Baseball Capsules
August 23, 2015
HOUSTON (AP) Scott Kazmir pitched six solid innings, Jose Altuve and Luis Valbuena homered and the Houston Astros defeated Zack Greinke and the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 Saturday night.
A night after teammate Mike Fiers pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers, Kazmir (7-8) didn't permit a runner until Jimmy Rollins singled to start the fourth inning.
The Astros won a matchup of division leaders and ended an eight-game winning streak by Greinke (13-3).
Kazmir rebounded from his worst start with the Astros, giving up one run and six hits while striking out eight.
Relievers Will Harris and Pat Neshek each pitched a perfect inning and Luke Gregerson worked the ninth for his 24th save.
METS 14, ROCKIES 9
DENVER (AP) -The New York Mets roughed up the Colorado Rockies by the exact same score for the second straight day, with Juan Uribe homering to start an eight-run burst in the third inning.
The NL East leaders got a season high-tying 21 hits, including 10 for extra bases. Every New York starter had at least one hit, with pitcher Jonathon Niese (8-9) delivering a two-run single in the big third.
Coming off his first career shutout, Chris Rusin (4-6) went two-plus innings and allowed 11 runs and 12 hits, eight of them doubles.
BLUE JAYS 15, ANGELS 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Josh Donaldson went 4 for 5 with a three-run homer, driving in six runs and propelling Toronto to its 18th victory in 22 games.
Jose Bautista had a two-run triple during a seven-run fourth inning by the streaking Blue Jays. They followed up their 9-2 win at the Big A on Friday with the highest-scoring performance in three years by the majors' most productive offense.
Amid ''M-V-P!'' chants from the visitors' fans in Mike Trout's home stadium, Donaldson drove in six runs in a three-inning span, giving him 100 RBIs for the first time in his career.
He sent his 34th homer deep into the bullpens beyond left field in the third inning before delivering a two-run single in the fourth and an RBI double in the fifth.
PIRATES 3, GIANTS 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Starling Marte hit a solo home run off George Kontos with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Pittsburgh over San Francisco.
Jung Ho Kang hit a pair of solo homers for the Pirates in the matchup of playoff contenders.
Marte sent the first pitch he saw from Kontos (2-2) into the sun-drenched seats in left field for his second career walkoff hit. Mark Melancon (3-1) needed six pitches to get through the top of the ninth.
YANKEES 6, INDIANS 2
NEW YORK (AP) - Luis Severino earned his first major league win, getting all the support he needed in the first inning on a pair of home runs from Brett Gardner and Brian McCann as the New York Yankees beat Cleveland.
Making his fourth career start, the 21-year-old Severino (1-2) gave up a one-out homer in the first to fellow rookie Francisco Lindor, but yielded only two singles and four walks in the remainder of his gritty innings.
Danny Salazar (11-7) took the loss.
The Yankees retired the No. 20 of former catcher Jorge Posada before the game.
ROYALS 6, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) - Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Yordano Ventura pitched six effective innings and AL Central-leading Kansas City ended Boston's four-game winning streak.
Ventura (8-7) gave up one run and six hits, striking out six. He improved to 4-0 in his last six starts.
Greg Holland got Travis Shaw to pop out with the bases loaded for final out, earning his 28th save.
Mookie Betts hit a solo homer and David Ortiz had two singles and three walks for the Red Sox.
Leading 2-0 in the sixth, the Royals chased Matt Barnes (3-4) when Perez homered.
TWINS 3, ORIOLES 2
BALTIMORE (AP) - Byron Buxton picked up his first major league RBI with a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and Minnesota beat Baltimore.
After overcoming a two-run deficit in the eighth on Friday night, Minnesota handed Chris Tillman (9-8) his first loss since May 31.
The Twins have won seven straight over Baltimore dating to last season. They are 6-0 against the Orioles this season.
Casey Fien (4-5) pitched 1 1-3 innings to earn his second win in two nights. He entered in the sixth and struck out Manny Machado with the bases loaded and two outs.
Kevin Jepsen got three straight outs for his eighth save.
RANGERS 5, TIGERS 3
DETROIT (AP) - Yovani Gallardo took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Texas spoiled Randy Wolf's return to the majors by defeating Detroit.
Gallardo (10-9) allowed eight hits in six-plus innings. The Tigers didn't score until Ian Kinsler's three-run homer with two outs in the ninth.
Wolf (0-1) gave up three earned runs and nine hits in seven innings in his first major league start since June 2014. Wolf, who turned 39 on Saturday, was acquired by Detroit in a trade with Toronto on Thursday.
CUBS 9, BRAVES 7
CHICAGO (AP) - Miguel Montero and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back home runs and the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Atlanta for their third straight win.
Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate in the Braves' sixth loss in a row.
Montero and Soler connected off Edwin Jackson (2-2), released by the Cubs last month. Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo homered earlier for Chicago.
Swisher connected left-handed and right-handed in the same game for the 14th time, tying Mark Teixeira for most ever.
Pedro Strop (2-6) got the win. Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 27 chances.
NATIONALS 6, BREWERS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthony Rendon homered and doubled to drive in two runs, rookie Joe Ross allowed one run in seven innings and Washington beat Milwaukee.
Michael Taylor hit a home run for the third straight night, connecting on a two-run shot for Washington, which had lost eight of 10.
Ross (4-5), 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA in his two previous starts, gave up six hits, struck out four and didn't walk a batter.
Taylor Jungmann (7-5) endured his worst outing of the season. He went four innings, allowing five runs and seven hits.
DIAMONDBACKS 11, REDS 7
CINCINNATI (AP) - Paul Goldschmidt hit a pair of two-run homers, Ender Inciarte homered Arizona handed Cincinnati its eighth straight loss.
Goldschmidt, who hadn't homered since July 27, had the seventh multihomer game of his career and finished with four hits and three runs.
All-Star center fielder A.J. Pollock followed his back-to-back four-hit games by going 3 for 5 and scoring two runs for Arizona.
Zack Godley (4-0) allowed one run in 3 2-3 innings. Daniel Hudson got two outs for his second save.
Anthony DeSclafani (7-9) took the loss.
PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 2
MIAMI (AP) - Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf hit back-to-back solo home runs in the ninth inning, sending Philadelphia past Miami.
Altherr broke the tie with a homer off A.J. Ramos (1-4). Ruf followed with a homer on the next pitch to give the Phillies consecutive homers for the first time this season.
Elvis Araujo (2-1) got the final out of the eighth inning to earn the win. Ken Giles pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances.
PADRES 8, CARDINALS 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Ian Kennedy combined with five relievers on an eight-hitter and Matt Kemp and Justin Upton keyed a seven-run seventh inning, leading San Diego over St. Louis.
The Padres, who have won nine of 11, tied their season high with their fifth straight win.
Kennedy (8-11) allowed the first two runners to reach base in the seventh before three relievers each struck out a batter.
Carlos Martinez (12-6) lost his second straight start.
RAYS 5, ATHLETICS 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Asdrubal Cabrera homered and then hit a two-run double in the ninth inning, and Tampa Bay rallied past Oakland.
The Rays got just five hits off A's starter Sonny Gray before coming back for their first win this season when trailing going into the ninth.
Daniel Nava, a replacement after James Loney was ejected, drew a one-out walk against switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (0-2). Logan Forsythe doubled and Cabrera, who hit a solo shot in the seventh, doubled on the first pitch from Drew Pomeranz.
Alex Colome (6-4) recorded six outs for the win.
WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 3, 10 INNINGS
SEATTLE (AP) - Chicago scored two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game and then took advantage of the Seattle bullpen's wildness for a three-run 10th to beat the Mariners.
After tying the game against Carson Smith on Alexei Ramirez's RBI single and pinch-hitter Adam LaRoche's groundout, Tyler Saladino walked to open the 10th against Danny Farquhar (0-4), who failed to retire any of the four batters he faced.
Jose Abreu followed with a double off the wall in right-center. Melky Cabrera was walked intentionally to load the bases and Garcia walked to force in a run that made it 4-3.
Edgar Olmos relieved and after an out, Cabrera scored on a passed ball by Mike Zunino to make it 5-3. Ramirez reached on a fielding error by second baseman Robinson Cano to reload the bases and Garcia then scored on Carlos Sanchez's fielder's choice.
Nate Jones (1-0) pitched the ninth and David Robertson worked the 10th for his 25th save.
