LDN - Sports

MLB roundup: Lackey lifts Cubs; Kershaw dominant in return

[September 02, 2017]

The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- John Lackey threw seven shutout innings and retired the final 16 hitters he faced as the Chicago Cubs won their fifth straight game with a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Lackey (11-10) surrendered just three hits, and didn't allow a baserunner after giving up back-to-back singles with two outs in the second inning. Lackey struck out five and didn't allow a walk to help extend the Cubs' winning streak.

The Cubs tallied single runs in the third and fourth innings to stake Lackey to a lead. Kyle Schwarber beat out an infield single with two outs in the third inning, which allowed Javier Baez to score from second base as he slid around the tag of catcher Kurt Suzuki to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. Ian Happ's RBI single in the fourth extended the Cubs' lead to 2-0.

Mike Foltynewicz (10-11) took the loss after he gave up five hits and allowed the two runs over 6 1/3 innings while walking three and striking out two. Wade Davis closed out the victory with his 28th save.

Dodgers 1, Padres 0

SAN DIEGO -- Clayton Kershaw threw six scoreless innings in his return from the disabled list and Chase Utley contributed an RBI single as Los Angeles blanked San Diego.

Kershaw (16-2), pitching for the first time since July 23 because of a lower back strain, snapped the Dodgers' season-long, five-game losing streak. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was charged with two hits as he struck out seven in his stellar 70-pitch effort.

For Kershaw it was his career-high 12th straight winning decision, the first Dodger to accomplish that feat since Burt Hooton in 1975. Dinelson Lamet (7-6) nearly matched Kershaw in a tight pitching duel to open this four-game series. Lamet also went six innings, giving up a run on six hits. He struck out 10, with three walks.

Brewers 1, Nationals 0

MILWAUKEE -- Jimmy Nelson tossed seven scoreless innings and Neil Walker backed him up with his 12th home run as Milwaukee extended its winning streak to three games with a victory over Washington.

Nelson (11-6) held the Nationals to three hits, walked three and tied his career high with 11 strikeouts to earn his third consecutive victory.

Tanner Roark (11-9) matched Nelson pitch-for-pitch, striking out 10 while scattering five hits with one walk over seven innings. He was burned only by the one-out home run he allowed to Walker in the first inning.

Red Sox 4, Yankees 1

NEW YORK -- Doug Fister produced another solid start when he pitched seven innings and Boston hit three homers in a victory over New York.

Eduardo Nunez hit a two-run homer and Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez slugged solo homers against Sonny Gray (8-9) as the Red Sox matched a season high by going 5 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees.

Those homers were enough for Fister (4-8), who held the Yankees to one run and four hits by working quickly and constantly getting groundouts. Addison Reed pitched a perfect eighth and Craig Kimbrel posted his 32nd save in 36 opportunities.

Indians 10, Tigers 0 (Game 2)

DETROIT -- Roberto Perez homered and knocked in three runs to back the six strong innings by Mike Clevinger as Cleveland completed a doubleheader sweep and matched its season-best nine-game winning streak.

Clevinger (8-5) allowed three hits, giving up two doubles to Andrew Romine plus a single to Ian Kinsler in his six-inning stint He struck out six and walked just one.

Dan Otero pitched the seventh, Kyle Crockett the eighth and Nick Goody the ninth for the Indians. Perez opened the five-run sixth with his fourth home run of the season, which came off reliever Blaine Hardy. His two-run single in the fourth gave the Indians a 4-0 lead.

Indians 3, Tigers 2 (Game 1)

DETROIT -- Francisco Lindor poked a single up the middle through a drawn-in infield to score Jay Bruce from third base with one out in the top of the ninth inning in the first game of a split doubleheader.

Bruce had a pinch-hit triple with one out off Detroit closer Shane Greene (3-3). Lindor then delivered a soft liner to center to drive Bruce in.

Cody Allen (2-6) got the win after giving up a game-tying single to Mikie Mahtook in the eighth. Cleveland reliever Joe Smith came in with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and got Miguel Cabrera to line out to short to end the game. It was Smith's first save of the season.

Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 5

DENVER -- Surging Arizona extended its winning streak to a season-best eight games, beating Colorado in the opener of a key three-game series.

The victory widened the distance between the teams in the National League wild-card race. The Diamondbacks broke open a close game with a five-run seventh that was highlighted by a pinch-hit three-run homer by Daniel Descalso, who spent the previous two seasons with Colorado.

Taijuan Walker (8-7) allowed three hits in five scoreless innings for Arizona, which moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the Rockies in the race for the top NL wild-card spot. Colorado, which has lost eight of 12 and 13 of its 20 past games, leads the surging Milwaukee Brewers by just 1 1/2 games in the chase for the second wild card.

[to top of second column]

Mariners 3, Athletics 2

SEATTLE -- Mike Leake, in his Seattle debut, outdueled Sean Manaea as the Mariners defeated Oakland.

Kyle Seager provided the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Leake made it hold up in an outing that had a bumpy start, but smoothed as it went along. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Mariners, who gained ground in the wild-card race with a loss by the Minnesota Twins, pulling within 3 1/2 games of the last playoff spot.

Leake (8-12), acquired on Wednesday from St. Louis, pitched seven innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs while walking one with seven strikeouts. The Athletics lost their fourth straight.

Rays 3, White Sox 1

CHICAGO -- Blake Snell won for just the third time in 21 career road starts and Logan Morrison drove in three runs to lead Tampa Bay victory over Chicago.

Snell (3-6) allowed an unearned run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He picked up both of his previous 2017 victories in August. In his last 10 starts, the left-hander has a 2.93 ERA.

Morrison went 3-for-4 with a home run to help the Rays in the wild-card race. Tampa Bay has won six of eight. Alex Colome picked up his major league-leading 41st save in 46 opportunities.

Royals 7, Twins 6

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Moustakas hit a three-run homer and Brandon Moss added a two-run shot as Kansas City took the first game of a pivotal weekend series against Minnesota.

Melky Cabrera added four hits for Kansas City, which trails Minnesota by 3 1/2 games for the second wild card in the American League. The Royals won for just the second time in eight games and snapped the Twins' four-game win streak.

Jason Hammel (7-10) held Minnesota in check after a tough start and lasted 6 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs and seven hits. Kelvin Herrera allowed two runs in the ninth on Joe Mauer's single before leaving with a trainer. Scott Alexander struck out Eddie Rosario to leave the bases loaded and secure his second save.

Orioles 1, Blue Jays 0 (13)

BALTIMORE -- Jonathan Schoop hit an RBI double against Aaron Loup in the bottom of the 13th inning to give Baltimore a victory over Toronto.

Manny Machado started the winning rally with a leadoff infield single that Josh Donaldson knocked down but couldn't make a play on. Schoop then lined the next pitch into the gap toward right-center field. Machado scored easily for a 1-0 score.

Jimmy Yacabonis (1-0) got his first major-league victory after throwing a scoreless 13th, which ended when Trey Mancini made a leaping catch of a Steve Pearce line drive in left with a runner on second. Loup (2-3) finished with one inning plus one batter.

Phillies 2, Marlins 1

MIAMI -- Philadelphia scored two runs in the top of the ninth to rally past Miami and hand the Marlins their fifth loss in a row.

Philadelphia rallied in the ninth off closer Brad Ziegler (1-3), who had entered the game having pitched 13 consecutive scoreless innings. The Phillies cashed in when Jorge Alfaro stroked an RBI single and Andres Blanco hit a run-scoring groundout.

Juan Nicasio (3-5) pitched one-third of an inning to pick up the win. Miami left-hander Dillon Peters, making his major league debut, got a no-decision but pitched seven scoreless innings.

Reds 7, Pirates 3

PITTSBURGH -- Adam Duvall drove in two runs and was one of three players with at least two hits as Cincinnati handed Pittsburgh its fourth straight loss.

Cincinnati won its second in a row. The Reds, last in the National League Central, moved within five games of Pittsburgh. The Pirates fell 11 1/2 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs. Pittsburgh has lost 14 of 19.

Luis Castillo, one of four rookies in the Cincinnati rotation, pitched four innings, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (11-9) lasted six innings, giving up five runs and six hits. He had been 5-1 in his previous 10 starts.

Cardinals 11, Giants 6

SAN FRANCISCO -- Dexter Fowler greeted closer Sam Dyson with a triple and Kolten Wong lined the next pitch for a tie-breaking single in a six-run ninth, lifting St. Louis to a come-from-behind victory over San Francisco on a scorching night at AT&T Park.

Harrison Bader, Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty homered for the Cardinals (68-66), who gained a game on the Colorado Rockies in the National League wild-card race. St. Louis now trails Colorado (72-62) by four games.

Buster Posey collected three hits, Hunter Pence had a two-run triple and right-hander Johnny Cueto came off the disabled list to pitch 5 1/3 strong innings for the Giants, who have lost seven of their last eight games.

Back to top