Baseball Capsules
August 23, 2015
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Edwin Encarnacion went 4 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a thunderous three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday with a 12-5 victory that vaulted them back into first place in the AL East.
The Jays' 16th victory in 19 games, coupled with the Yankees' 4-3 loss to Cleveland, put Toronto atop the division for the first time since Aug. 13.
The Blue Jays, who lead the majors by far with 670 runs, set a franchise record for a three-game series with 36. They totaled 48 hits against a vanquished Angels pitching staff that has surrendered 44 runs, 60 hits and 15 walks over their last four games.
R.A. Dickey (8-10) won his fifth straight decision over seven starts, despite allowing five runs and 11 hits in six innings.
The Angels' Garrett Richards (12-10) was charged with nine runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings.
INDIANS 4, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK (AP) - Francisco Lindor homered off Dellin Betances in the eighth, Trevor Bauer threw 6 1/3 strong innings and CC Sabathia exited with an injury as Cleveland beat New York on Andy Pettitte Day in the Bronx.
Carlos Santana homered off Sabathia for the Indians, who have won five of their last six games at Yankee Stadium. Sabathia departed in the third inning with right knee pain.
Lindor's homer, the rookie's second blast in two games, came moments after Carlos Beltran hit a game-tying double off reliever Bryan Shaw (2-2) in the seventh.
Lindor became the first left-handed batter to homer off Betances (6-3), who had faced 302 left-handed hitters without allowing a homer.
CARDINALS 10, PADRES 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Michael Wacha pitched six solid innings and Stephen Piscotty homered twice and drove in five runs to help St. Louis Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep.
Jason Heyward had three hits as St. Louis averted getting swept for the first time this season.
Wacha (15-4) got his fourth straight win, allowing one run and four hits while striking out three and walking two.
After being shut out on Saturday night, the Cardinals scored four in the first against rookie Colin Rea, who was making his third major-league start. Rea (2-1) struggled early and made a throwing error in the first that contributed to the Cardinals' rally. He gave up five runs - four earned - over four innings.
San Diego made two errors in the first inning and the Cardinals capitalized with three hits, including Piscotty's two-run triple.
MARINERS 8, WHITE SOX 6
SEATTLE (AP) - Robinson Cano had a two-run homer and Nelson Cruz doubled in two runs to help Seattle avoid a three-game sweep.
Seattle built a 7-1 lead through five innings, but the White Sox cut it to 7-6 with five runs in the sixth behind a pair of two-run homers.
Adam Eaton singled with one out in the sixth and scored on Tyler Saladino's double. Jose Abreu followed with his 23rd home run. After Melky Cabrera grounded out, Avisail Garcia singled, chasing starter Taijuan Walker. Logan Kensing, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Tacoma, relieved and allowed a two-run homer to Adam LaRoche, his 12th.
The Mariners added a run in the eighth on Ketel Marte's sacrifice fly.
Walker (9-7) allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
John Danks (6-11) was tagged for seven runs on eight hits in five innings.
ATHLETICS 8, RAYS 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Eric Sogard hit a tiebreaking two-run single as part of a seven-run seventh inning and Oakland withstood another blown late lead by the bullpen to beat Tampa Bay.
Mark Canha tripled and drove in four runs while Billy Burns added three hits for the A's, who won for just the third time in 12 games.
The A's went into the game with the worst record in the AL and managed only three hits through the first six innings before matching their season high with seven runs in one inning.
Stephen Vogt had two hits as part of the seventh when the Oakland sent 12 men to the plate. Vogt was also thrown out at home two batters before Sogard's hit off Steve Geltz (2-5) put the A's ahead for good.
Fernando Rodriguez (3-1) retired four batters for the win after the Rays scored twice off Sean Doolittle in the seventh.
METS 5, ROCKIES 1
DENVER (AP) - Logan Verrett stepped into Matt Harvey's spot and earned his first major league win in his first start, pitching eight impressive innings to lead New York.
After the NL East-leading Mets posted two 14-9 wins at Coors Field, Verrett (1-0) allowed just one run and four hits while striking out eight. He got the spot start when the Mets decided to push back Harvey's outing, and he turned in a performance worthy of New York's strong rotation.
Michael Conforto had three hits for the Mets, who have won 11 straight against Colorado dating to 2014.
David Hale (3-5) threw a pair of wild pitches while Anthony Recker was batting in the second inning, both allowing a run to score.
TWINS 4, ORIOLES 3, 12 INNINGS
BALTIMORE (AP) - Trevor Plouffe hit a tying single with two outs in the ninth inning and Minnesota took advantage of two errors in the 12th to complete a four-game sweep.
Twins manager Paul Molitor was ejected in the ninth for arguing a strikeout by Miguel Sano, who tried to hold back his swing. Plouffe followed with his hit, giving closer Zach Britton his third blown save of the season.
All-Star third baseman Manny Machado moved to shortstop for the first time in his major league career in the 12th and misplayed a grounder by Eduardo Escobar, who slid in safely to second. It was Machado's second error of the game. Third baseman Jimmy Paredes then could not handle a sharp grounder by Shane Robinson that allowed Escobar to score.
Glen Perkins (2-4), who had been dealing with a bulging disc and hadn't pitched since Aug. 17, picked up the win. Tommy Milone got his first career save.
Brian Matusz (1-3) took the loss.
CUBS 9, BRAVES 3
CHICAGO (AP) - Kris Bryant homered twice and Kyle Schwarber connected an inning after hitting a hard foul ball that sent a fan to the hospital as Chicago handed Atlanta its seventh straight loss.
The game was briefly delayed in the first inning after Schwarber's foul liner hit a female fan sitting just past the camera well on the first base side. The woman was carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital. The Cubs said the woman was conscious.
Several fans around the majors have been hit this season, and Major League Baseball has said it is studying the issue of crowd safety.
The Cubs hit five home runs, including a leadoff shot by Dexter Fowler in the first inning and a three-run drive by Miguel Montero.
Jason Hammel (7-5) allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Matt Wisler (5-4) gave up Bryant's two-run homer in the first, Schwarber's solo drive in the second and Montero's homer in the third.
ASTROS 3, DODGERS 2, 10 INNINGS
HOUSTON (AP) - Jason Castro's solo homer in the 10th inning helped Houston complete a three-game sweep.
There was one out in the 10th when Castro connected off Chris Hatcher (1-5), launching a 96 mph fastball into the first row of the seats in left field. The play was reviewed and confirmed.
Kenley Jansen, who had converted 17 straight save opportunities, allowed a leadoff single to rookie Carlos Correa in the ninth before the Astros tied it up on a two-out RBI single by Marwin Gonzalez.
Luke Gregerson (7-2) allowed one hit in a scoreless 10th for the win.
The NL West-leading Dodgers were swept by the Astros for the first time since May of 2008 and have dropped a season-high five straight overall.
ROYALS 8, RED SOX 6
BOSTON (AP) - Mike Moustakas' two-run double capped a four-run ninth inning that rallied AL Central-leading Kansas City past Boston.
Moustakas also had a solo homer and RBI double as the Royals salvaged a split of the four-game series.
Boston led 6-4 going into the ninth. After left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. threw out Omar Infante trying for an inside-the-park homer for the first out, Kansas City rallied with four hits against Junichi Tazawa (2-6), tying it on Eric Hosmer's two-run single. Moustakas hit a bases-loaded double to right.
Chris Young (9-6) retired one batter and Wade Davis got the final three outs for his 11th save.
NATIONALS 9, BREWERS 5
WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos homered, and Danny Espinosa hit a three-run double to lead Washington.
Bryce Harper doubled twice for the Nationals, who completed consecutive series victories for the first time since winning three straight in late June.
Jordan Zimmermann (10-8) allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Matt Garza (6-14) gave up seven runs over 4 2/3 innings in his shortest outing since May 16. He allowed eight hits and a career high-tying six walks and raised his career ERA 7.17 against Washington in eight starts.
Jonathan Lucroy, Scooter Gennett and Khris Davis homered for Milwaukee.
RANGERS 4, TIGERS 2
DETROIT (AP) - Cole Hamels threw six strong innings, and Mike Napoli and Chris Gimenez homered to help Texas hold onto the second AL wild-card spot.
The Rangers, who have won nine of their last 11 games, started the day with a half-game lead over the Angels, with Baltimore another half-game back.
Hamels (7-8) got the win, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out two. Shawn Tolleson, the third Rangers reliever, pitched the ninth for his 25th save.
Matt Boyd (1-4) gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.
Mitch Moreland put Texas ahead with a two-run double in the sixth.
Adrian Beltre and Rangers manager Jeff Banister were both ejected in the fifth inning.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, REDS 0
CINCINNATI (AP) - Chris Anderson gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings, and Welington Castillo and David Peralta homered to help Arizona hand Cincinnati its season hight-tying ninth straight loss.
The Diamondbacks completed their first four-game sweep over the Reds.
Anderson (6-5) was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday and recalled on Thursday when Jeremy Hellickson was put on the disabled list. Relievers Addison Reed and Matt Reynolds finished the shutout. Reynolds, coming back from Tommy John surgery, made his first big league appearance since June 2013.
Raisel Iglesias (3-5) struck out 13 in seven innings, the most by a Reds rookie since Gary Nolan fanned 15 Giants in 1967.
PHILLIES 2, MARLINS 0
MIAMI (AP) - Rookie Aaron Nola pitched a career-high eight innings and allowed only one runner to advance beyond first base, helping Philadelphia beat Miami and tighten the race for next year's top draft pick.
By winning the final three games in the four-game series, the Phillies moved into a tie with Miami for the worst record in the majors (50-74). Philadelphia is 21-12 since the All-Star break.
Nola (4-1) allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six while throwing a career-high 100 pitches. The Phillies' 2014 first-round draft choice lowered his ERA to 3.59 and improved to 4-0 in his past six starts.
Marlins rookie Adam Conley (1-1) allowed one run while pitching a career-high six innings. He walked four, but the Phillies went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position against him.
PIRATES 5, GIANTS 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Andrew McCutchen hit his 19th homer and Pedro Alvarez made up for some shaky defense by adding his 20th of the season as the Pirates held off the Giants.
Francisco Liriano (9-6) gave up two unearned runs and struck out five in 5 1/3 eventful innings to win his fifth straight decision. The Pirates are 10-0 in Liriano's last 10 starts dating back to June 26.
Alvarez committed a pair of errors that led directly to both San Francisco runs but atoned with a solo shot in the seventh that gave Pittsburgh some breathing room. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 39th save.
Matt Duffy had three hits for the Giants. Ryan Vogelsong (9-9) failed to make it out of the fourth inning as San Francisco finished 2-5 on a seven-game road trip.
