MLB roundup: Max Scherzer gets 3,000th strikeout in Dodgers win

[September 13, 2021]  Max Scherzer allowed one hit over eight innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-0 win against the visiting San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon, completing the three-game sweep.

Scherzer took a perfect game into the eighth inning before Eric Hosmer pulled a double just out of the reach of right fielder Mookie Betts with one out. It was the only baserunner Scherzer allowed.

Scherzer (14-4) also struck out nine to become the 19th MLB pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts for his career. He struck out the side on nine pitches in the second inning, joining Chris Sale and Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers to accomplish an immaculate inning at least three times in their MLB careers.

Betts, Corey Seager and Justin Turner homered for the Dodgers (91-53), who remain 2 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants for the NL West lead.

Blake Snell started for San Diego (74-68), but limped off the field after throwing his 11th pitch.

Blue Jays 22, Orioles 7

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a grand slam and a two-run homer, Teoscar Hernandez also hit a grand slam and visiting Toronto defeated Baltimore.

Gurriel, who became the first Blue Jay to hit four grand slams in a season, had a career-best seven RBIs. Hernandez, who was twice hit by pitches, matched his career best with five RBIs. Danny Jansen added four RBIs in going 4-for-6.
 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 44th home run of the season to tie Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels for the major league lead. Jake Lamb (No. 7) had a solo shot for the Blue Jays (80-63), who won three of four from the Orioles and have 14 victories in their past 16 games.

White Sox 2, Red Sox 1

Leury Garcia hit a walk-off solo home run with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Chicago over visiting Boston in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Garcia's fifth homer of the season, against Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock (8-4), came after Eloy Jimenez and Yasmani Grandal had struck out back-to-back to open the home ninth.

Chicago has won two of its past three games after dropping four of its previous six. The White Sox moved 12 games ahead of Cleveland atop the American League Central, while Boston dropped into a tie with Toronto for the top AL wild-card spot.

Diamondbacks 5, Mariners 4

Tyler Gilbert allowed just two hits in 5 1/3 innings, both solo homers, as Arizona defeated host Seattle in an interleague game.

Ketel Marte homered for the Diamondbacks, who won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 26-27 and took their first series since sweeping visiting Philadelphia in a three-game set on Aug. 17-19.

Mitch Haniger, Dylan Moore and Jarred Kelenic went deep for the Mariners, who dropped three games back in the chase for the American League's second and final wild-card playoff berth.

Rockies 5, Phillies 4

Garrett Hampson homered twice, singled and drove in all five Colorado runs to lift the visiting Rockies past Philadelphia.

Brendan Rodgers added three hits and Elias Diaz had two hits and scored two runs for the Rockies, who won three of four in the series.

Bryce Harper homered and J.T. Realmuto contributed three hits and an RBI for the Phillies. Starter Aaron Nola gave up five hits and three runs with 10 strikeouts and no walks in 5 1/3 innings. Nola surpassed 200 strikeouts for the season during the outing.

Nationals 6, Pirates 2

Lane Thomas hit a three-run shot, one of three home runs by Washington, as the visiting Nationals topped Pittsburgh to avoid a series sweep.
 

Pittsburgh, the only team in the major leagues that has not swept an opponent this season, has been on the cusp 13 times.

Alex Avila and Luis Garcia also homered, and Yadiel Hernandez added an RBI single for the Nationals, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Brewers 11, Indians 1

Kolten Wong and Avisail Garcia each homered twice and Eric Lauer took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as visiting Milwaukee extended its winning streak to five games by routing Cleveland.

Manny Pina also homered for the Brewers, who scored seven runs in the first three innings and moved a franchise-record 34 games over .500.

Cleveland, which became the first team to ever be no-hit three times in a season on Saturday, failed to record a hit Sunday until Ryan Lavarnway singled with one out in the sixth.

Tigers 8, Rays 7 (11)

Jeimer Candelario hit a pair of home runs and knocked in three runs, while Robbie Grossman drew a game-ending walk with the bases loaded as host Detroit edged Tampa Bay in 11 innings.

Candelario's second homer, a two-run shot, erased Tampa's 7-5 lead in the 10th inning.

Miguel Cabrera had a two-run single for Detroit, while Kyle Funkhouser (7-3) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief.

Astros 3, Angels 1

Lance McCullers Jr. worked six strong innings while Kyle Tucker clubbed his 25th home run as Houston won the rubber match of its three-game series with visiting Los Angeles.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) swings and misses as he strikes out in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

McCullers (12-4) set the Angels down in order only twice yet routinely worked his way out of trouble. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks while recording seven strikeouts.

With the game tied at 1, Tucker turned on a first-pitch fastball from Angels reliever Jose Quijada (0-1) in the fifth, driving the pitch 406 yards to right-center field to score Yuli Gurriel and lift Houston to the 3-1 lead.

Braves 5, Marlins 3

Freddie Freeman celebrated his 32nd birthday by hitting his 30th home run to help lift Atlanta to a home victory over Miami.

Marlins reliever Antony Bass surrendered homers in the seventh inning to Freeman and Ozzie Albies, who went deep for the 28th time this season to break a tie game, as the Braves won the series finale to take the three-game series.

Freeman has at least 30 home runs in each of the last two full seasons, hitting 13 during last year's 60-game schedule.

Royals 5, Twins 3

Kyle Isbel drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the eighth inning and Kansas City defeated Minnesota in the rubber game of their three-game series in Minneapolis.

Adalberto Mondesi homered and Whit Merrifield had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and scored twice for Kansas City. Jake Brentz (4-2) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief while Scott Barlow notched his 12th save.

Byron Buxton went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and Brent Rooker had a two-run double for Minnesota.

Cardinals 2, Reds 0

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and five pitchers combined for a shutout as St. Louis beat Cincinnati.

The Cardinals took two of three games over the weekend while handing the Reds their sixth consecutive series loss.

Cardinals starting pitcher J.A. Happ and four relievers allowed only five hits by the Reds, who lost for the fifth time in their last seven games.

Giants 6, Cubs 5
 

Kris Bryant and Austin Slater each had two hits and drove in a run for San Francisco, which completed a three-game sweep over Chicago and won its seventh game in a row. Darin Ruf added two hits for the Giants.

Giants right-hander Logan Webb (10-3) picked up the victory after giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits before being pulled in the seventh inning. He walked two and struck out five.

Giants reliever Jake McGee survived a ninth-inning jam to collect his 31st save.

Rangers 4, Athletics 3

Isiah Kiner-Falefa highlighted a three-run third inning with a two-run single, and three pitchers combined to limit Oakland to five hits as the American League West's last-place team in Texas surprised the playoff hopeful for the second straight day.

Leody Taveras contributed an RBI triple, helping the Rangers capture the series 2-1, their third series win to go along with a split in their past four. Texas held on Sunday after taking a 4-0 lead in the fourth.

Yan Gomes and Matt Olson homered for Oakland, who fell three games off the pace in the AL wild-card chase.

Mets 7, Yankees 6

Francisco Lindor hit a career-high three homers Sunday night, including the tie-breaking solo shot in the eighth inning, as the host New York Mets edged the New York Yankees in a wild, tension-filled, back-and-forth Subway Series finale.

Lindor's third homer came one inning after benches emptied when he and Giancarlo Stanton exchanged words as Stanton rounded the bases following his game-tying two-run homer.

Seth Lugo (4-2) earned the win with a perfect eighth and Edwin Diaz allowed a pair of baserunners in the ninth but got Stanton to hit a game-ending pop-up to Lindor to secure his 29th save and cap the longest regular-season nine-inning Subway Series game at four hours and six minutes -- eight minutes longer than Saturday's game.
 

The Mets (72-72) moved within three games of the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds in the race for the second National League wild card while the Yankees (79-64) fell a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox in the AL wild-card race.

-Field Level Media

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