(TSX / STATS) -- PHOENIX -- Arizona shortstop Ketel Marte had never hit against a five-man infield before, but it proved no barrier. He just went over it.
Marte's lined a single to deep left-center field in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in Brandon Drury with the winning run in the Diamondbacks' 4-3 walk-off victory over the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on Sunday, extending Arizona's franchise record start.
"In that situation, you don't try to do too much," said Marte, who was promoted from Triple-A Reno for the first time this season on Thursday after shortstop Nick Ahmed suffered a fractured wrist when he was hit by a pitch the day before.
"Just put the ball in play and see what happens. I'm not scared. I do the best I can. I'm just coming here to help my team win."
Drury singled with one out the ninth inning off Adam Ottavino (1-3). Chris Iannetta doubled to put runners on second and third before Chris Rusin entered and the Rockies went to a five-man infield.
Marte's liner one-hopped the fence in left-center field for his first career walk-off hit, the Diamondbacks' sixth walkoff of the season.
"A great moment for him, just getting called up," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "You always look for little push moments to help you move on to the next day. A bunch of people created that moment."
Chris Owings hit a two-run homer and Taijuan Walker gave up two runs (one earned) in seven innings as the Diamondbacks (52-31) remained one game ahead of the franchise record pace set in 2001.
Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado had two hits and an RBI and DJ LeMahieu had two hits for Colorado (48-36), which has lost 10 of 11 and was 1-8 on a road trip to San Francisco, the Dodgers and Arizona.
Colorado tied the score in the ninth inning on singles Ryan Hanigan, pinch-hitter Troy Wolters and Blackmon against Arizona closer Fernando Rodney (3-2).
Rodney had not given up a hit since May 26 and had not given up an earned run since April 29. He has converted 21 of 25 save chances. Although he blew the save opportunity, he was credited with the win.
Drury and Marte had two hits apiece for Arizona, which is 32-13 at home, the second-best home record in the majors behind NL West leader the Dodgers.
"Right now, the offense is not clicking," Colorado manager Bud Black said. "So am I concerned at the moment? I guess you can say, yes. But long term I know we are going to come out of it like good teams do. Like good offensive teams do.
"We have good offensive players and collectively we are not doing it. Also on this trip we have not pitched well either."
Colorado's Ian Desmond walked with one out in the fourth inning and took second on an infield error before scoring on Trevor Story's single to center field to break a scoreless tie. Walker got out of the inning on a double play.
Paul Goldschmidt walked to open the fourth inning against German Marquez and scored on Owings' one-out homer, his 12th home run of the season, for a 2-1 lead. Owings' previous career high for homers was six in 2014.
The Rockies tied it at 2 in the fifth inning on consecutive singles by Blackmon, LeMahieu and Arenado. Walker got another double play grounder to end that threat.
Marquez gave up three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.
NOTES: Arizona has four All-Stars -- 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 3B Jake Lamb, RHP Zack Greinke and LHP Robbie Ray. All were selected in the votes of players and managers. Colorado had four All-Stars -- 3B Nolan Arenado, CF Charlie Blackmon, 2B DJ LeMahieu and LHP Greg Holland. Arenado and Blackmon were voted in by the fans. ... Colorado LF Ian Desmond was removed from game with right leg cramp suffered while catching a Brandon Drury line drive for the second out in the fourth inning. The play before, Desmond had extended far over the left field fence in an attempt to catch RF Chris Owings' homer. ... Arizona OF Yasmany Tomas (groin/hip) suffered a setback when he was forced to leave a rehab game Saturday when feeling discomfort while sliding into second base on a double. ... Colorado has seven games remaining against Arizona and the Dodgers, the top two teams in the NL West. Arizona has 12 left against the Dodgers and will begin a three-game series on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
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Monday, July 3, 2017
Ozuna, Marlins mash Brewers 10-3
(TSX / STATS) -- MILWAUKEE -- Normally, stranding 15 runners while going 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position is an automatic death blow for a team, but the Miami Marlins' offense Sunday was good enough that those numbers did not matter.
Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs and Derek Deitrich added a third as the Marlins pounded out 17 hits in a 10-3 rout of the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Dan Straily (6-4) held the Brewers to three runs, five hits and a walk in six innings. He remained perfect against Milwaukee, improving to 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA in six career appearances (four starts), and 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four career starts at Miller Park.
"I thought he kind of got better as the day went on," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. "He's given up some homers, over the course of his career, because every time I do the matchups I see guys with a homer ... but it's a lot of solos, and not where he's getting himself in a lot of trouble and homers, it's not getting the ball where he wants and it costs him one. He did a nice job today."
Brewers right-hander Junior Guerra struck out seven but battled his command and couldn't get past the fourth inning for a second consecutive start. He gave up four runs, eight hits and three walks to drop his third consecutive decision.
"I feel like right now my velocity is off," Guerra said. "I've always had good velocity and I can just go after hitters. I haven't been able to do that, so I've been relying more on my off-speed a lot more. I feel like if I get that back a bit more, I'll be back to the Junior Guerra I was last year. I feel like that would help me a lot."
Guerra (1-3) worked around trouble in the first two innings, but with a 1-0 lead thanks to Domingo Santana's sacrifice fly in the first, he served up a three-run homer to Ozuna in the third.
Milwaukee got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Eric Thames crushed a 1-2 offering from Straily for his 21st home run of the season but his first since June 17.
The Marlins opened the fifth with back-to-back singles against Guerra and made it 4-2 when Justin Bour chased Guerra with an RBI double.
Straily had retired four of five batters before Orlando Arcia led off the fifth with his second home run in as many games and eighth of the year. But the Marlins restored their two-run cushion in the sixth on Christian Yelich's RBI single before Dietrich opened the seventh with a leadoff home run against Rob Scahill.
"We did a nice job getting out of jams for the first five innings and staying within striking distance," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Even through the sixth, Rob got out of a jam in the sixth. But there were just too many runners and eventually they broke through."
Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt made Brewers second baseman Jonathan Villar switch bats for having too much pine tar in the seventh inning, then did the same in the eighth with Ozuna up to the plate.
Ozuna ditched his lumber, borrowed one from Giancarlo Stanton and slugged his second homer of the afternoon.
"The bat boy brought me Stanton's bat, Giancarlo's bat, and I said, 'Hey, can I use it?' he says, 'Yeah,'" Ozuna said. "Maybe I swung harder."
J.T. Realmuto broke the game open with a two-run single later in the inning and Martin Prado drove in Miami's 10th run with a ninth-inning double.
NOTES: SS Orlando Arcia finished with two hits and homered for the second time in as many games. In his last 41 games, Arcia has batted .359 (52-for-145) with four home runs and 12 RBIs, raising his season average from .208 to .289 in the process. ... Miami LF Marcell Ozuna's two home runs marked his fourth career multi-homer game. ... The Marlins head to St. Louis on Monday to open a four-game series against the Cardinals behind LHP Jeff Locke (0-4, 5.52 ERA). Milwaukee will open a three-game interleague set against the Baltimore Orioles at Miller Park. The Brewers have yet to name a starter for that game. It was supposed to be RHP Chase Anderson, but he will miss 4-6 weeks after suffering a strained oblique in his last outing.
Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs and Derek Deitrich added a third as the Marlins pounded out 17 hits in a 10-3 rout of the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Dan Straily (6-4) held the Brewers to three runs, five hits and a walk in six innings. He remained perfect against Milwaukee, improving to 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA in six career appearances (four starts), and 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four career starts at Miller Park.
"I thought he kind of got better as the day went on," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. "He's given up some homers, over the course of his career, because every time I do the matchups I see guys with a homer ... but it's a lot of solos, and not where he's getting himself in a lot of trouble and homers, it's not getting the ball where he wants and it costs him one. He did a nice job today."
Brewers right-hander Junior Guerra struck out seven but battled his command and couldn't get past the fourth inning for a second consecutive start. He gave up four runs, eight hits and three walks to drop his third consecutive decision.
"I feel like right now my velocity is off," Guerra said. "I've always had good velocity and I can just go after hitters. I haven't been able to do that, so I've been relying more on my off-speed a lot more. I feel like if I get that back a bit more, I'll be back to the Junior Guerra I was last year. I feel like that would help me a lot."
Guerra (1-3) worked around trouble in the first two innings, but with a 1-0 lead thanks to Domingo Santana's sacrifice fly in the first, he served up a three-run homer to Ozuna in the third.
Milwaukee got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Eric Thames crushed a 1-2 offering from Straily for his 21st home run of the season but his first since June 17.
The Marlins opened the fifth with back-to-back singles against Guerra and made it 4-2 when Justin Bour chased Guerra with an RBI double.
Straily had retired four of five batters before Orlando Arcia led off the fifth with his second home run in as many games and eighth of the year. But the Marlins restored their two-run cushion in the sixth on Christian Yelich's RBI single before Dietrich opened the seventh with a leadoff home run against Rob Scahill.
"We did a nice job getting out of jams for the first five innings and staying within striking distance," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Even through the sixth, Rob got out of a jam in the sixth. But there were just too many runners and eventually they broke through."
Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt made Brewers second baseman Jonathan Villar switch bats for having too much pine tar in the seventh inning, then did the same in the eighth with Ozuna up to the plate.
Ozuna ditched his lumber, borrowed one from Giancarlo Stanton and slugged his second homer of the afternoon.
"The bat boy brought me Stanton's bat, Giancarlo's bat, and I said, 'Hey, can I use it?' he says, 'Yeah,'" Ozuna said. "Maybe I swung harder."
J.T. Realmuto broke the game open with a two-run single later in the inning and Martin Prado drove in Miami's 10th run with a ninth-inning double.
NOTES: SS Orlando Arcia finished with two hits and homered for the second time in as many games. In his last 41 games, Arcia has batted .359 (52-for-145) with four home runs and 12 RBIs, raising his season average from .208 to .289 in the process. ... Miami LF Marcell Ozuna's two home runs marked his fourth career multi-homer game. ... The Marlins head to St. Louis on Monday to open a four-game series against the Cardinals behind LHP Jeff Locke (0-4, 5.52 ERA). Milwaukee will open a three-game interleague set against the Baltimore Orioles at Miller Park. The Brewers have yet to name a starter for that game. It was supposed to be RHP Chase Anderson, but he will miss 4-6 weeks after suffering a strained oblique in his last outing.
White Sox pull out 6-5 win over Rangers
(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Forget for a moment the time-honored cliche that holds that hitting is contagious.
Chicago White Sox reliever Tommy Kahnle thinks the adage can apply to pitchers, too.
Kahnle comprised the middle leg of a resilient bullpen relay on Sunday afternoon, helping keep the White Sox afloat between early defensive struggles and late heroics from second baseman Yolmer Sanchez.
While Sanchez's two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning provided the go-ahead runs in Chicago's 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers, the relief corps put the White Sox in striking distance.
Right-handers Anthony Swarzak, Kahnle and David Robertson combined on 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief of staff ace Jose Quintana, scattering three hits, seven strikeouts and one intentional walk.
"Once everybody is on a roll, there's no telling how good we're going to be to pitch the rest of the way," Kahnle said. "But I feel like it's definitely contagious if we feed off of each other."
Chicago (36-45) overcame four errors that contributed to Texas wiping out a 4-1 deficit after three innings. Designated hitter Jonathan Lucroy's soft two-run single in the fifth inning gave the Rangers (40-42) a 5-4 lead.
Tyson Ross buoyed Texas with five innings of four-run ball, spacing four hits, five walks and three strikeouts. The Rangers walked seven batters in the game.
Relievers Ernesto Frieri and Matt Bush worked scoreless innings before Chicago capitalized against right-hander Jose Leclerc (1-2).
Sanchez said he knew he made contact with the barrel of the bat when he connected with Leclerc's 1-2 slider. The ball landed in the right-field stands, delighting most in a crowd of 26,206 that saw the White Sox win the rubber match of a three-game weekend series.
"We never quit," Sanchez said through a team interpreter. "We never quit, and we try to fight every single inning. It doesn't matter the run differential in that particular moment in the game."
Texas snapped Quintana's scoreless-innings streak at 19 2/3 innings with an unearned run in the third inning.
Successive White Sox errors -- from first baseman Todd Frazier and Sanchez -- and an infield single from Shin-Soo Choo loaded the bases for Elvis Andrus.
Andrus hit a grounder to third baseman Matt Davidson, who threw to Sanchez to force Choo at second base. But Sanchez was unable to throw to first base, the result of runner's interference on Choo, umpires initially ruled.
Texas won a replay challenge to overturn the call, however, transforming an inning-ending double play to an RBI groundout for Andrus.
Quintana threw 27 of his 96 pitches in the inning. He spaced five runs (three earned), six hits, five strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed a solo home run to Mike Napoli leading off the fourth.
"Quintana has been a premium pitcher in this league for a couple years now," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Even though we were able to scratch some runs across the board, we did have some opportunities."
The White Sox built confidence after stifling the Rangers' scoring chances.
"Whatever we screwed up for the first four or five innings, the reality is we play nine innings, and you start to try to make adjustments," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
Although the Rangers have had a winning record just three times in the past 38 days and have not been less than 10 games behind first-place Houston since May 26, optimism still is prevalent at the season's midpoint. Referencing the bullpen, Banister said, "We're going to continue to find guys."
Texas trailed Houston by seven games in early July 2015 before ultimately rallying to win the American League West.
"There's still a lot of games left," Choo said. "In 2015, we were in the same situation with Houston. They were a lot of games ahead of us and we caught them. Now they're ahead of us, so we have to catch up. But if we just play the right baseball, if we take care of just us, we know we'll be in a good position."
Andrus and Choo had two hits apiece for the Rangers. Melky Cabrera opened the scoring in the first inning for the White Sox, hitting a solo home run.
Robertson (4-2) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, scattering two hits and two strikeouts. Robertson fanned Carlos Gomez swinging with the bases loaded to end the game after the White Sox intentionally walked Adrian Beltre.
White Sox catcher Kevan Smith corralled a dropped third strike to end the game, diving back to home plate. The ensuing celebration in the White Sox dugout also was infectious.
"I was right at the top step watching," Kahnle said. "It was pretty funny because you hardly ever see a game end that way."
NOTES: Rangers C Robinson Chirinos stole his first career base in the fourth inning. ... 2B Pete Kozma started for the Rangers while Rougned Odor enjoyed his first day off this season. "It's time," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "There was a day that made sense. Today's the day. Gives us six potential off days through the All-Star break in a fairly short period of time." ... Chicago finished 4-6 during a 10-game homestand. The White Sox are scheduled to host Tampa Bay, Cleveland and San Francisco in another 10-game homestand Sept. 1-10.
Chicago White Sox reliever Tommy Kahnle thinks the adage can apply to pitchers, too.
Kahnle comprised the middle leg of a resilient bullpen relay on Sunday afternoon, helping keep the White Sox afloat between early defensive struggles and late heroics from second baseman Yolmer Sanchez.
While Sanchez's two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning provided the go-ahead runs in Chicago's 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers, the relief corps put the White Sox in striking distance.
Right-handers Anthony Swarzak, Kahnle and David Robertson combined on 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief of staff ace Jose Quintana, scattering three hits, seven strikeouts and one intentional walk.
"Once everybody is on a roll, there's no telling how good we're going to be to pitch the rest of the way," Kahnle said. "But I feel like it's definitely contagious if we feed off of each other."
Chicago (36-45) overcame four errors that contributed to Texas wiping out a 4-1 deficit after three innings. Designated hitter Jonathan Lucroy's soft two-run single in the fifth inning gave the Rangers (40-42) a 5-4 lead.
Tyson Ross buoyed Texas with five innings of four-run ball, spacing four hits, five walks and three strikeouts. The Rangers walked seven batters in the game.
Relievers Ernesto Frieri and Matt Bush worked scoreless innings before Chicago capitalized against right-hander Jose Leclerc (1-2).
Sanchez said he knew he made contact with the barrel of the bat when he connected with Leclerc's 1-2 slider. The ball landed in the right-field stands, delighting most in a crowd of 26,206 that saw the White Sox win the rubber match of a three-game weekend series.
"We never quit," Sanchez said through a team interpreter. "We never quit, and we try to fight every single inning. It doesn't matter the run differential in that particular moment in the game."
Texas snapped Quintana's scoreless-innings streak at 19 2/3 innings with an unearned run in the third inning.
Successive White Sox errors -- from first baseman Todd Frazier and Sanchez -- and an infield single from Shin-Soo Choo loaded the bases for Elvis Andrus.
Andrus hit a grounder to third baseman Matt Davidson, who threw to Sanchez to force Choo at second base. But Sanchez was unable to throw to first base, the result of runner's interference on Choo, umpires initially ruled.
Texas won a replay challenge to overturn the call, however, transforming an inning-ending double play to an RBI groundout for Andrus.
Quintana threw 27 of his 96 pitches in the inning. He spaced five runs (three earned), six hits, five strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed a solo home run to Mike Napoli leading off the fourth.
"Quintana has been a premium pitcher in this league for a couple years now," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Even though we were able to scratch some runs across the board, we did have some opportunities."
The White Sox built confidence after stifling the Rangers' scoring chances.
"Whatever we screwed up for the first four or five innings, the reality is we play nine innings, and you start to try to make adjustments," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
Although the Rangers have had a winning record just three times in the past 38 days and have not been less than 10 games behind first-place Houston since May 26, optimism still is prevalent at the season's midpoint. Referencing the bullpen, Banister said, "We're going to continue to find guys."
Texas trailed Houston by seven games in early July 2015 before ultimately rallying to win the American League West.
"There's still a lot of games left," Choo said. "In 2015, we were in the same situation with Houston. They were a lot of games ahead of us and we caught them. Now they're ahead of us, so we have to catch up. But if we just play the right baseball, if we take care of just us, we know we'll be in a good position."
Andrus and Choo had two hits apiece for the Rangers. Melky Cabrera opened the scoring in the first inning for the White Sox, hitting a solo home run.
Robertson (4-2) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, scattering two hits and two strikeouts. Robertson fanned Carlos Gomez swinging with the bases loaded to end the game after the White Sox intentionally walked Adrian Beltre.
White Sox catcher Kevan Smith corralled a dropped third strike to end the game, diving back to home plate. The ensuing celebration in the White Sox dugout also was infectious.
"I was right at the top step watching," Kahnle said. "It was pretty funny because you hardly ever see a game end that way."
NOTES: Rangers C Robinson Chirinos stole his first career base in the fourth inning. ... 2B Pete Kozma started for the Rangers while Rougned Odor enjoyed his first day off this season. "It's time," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "There was a day that made sense. Today's the day. Gives us six potential off days through the All-Star break in a fairly short period of time." ... Chicago finished 4-6 during a 10-game homestand. The White Sox are scheduled to host Tampa Bay, Cleveland and San Francisco in another 10-game homestand Sept. 1-10.
Gausman tosses seven scoreless as Orioles stop Rays
(TSX / STATS) -- BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter is confident that his team is still capable of making a run at the postseason, especially when some key players get healthy.
The Orioles reinforced that trust with a stellar performance against an American League East rival.
Kevin Gausman threw seven scoreless innings, Manny Machado had a three-run homer and Baltimore avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
"That was fun to watch," Showalter said about Gausman. "That was impressive. I thought the seventh inning was the most impressive inning he had. You could tell he was going to carry good stuff. The secondary stuff was really good today. It was probably the best secondary stuff he's had this year."
Mark Trumbo also homered for Baltimore, which plays seven straight road games heading into the All-Star break. Tampa Bay still managed its first series win at Camden Yards in two years.
Gausman (5-7) appears to have put some of his early season struggles behind him. He did not allow a hit until Logan Morrison managed a two-out single in the fourth inning.
Gausman allowed just two hits with a season-tying high nine strikeouts and two walks. He has given up three runs in his past 18 innings, including another 5 1/3 shutout innings Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
"I think you only get confidence from success," Gausman said. "You got to have that first. Feel like I'm throwing the ball well right now and just got to keep it going. Like you said, I had a great second half last year, so obviously looking forward to that and knowing I'm the type of guy that gets better as the season goes on. That's always good."
Tampa Bay catcher Jesus Sucre ended the shutout bid with a solo homer in the eighth off Mychal Givens.
Rays manager Kevin Cash fractured his left ankle running near Camden Yards early Sunday morning but did not miss the game.
"I was crossing the railroad track and I looked up and stepped into the track, I rolled it," Cash said.
Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb entered the game 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA in nine starts against the Orioles. This time, though, Baltimore took advantage of some miscues to open a 4-0 lead in the third.
Cobb (6-6) hit shortstop Ruben Tejada on the shoulder to put runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by Joey Rickard advanced both players, Cobb had a throwing error on a grounder by Seth Smith that allowed the first run to score. Machado followed with a three-run shot to left.
"Any time you are on the mound, you are trying to win the ballgame," Cobb said. "There are some things you don't know what goes on to keep the game close. You don't have that big inning and you give your team a chance to win late in the game. But we're fortunate to walk out of here with two out of three.
"We need to win series and ultimately try to get to that 90-win mark and get into the playoffs."
Trumbo led off the fourth with a towering homer that boosted the lead to 5-0. A two-run double by Smith increased the lead to 7-0 in the seventh and ended the day for Cobb, who finished with six earned runs and six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
The Rays simply could not respond against Gausman.
"That's about as well-pitched of a game that we've had against us this year or at least in a long time," Cash said. "Gausman was throwing 96, 98 miles per hour, spotting his fastball, showed a really good splitter and the occasional slider. I mean he made it really tough, so you're not going to piece together a lot of big innings when you're facing that kind of stuff and that type of command."
NOTES: Baltimore recalled RHP Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room, RHP Alec Asher was optioned to the Tides. ... Rays SS Tim Beckham was back in the lineup after missing the previous game with a sore ankle. ... Baltimore RHP Chris Tillman will not travel with the team on Monday to Milwaukee because his wife is overdue with their first child. Tillman is scheduled to start Wednesday against the Brewers, but the Orioles have a contingency plan in place in case he cannot pitch.
The Orioles reinforced that trust with a stellar performance against an American League East rival.
Kevin Gausman threw seven scoreless innings, Manny Machado had a three-run homer and Baltimore avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
"That was fun to watch," Showalter said about Gausman. "That was impressive. I thought the seventh inning was the most impressive inning he had. You could tell he was going to carry good stuff. The secondary stuff was really good today. It was probably the best secondary stuff he's had this year."
Mark Trumbo also homered for Baltimore, which plays seven straight road games heading into the All-Star break. Tampa Bay still managed its first series win at Camden Yards in two years.
Gausman (5-7) appears to have put some of his early season struggles behind him. He did not allow a hit until Logan Morrison managed a two-out single in the fourth inning.
Gausman allowed just two hits with a season-tying high nine strikeouts and two walks. He has given up three runs in his past 18 innings, including another 5 1/3 shutout innings Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
"I think you only get confidence from success," Gausman said. "You got to have that first. Feel like I'm throwing the ball well right now and just got to keep it going. Like you said, I had a great second half last year, so obviously looking forward to that and knowing I'm the type of guy that gets better as the season goes on. That's always good."
Tampa Bay catcher Jesus Sucre ended the shutout bid with a solo homer in the eighth off Mychal Givens.
Rays manager Kevin Cash fractured his left ankle running near Camden Yards early Sunday morning but did not miss the game.
"I was crossing the railroad track and I looked up and stepped into the track, I rolled it," Cash said.
Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb entered the game 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA in nine starts against the Orioles. This time, though, Baltimore took advantage of some miscues to open a 4-0 lead in the third.
Cobb (6-6) hit shortstop Ruben Tejada on the shoulder to put runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by Joey Rickard advanced both players, Cobb had a throwing error on a grounder by Seth Smith that allowed the first run to score. Machado followed with a three-run shot to left.
"Any time you are on the mound, you are trying to win the ballgame," Cobb said. "There are some things you don't know what goes on to keep the game close. You don't have that big inning and you give your team a chance to win late in the game. But we're fortunate to walk out of here with two out of three.
"We need to win series and ultimately try to get to that 90-win mark and get into the playoffs."
Trumbo led off the fourth with a towering homer that boosted the lead to 5-0. A two-run double by Smith increased the lead to 7-0 in the seventh and ended the day for Cobb, who finished with six earned runs and six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
The Rays simply could not respond against Gausman.
"That's about as well-pitched of a game that we've had against us this year or at least in a long time," Cash said. "Gausman was throwing 96, 98 miles per hour, spotting his fastball, showed a really good splitter and the occasional slider. I mean he made it really tough, so you're not going to piece together a lot of big innings when you're facing that kind of stuff and that type of command."
NOTES: Baltimore recalled RHP Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room, RHP Alec Asher was optioned to the Tides. ... Rays SS Tim Beckham was back in the lineup after missing the previous game with a sore ankle. ... Baltimore RHP Chris Tillman will not travel with the team on Monday to Milwaukee because his wife is overdue with their first child. Tillman is scheduled to start Wednesday against the Brewers, but the Orioles have a contingency plan in place in case he cannot pitch.
Ramirez leads Indians past Tigers, Verlander's strikeout streak ends
(TSX / STATS) -- DETROIT -- Jose Ramirez continues to tear up opposing pitchers no matter which side of the batter's box he is standing on.
The Cleveland third baseman homered twice and knocked in four runs and the Indians held off the Detroit Tigers 11-8 on Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park.
Ramirez, who has three multi-homer games, reached base four times and scored four runs. He hit his homers from opposite sides of the plate for the second time this season, the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat.
Ramirez is batting .325 with 15 homers and 42 RBIs and leads the club with 59 runs scored.
"It's been fun to watch," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "It's both sides of the plate and he gets so dangerous when he's in one of these (grooves). It's not just getting singles, he's hitting the ball a long way. There's a reason he's hitting behind (cleanup hitter Edwin) Encarnacion, because that's how dangerous he is."
Losing pitcher Justin Verlander (5-5) surrendered seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He didn't record a strikeout for the first time since May 4, 2007. The streak lasted 331 games and had been the majors' longest active streak. The strikeout streak was tied for the sixth longest since 1913.
"He's one of the most competitive pitchers you're ever going to see and we made him work for everything," Francona said.
Carlos Santana doubled twice and drove in three runs, Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run homer and Encarnacion scored twice and knocked in two runs for Cleveland (44-37).
Mike Clevinger (4-3) overcame early wildness to record the win. He allowed one run on two hits with a career-high-tying five walks and seven strikeouts in six innings.
Cody Allen got the last out to notch his 16th save after the Tigers scored six ninth-inning runs.
"I'm glad we were up nine instead of six," Francona said. "How many times do you give up six in the ninth and win? It's not going to put a damper on the day because we came out with good energy and played a good game. It's a little frustrating when you're just trying to get guys some work and all of a sudden you've got to get Cody up."
The Tigers lost the series 2-1 and dropped eight games behind the Indians in the American League Central Division.
"There's a whole bunch of feelings that happen when you don't pitch well," Verlander said. "Yeah, you want to pitch well for the team. You want to pitch well for yourself. You want to pitch well for everybody. You just want to win. My teammates came in after the game and during the game and said, 'Hey man, just don't worry about it. Spit it out, and get ready for the next one.' That's the kind of camaraderie we have in here."
James McCann drove in four runs and hit a three-run homer in the ninth, for Detroit (36-45).
Chisenhall put the Indians on top with his two-run shot in the second.
The Indians made it 4-0 in the third. Verlander got two outs before Ramirez drilled a 1-2 offering over the right-field wall. Chisenhall then walked and scored on Santana's double.
"My body feels great, my arm feels great. Just one of those days," Verlander said. "A couple of pitches, I went back and looked at (the video). I thought they may have caught too much plate or were a little up. But the curveball to Chisenhall was actually a decent pitch and the slider to Ramirez was on the black and in. Sometimes, you have to tip your cap."
Detroit scored its first run on J.D. Martinez's RBI double in the bottom of the inning.
Ramirez's second homer, a three-run blast, came off reliever Chad Bell in the fourth. Verlander's day ended one batter earlier when Encarnacion smacked a run-scoring single.
Encarnacion's RBI triple and Santana's two-run double in the sixth upped Cleveland's lead to 11-1.
NOTES: Detroit LF Justin Upton missed his third consecutive game because of right side soreness. Upton suffered the injury in the batting cage prior to Saturday's doubleheader. He leads the club in homers (15) and RBIs (52). ... Indiana RHP Danny Salazar made a rehab start with Triple-A Akron on Saturday. He threw 48 pitches in the 1 2/3-inning stint and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Salazar was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 4 with right shoulder soreness. ... Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler got the day off. He had appeared in every game since June 6. ... Indians 3B Jose Ramirez stretched his road hitting streak to 15 games.
The Cleveland third baseman homered twice and knocked in four runs and the Indians held off the Detroit Tigers 11-8 on Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park.
Ramirez, who has three multi-homer games, reached base four times and scored four runs. He hit his homers from opposite sides of the plate for the second time this season, the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat.
Ramirez is batting .325 with 15 homers and 42 RBIs and leads the club with 59 runs scored.
"It's been fun to watch," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "It's both sides of the plate and he gets so dangerous when he's in one of these (grooves). It's not just getting singles, he's hitting the ball a long way. There's a reason he's hitting behind (cleanup hitter Edwin) Encarnacion, because that's how dangerous he is."
Losing pitcher Justin Verlander (5-5) surrendered seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He didn't record a strikeout for the first time since May 4, 2007. The streak lasted 331 games and had been the majors' longest active streak. The strikeout streak was tied for the sixth longest since 1913.
"He's one of the most competitive pitchers you're ever going to see and we made him work for everything," Francona said.
Carlos Santana doubled twice and drove in three runs, Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run homer and Encarnacion scored twice and knocked in two runs for Cleveland (44-37).
Mike Clevinger (4-3) overcame early wildness to record the win. He allowed one run on two hits with a career-high-tying five walks and seven strikeouts in six innings.
Cody Allen got the last out to notch his 16th save after the Tigers scored six ninth-inning runs.
"I'm glad we were up nine instead of six," Francona said. "How many times do you give up six in the ninth and win? It's not going to put a damper on the day because we came out with good energy and played a good game. It's a little frustrating when you're just trying to get guys some work and all of a sudden you've got to get Cody up."
The Tigers lost the series 2-1 and dropped eight games behind the Indians in the American League Central Division.
"There's a whole bunch of feelings that happen when you don't pitch well," Verlander said. "Yeah, you want to pitch well for the team. You want to pitch well for yourself. You want to pitch well for everybody. You just want to win. My teammates came in after the game and during the game and said, 'Hey man, just don't worry about it. Spit it out, and get ready for the next one.' That's the kind of camaraderie we have in here."
James McCann drove in four runs and hit a three-run homer in the ninth, for Detroit (36-45).
Chisenhall put the Indians on top with his two-run shot in the second.
The Indians made it 4-0 in the third. Verlander got two outs before Ramirez drilled a 1-2 offering over the right-field wall. Chisenhall then walked and scored on Santana's double.
"My body feels great, my arm feels great. Just one of those days," Verlander said. "A couple of pitches, I went back and looked at (the video). I thought they may have caught too much plate or were a little up. But the curveball to Chisenhall was actually a decent pitch and the slider to Ramirez was on the black and in. Sometimes, you have to tip your cap."
Detroit scored its first run on J.D. Martinez's RBI double in the bottom of the inning.
Ramirez's second homer, a three-run blast, came off reliever Chad Bell in the fourth. Verlander's day ended one batter earlier when Encarnacion smacked a run-scoring single.
Encarnacion's RBI triple and Santana's two-run double in the sixth upped Cleveland's lead to 11-1.
NOTES: Detroit LF Justin Upton missed his third consecutive game because of right side soreness. Upton suffered the injury in the batting cage prior to Saturday's doubleheader. He leads the club in homers (15) and RBIs (52). ... Indiana RHP Danny Salazar made a rehab start with Triple-A Akron on Saturday. He threw 48 pitches in the 1 2/3-inning stint and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Salazar was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 4 with right shoulder soreness. ... Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler got the day off. He had appeared in every game since June 6. ... Indians 3B Jose Ramirez stretched his road hitting streak to 15 games.
Happ's two HRs help Cubs top Reds in series finale
(TSX / STATS) -- CINCINNATI -- Joe Maddon's litmus test to evaluate Jake Arrieta's stuff on Sunday was how he fared against Joey Votto, arguably one of the best hitters in all of baseball.
Votto went 1-for-3 against Arrieta with a strikeout but managed to do something against him no other Reds batter could -- get a hit.
Arrieta allowed only a single by Votto through seven innings, Ian Happ homered twice and Anthony Rizzo added a solo shot, helping the Chicago Cubs avoid a sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnatio Reds.
Arrieta, pitching in Great American Ball Park where he hurled a no-hitter on April 21, 2016, looked unhittable at times during his seven frames. He retired 10 straight in one stretch and 19 of the final 20 batters he faced.
"Votto did not have good at-bats against him, that tells me his stuff was very good," Maddon said. "That was as good as we've seen Jake in a bit. If he keeps pitching with that command, the confidence is going to come up. I was just watching their hitters react."
The Cubs' offensive star was Happ, who, while starring at the University of Cincinnati, regularly attended games at Great American Ball Park and even played there once against the University of Louisville in 2013. On Sunday, Happ went 3-for-4 with two homers and tied a career high with four RBIs.
"I feel good about how I've been swinging the bat the past couple weeks," Happ said. "I've had some pretty good ABs. I'm just trying to go out there and play good baseball and compete every day."
The victory helped Chicago (41-41) avoid its first three-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1996. The Cubs have beaten the Reds in 24 of the past 31 meetings.
"Two thumbs up," Maddon said when asked about going 5-6 on the road trip. "The hitting has fluctuated. The pitching has fluctuated. Everybody's doing their part which is why we're .500. But, we're getting guys back (healthy). Impressed with how we continue to fight."
Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, who entered Sunday's game 1-for-16, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
Votto's two-out single in the first inning was the only hit allowed by Arrieta (8-6), who had two walks and six strikeouts in 100 pitches.
Arrieta credited an improved changeup on Sunday that helped him avoid the command issues he has experienced throughout the season.
"Getting more comfortable with it," Arrieta said. "It's opening up some doors, allowing me to do some more things. It's a big pitch for me. The two walks, I'm OK with that, as long as I can swing things back in my favor with some quick outs."
Votto's two-run single in the eighth -- his 1,499th career hit -- off Koji Uehara, made the score 6-2 and raised his average to a season-high .317. But the Reds couldn't mount a rally.
In the second, Happ launched a 2-2 pitch from Reds starter Tim Adleman to deep center, putting the Cubs ahead 2-0. Adleman (5-5) allowed three earned runs, six hits and two homers in five innings.
In the fourth inning, Happ clubbed his 12th homer for his second career multi-home run game. He is only the third Cubs player in the past 100 seasons to have at least 11 homers in his first 45 games. Happ had a large contingent of family and friends in attendance throughout this weekend's series.
"This is home away from home, via Pittsburgh," Maddon said. "He really dropped the barrel a couple times. He can do a lot of things for us."
Happ added a broken-bat single off Blake Wood to drive in a run in the sixth to make the score 4-0. It was the third time this season he has had four RBIs in a game.
"I really like the opposite-field single, scoring a run, we need more of that," Maddon said. "He had a wonderful day, obviously."
Rizzo's towering solo home run in the seventh off Austin Brice made the score 5-0. Rizzo's 19th homer of the season landed on the roof of the home bullpen in right field.
"They were just better today," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "Arrieta was really good. He didn't give us much. We only hit a couple balls on the barrel. This homestand (winning) four out of six works. That has to be our mantra for the rest of the year -- we have to pitch better."
NOTES: The Reds haven't swept the Cubs in Cincinnati since Sept. 24-26, 1996, at Cinergy Field. ... Reds RHP Asher Wojciechowski's contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville to give them an extra bullpen arm for a seven-game road trip to Colorado. . . . Arizona. RHP Jackson Stephens, who posted his first major league victory on Saturday, was optioned to Triple-A. LHP Brandon Finnegan was moved to the 60-day disabled list. ... Cubs RF Ben Zobrist made his first start since coming off the disabled list and went 0-for-4.
Votto went 1-for-3 against Arrieta with a strikeout but managed to do something against him no other Reds batter could -- get a hit.
Arrieta allowed only a single by Votto through seven innings, Ian Happ homered twice and Anthony Rizzo added a solo shot, helping the Chicago Cubs avoid a sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnatio Reds.
Arrieta, pitching in Great American Ball Park where he hurled a no-hitter on April 21, 2016, looked unhittable at times during his seven frames. He retired 10 straight in one stretch and 19 of the final 20 batters he faced.
"Votto did not have good at-bats against him, that tells me his stuff was very good," Maddon said. "That was as good as we've seen Jake in a bit. If he keeps pitching with that command, the confidence is going to come up. I was just watching their hitters react."
The Cubs' offensive star was Happ, who, while starring at the University of Cincinnati, regularly attended games at Great American Ball Park and even played there once against the University of Louisville in 2013. On Sunday, Happ went 3-for-4 with two homers and tied a career high with four RBIs.
"I feel good about how I've been swinging the bat the past couple weeks," Happ said. "I've had some pretty good ABs. I'm just trying to go out there and play good baseball and compete every day."
The victory helped Chicago (41-41) avoid its first three-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1996. The Cubs have beaten the Reds in 24 of the past 31 meetings.
"Two thumbs up," Maddon said when asked about going 5-6 on the road trip. "The hitting has fluctuated. The pitching has fluctuated. Everybody's doing their part which is why we're .500. But, we're getting guys back (healthy). Impressed with how we continue to fight."
Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, who entered Sunday's game 1-for-16, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
Votto's two-out single in the first inning was the only hit allowed by Arrieta (8-6), who had two walks and six strikeouts in 100 pitches.
Arrieta credited an improved changeup on Sunday that helped him avoid the command issues he has experienced throughout the season.
"Getting more comfortable with it," Arrieta said. "It's opening up some doors, allowing me to do some more things. It's a big pitch for me. The two walks, I'm OK with that, as long as I can swing things back in my favor with some quick outs."
Votto's two-run single in the eighth -- his 1,499th career hit -- off Koji Uehara, made the score 6-2 and raised his average to a season-high .317. But the Reds couldn't mount a rally.
In the second, Happ launched a 2-2 pitch from Reds starter Tim Adleman to deep center, putting the Cubs ahead 2-0. Adleman (5-5) allowed three earned runs, six hits and two homers in five innings.
In the fourth inning, Happ clubbed his 12th homer for his second career multi-home run game. He is only the third Cubs player in the past 100 seasons to have at least 11 homers in his first 45 games. Happ had a large contingent of family and friends in attendance throughout this weekend's series.
"This is home away from home, via Pittsburgh," Maddon said. "He really dropped the barrel a couple times. He can do a lot of things for us."
Happ added a broken-bat single off Blake Wood to drive in a run in the sixth to make the score 4-0. It was the third time this season he has had four RBIs in a game.
"I really like the opposite-field single, scoring a run, we need more of that," Maddon said. "He had a wonderful day, obviously."
Rizzo's towering solo home run in the seventh off Austin Brice made the score 5-0. Rizzo's 19th homer of the season landed on the roof of the home bullpen in right field.
"They were just better today," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "Arrieta was really good. He didn't give us much. We only hit a couple balls on the barrel. This homestand (winning) four out of six works. That has to be our mantra for the rest of the year -- we have to pitch better."
NOTES: The Reds haven't swept the Cubs in Cincinnati since Sept. 24-26, 1996, at Cinergy Field. ... Reds RHP Asher Wojciechowski's contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville to give them an extra bullpen arm for a seven-game road trip to Colorado. . . . Arizona. RHP Jackson Stephens, who posted his first major league victory on Saturday, was optioned to Triple-A. LHP Brandon Finnegan was moved to the 60-day disabled list. ... Cubs RF Ben Zobrist made his first start since coming off the disabled list and went 0-for-4.
Correa, Gurriel help carry Astros past Yankees
(TSX / STATS) -- HOUSTON -- Ascendant shortstop Carlos Correa now has All-Star credentials, but what makes the Houston Astros so dangerous offensively is the impressive depth of their lineup, one that features the likes of first baseman Yuli Gurriel batting eighth.
Correa had a career-high-tying four hits, Gurriel chipped in with his second consecutive three-hit game and a weary bullpen worked wonders in the Astros' 8-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.
Correa recorded two singles and a pair of doubles, including one with two outs in the fourth inning that plated two runs, and Gurriel fell a triple shy of the cycle as the Astros (56-27) claimed the rubber match of the three-game series.
Gurriel scored three runs and clubbed his 10th homer of the season and second of the series in the seventh. He became the eighth Houston player to reach double figures in home runs by the All-Star break, a club record.
"When he's swinging the bat like he has recently, it's pretty scary to have that good a hitter that low in the order," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Gurriel, who closed the series 6-for-12 with four runs and six RBIs. "He's dangerous, and when he gets hot, as we can see, he can put some really good swings on balls.
"It's a great advantage for us because you don't have an inning where you can breathe as a pitcher when you face us, and I think we're demonstrating that time and time again."
Astros right-hander Mike Fiers labored with his control and efficiency, needing 105 pitches to complete four scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and posted seven strikeouts but issued four walks and subsequently put the onus on an overworked bullpen to keep the Yankees (43-37) at bay over the final five innings.
The relievers obliged.
Right-handers Chris Devenski (5-3) and Michael Feliz combined to work three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Right-hander James Hoyt surrendered hits to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the eighth, snapping a string of 15 consecutive batters retired, but rallied with a pair of flyouts to right for a scoreless frame.
"Yeah it's been tough, but at the end of the day we've got to go out there and do our job," Devenski said of the heavy workload. "And find a way to get it done."
The Yankees averted the shutout, which would have been their first this season, when Chris Carter followed a leadoff double by Chase Headley with an RBI single off Astros southpaw Ashur Tolliver in the ninth. Dayan Diaz, fresh off his first career win on Saturday, induced a double play before striking out Brett Gardner.
In the second inning, Houston third baseman Marwin Gonzalez broke the scoreless tie with a two-run homer, his career-high 14th, off Yankees starter Luis Severino (5-4). Correa upped the lead to 5-0 with his double in the fourth before adding an RBI single in the sixth inning that plated George Springer and built the lead to 6-0.
Severino allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk over 5 1/3 innings.
"It's difficult," Severino said. "Right now, that's the hottest team in baseball. You have to command your pitches. It'd be easier if my fastball command was there and my slider was working."
The Astros completed the season series against the Yankees by winning five of seven games. The Yankees finished 3-4 on their road trip.
"We're in a frustrating part of our year, but I think this week is really important for us at home to turn things around and win some games we're supposed to," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
NOTES: Yankees RHP Adam Warren threw a simulated game on Sunday and is expected to be reinstated from the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday when the Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays. Warren landed on the DL on June 16 with right shoulder inflammation. ... The Astros recalled LHP Ashur Tolliver from Triple-A Fresno for the purpose of having an additional arm for their exhausted bullpen. Houston had nine relievers listed on their roster. ... Yankees LHP CC Sabathia will be reinstated from the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday and will start against the Toronto Blue Jays. Sabathia has been sidelined since June 15 with a left hamstring strain. ... Astros SS Carlos Correa declined an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby during All-Star week. Correa entered Sunday leading major league shortstops with 17 home runs.
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