first major league win. He walked four, but allowed just one run and three hits.
Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander (1-5) allowed two unearned runs in six innings. He struck out seven and walked three while throwing 113 pitches.
ROYALS 5, WHITE SOX 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Alex Rios beat the tag at the plate on a grounder in the eighth inning, helping Kansas City finish off a three-game series sweep.
The Royals have won three straight games by one run for the first time since August 2012.
Kansas City widened its AL Central lead to 11 1/2 games and improved to 10-3 against the White Sox this season.
Kelvin Herrera (3-2) picked up the victory despite blowing a save and giving up the tying run in the eighth on Melky Cabrera's RBI single. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth for his second save in four chances.
Jake Petricka (3-3) got the loss.
BREWERS 5, CARDINALS 4
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Khris Davis hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the eighth inning off former teammate Jonathan Broxton, and the Brewers ended the Cardinals' four-game winning streak.
Broxton (1-3), traded from Milwaukee to the NL Central leaders on July 31, relieved Kevin Siegrist with a runner on second and a 4-3 lead. Davis drove his first pitch into the Cardinals' bullpen for his 11th homer.
Will Smith (5-2) pitched a scoreless eighth. Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth for his 26th save in 26 chances this year.
Davis also hit a two-run homer off John Lackey in the third.
Matt Carpenter hit a three-run homer off Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson with two outs in the seventh for a 4-3 lead.
MARINERS 4, RANGERS 2
SEATTLE (AP) - Streaking Nelson Cruz hit his 33rd home run for Seattle, and Felix Hernandez earned his 14th win.
Cruz tied Angels star Mike Trout for most homers in the majors this season. Hernandez (14-6) is tied for the most wins in the big leagues.
Cruz extended his hitting streak to 19 games, tying a career best, with his solo shot off Colby Lewis (12-5) in the sixth. The slugger is batting .422 with 11 home runs, six doubles and 15 RBIs during the streak.
Hernandez pitched seven innings, giving up two runs and six hits. Carson Smith worked the ninth for his 12th save in 14 opportunities.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, REDS 3, 10 INNINGS
PHOENIX (AP) - The Diamondbacks waited for the umpires to sort out a wild ending after baserunning follies on the final play, and left with a win over the Reds.
Arizona loaded the bases with one out in the 10th and Chris Owings lined a ball over center fielder Billy Hamilton's head.
As the Diamondbacks celebrated in the middle of the diamond, the Reds retrieved the ball - a stadium worker tossed it back - and began tagging the bases. The Reds claimed Arizona runners didn't properly advance to touch the bags before leaving the field, and should be called out on force plays.
The umpires discussed the Reds' belated try for a double play for a couple of minutes before ruling the game was over.
Ryan Mattheus (1-3) got the loss, and Josh Collmenter (4-6) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the win.
PHILLIES 5, PADRES 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Jerome Williams pitched seven crisp innings, and surging Philadelphia completed a three-game series sweep.
The Phillies have won 16 of 21 for the majors' best record since the All-Star break.
Williams (4-8) entered with an 0-6 road record this season. But the right-hander held San Diego to one run and five hits.
Ken Giles worked the ninth for his sixth save in nine chances.
The Padres have lost six in a row, matching a season high. Andrew Cashner (4-12) worked 6 1-3 innings and allowed three runs and eight hits.
MARLINS 4, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA (AP) - Brad Hand threw seven strong innings and drove in two runs with sacrifice bunts, and Miami stopped a six-game losing streak.
In the second inning, Hand (2-2) was retired at first base as Cole Gillespie scored from third. In the fifth, he drove home J.T. Realmuto with another good bunt.
Hand had two career RBIs in 63 plate appearances entering the game. Dee Gordon and Christian Yelich had the other RBIs for the Marlins.
A.J. Ramos pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save.
Shelby Miller (5-9) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. He is 0-8 with a 3.16 ERA in his last 15 starts.
