LDN - Sports

MLB roundup: Dodgers edge Rockies in pivotal opener

[September 08, 2018]

Yasiel Puig hit a home run in his return from suspension, and Clayton Kershaw pitched six strong innings as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers closed the gap on the first-place Colorado Rockies with a 4-2 victory Friday night.

The Dodgers opened a key National League West series by moving a half-game behind the division-leading Rockies. The teams face each other two more times this weekend and three more times later this month in Los Angeles.

Puig went deep in the second inning for his 16th home run of the season and first since Aug. 11. He missed the past two games as discipline for an on-field confrontation with the San Francisco Giants' Nick Hundley in August.

Kershaw (7-5) gave up two runs on six hits over six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. He picked up his 22nd career victory over the Rockies, tied for his most against a single team (Giants).

Diamondbacks 5, Braves 3

Paul Goldschmidt had two hits, including his 33rd home run, and left-hander Patrick Corbin pitched six strong innings as Arizona held off visiting Atlanta.

Daniel Descalso had two RBIs, and Nick Ahmed had two hits for the Diamondbacks, who moved within 1 1/2 games of Colorado in the National League West. They had lost five of six.

Johan Camargo had two doubles and a homer, Ronald Acuna Jr. had two hits and a stolen base and Nick Markakis had two hits for the Braves, whose lead in the NL East was shaved to 2 1/2 games over Philadelphia.

Brewers 4, Giants 2

Jesus Aguilar broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-out, two-run double, leading Milwaukee past visiting San Francisco.

The hard-fought win allowed the Brewers (80-62) to solidify their spot atop the National League wild-card race to 1 1/2 games over St. Louis (78-63). Milwaukee also gained a half-game on the first-place Chicago Cubs (83-57) in the NL Central.

Josh Hader (5-1), who struck out five over two scoreless innings in relief of Chase Anderson, was credited with the win. Jeremy Jeffress threw a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts for his ninth save.

Tigers 5, Cardinals 3

Jeimer Candelario hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give Detroit a win over visiting St. Louis.

Candelario's 18th homer of the season came off Jordan Hicks (3-4). Victor Reyes singled with one out prior to Candelario's opposite-field blast.

Marcell Ozuna hit two solo homers for the Cardinals.

Phillies 4, Mets 3

Aaron Nola kept pace in the National League Cy Young Award race, earning his 16th win by allowing three runs over seven innings as Philadelphia topped host New York.

The Phillies won for just the sixth time in 18 games.

Nola (16-4) gave up three hits and one walk while striking out eight as he moved into a tie for the NL lead in wins with one of his Cy Young competitors, Washington ace Max Scherzer.

Astros 6, Red Sox 3

Tyler White capped Houston's second consecutive three-run inning with an RBI single in the eighth, helping secure a win at Boston.

The Astros extended their winning streak to six games with the come-from-behind victory. They trailed 2-0 entering the seventh inning, limited to one hit at that point by Red Sox left-hander David Price, who was making his first start since getting hit on the wrist by a line drive on Aug. 29.

After losing a 3-2 lead taken in the seventh, the Astros rallied again in the eighth against Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly (4-2). George Springer, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman opened the frame with consecutive singles, and each came around to score.

Athletics 8, Rangers 4

Ramon Laureano led off two innings with home runs, and Marcus Semien contributed a two-run homer to a four-run second, propelling Oakland past visiting Texas.

A fourth win in their last five games allowed the A's (85-57) to keep pace with the Houston Astros (88-53) in the American League West and the New York Yankees (88-53) in the AL wild-card race. Oakland remains 3 1/2 games behind in each pursuit.

Laureano, Semien and Matt Chapman collected two RBIs each for the A's, who beat Texas for the 11th time in 17 meetings this season.

Yankees 4, Mariners 0

Masahiro Tanaka pitched eight scoreless innings as New York blanked host Seattle.

Rookie Gleyber Torres and Andrew McCutchen each hit two-run homers for the Yankees. New York has hit 230 home runs this season and is on pace to tie the major league record of 264 set by the 1997 Mariners, who featured Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez in their lineup.

Tanaka (11-5) allowed three hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out a season-high 10 to win his second September start after going 0-3 in August. The right-hander improved to 7-0 in eight career starts against the Mariners.

[to top of second column]

Sep 7, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer (10) dives but fails to field a ground ball against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Blue Jays 3, Indians 2 (11 innings)

Kevin Pillar hit the second walk-off home run of his career with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning as Toronto edged visiting Cleveland.

The Indians had loaded the bases in the top of 11th against Jake Petricka on a single and two walks, but Danny Barnes (3-2) retired Jose Ramirez on a groundout to end the threat.

Brad Hand struck out Rowdy Tellez to open the bottom of the 11th, his fourth strikeout in 1 1/3 innings, and was replaced by Adam Cimber (3-6), who allowed Pillar's 12th homer of the season.

Angels 5, White Sox 2

Felix Pena threw seven strong innings, and Shohei Ohtani homered to lead Los Angeles to a win at Chicago.

Pena (2-4) went seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking none. Ohtani hit a three-run homer, his fourth in his last three games, to increase his season total to 19, a major league record for Japanese-born rookies.

Before the game, Ohtani told reporters he will play out the season as a hitter and decide whether or not to have Tommy John surgery once the season is over. An MRI exam earlier this week showed Ohtani has new damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Rays 14, Orioles 2

Blake Snell became the second 18-game winner in the majors by pitching 5 1/3 outstanding innings as Tampa Bay slugged four homers to send visiting Baltimore to its 100th loss.

Snell (18-5) limited the Orioles to two runs on five hits. He tied a team record by winning his sixth consecutive start, becoming the fourth pitcher in Rays history to do.

He joined Cleveland ace Corey Kluber as the second 18-game winner. Snell also became Tampa Bay's first 18-game winner since left-hander David Price went 20-5 in 2012.

Pirates 5, Marlins 3

Rookie Kevin Kramer hit a game-tying single for his first major league RBI, and Jordan Luplow followed with a two-run home run in the seventh inning to push host Pittsburgh past Miami.

In the seventh against reliever Tayron Guerrero (1-3), Jordy Mercer led off with his career-high 28th double. Two outs later, Kramer made it 3-3 with a single to center. Luplow followed with his third homer, to right-center for a 5-3 lead.

Josh Bell also hit a two-run homer for the Pirates, who have won four straight.

Reds 12, Padres 6

Phillip Ervin drove in four runs with two homers, including a tiebreaking shot off Matt Strahm in the bottom of the fourth, and Scott Schebler hit a grand slam to cap a five-run sixth and lead Cincinnati past visiting San Diego.

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3-1), who faced the minimum nine hitters while allowing one hit with a strikeout in three scoreless innings, was credited with the win. Strahm (3-4) took the loss in relief.

The start of the game was delayed by two hours and 37 minutes due to rain.

Twins 10, Royals 6

Eddie Rosario homered, and Ehire Adrianza had three hits and three RBIs as Minnesota snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Kansas City in Minneapolis.

Logan Forsythe scored three runs, Jake Cave had two hits and scored two runs and Jorge Polanco and Rosario also each had two hits for the Twins.

Salvador Perez hit a three-run home run for the Royals.

Cubs-Nationals, ppd.

Washington and Chicago had their game at Nationals Park postponed after more than four hours of rain delays.

The contest will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Saturday, with Game 1 beginning at 3:05 p.m. ET. The second game will start approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first.

It was nearly three hours into a second rain delay with two out in the top of the second inning before the decision was made for a postponement, which came after the rain had stopped.

--Field Level Media

Back to top