MLB roundup: Leake takes perfect game to 9th as Mariners beat Angels 10-0

SEATTLE  — Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners lost his bid to pitch a perfect game on a leadoff single in the ninth inning by rookie Luis Rengifo, then finished off the Los Angeles Angels for a 10-0 win Friday night.

A week after the worst start of his career, Leake almost achieved baseball immortality.


The Angels hadn’t come close to a hit and Leake hadn’t gone to a three-ball count before Rengifo grounded a clean hit to right field on Leake’s 79th pitch.

The fans gave Leake a standing ovation and he quickly waved to acknowledge their cheers.

After a walk, Leake (8-8) retired the next three batters for a one-hitter, striking out Mike Trout on a full-count pitch to end it. Leake fanned six overall and walked one.

Leake’s second career shutout came exactly a week after he was tagged by the Angels in his previous start, giving up seven runs on eight hits and a walk while getting just two outs. The Angels pitched a combined no-hitter that night in Anaheim while the entire club wore jerseys honoring late teammate Tyler Skaggs.


Daniel Vogelbach hit two homers and drove in six runs as Seattle stopped a six-game losing streak.

BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 3

ATLANTA— Josh Donaldson’s bases-loaded single off Fernando Rodney in the ninth inning lifted Atlanta over Washington after Luke Jackson allowed a tying, two-run homer to Victor Robles in the top half.

Ronald Acuña Jr., who had three hits, led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk off Rodney (0-3) and took second on Dansby Swanson’s single. Freddie Freeman walked on four pitches, loading the bases.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez brought in left fielder Juan Soto as a fifth infielder, including three on the left side against the right-handed hitting Donaldson.

Donaldson hit a 2-0 pitch over Robles to center-field warning track, and the Braves boosted their NL East lead to 6½ games over the second-place Nationals. Atlanta had lost its previous five home games against Washington.

YANKEES 8, ROCKIES 2

NEW YORK — Edwin Encarnación hit a go-ahead grand slam, a trio of ex-Rockies beat up on their former team and New York defeated Colorado.

Encarnación lined his 12th career slam in the third inning off Kyle Freeland, and first-year Yankees DJ LeMahieu, Adam Ottavino and Mike Tauchman poured it on in their first games against their old club. LeMahieu had two hits and two RBIs, Ottavino struck out the side in a perfect relief inning and Tauchman had a career-high three hits, a stolen base and threw out a runner at home plate from left field.

Aaron Judge added a two-run homer, and J.A. Happ (8-5) struck out eight while pitching two-run ball over five innings for the Yankees. New York came from behind to win for a fourth straight game and improved to a major league-best 63-33 — 30 games over .500 for the first time this season. The Yankees lead second-place Tampa Bay by a season-high nine games in the AL East.

ASTROS 4, RANGERS 3

HOUSTON — Justin Verlander struck out 12 in six solid innings, four Houston players hit solo home runs and the Astros held on to beat Texas.

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez led off the third inning with consecutive home runs to extend Houston’s lead to 4-0. Altuve hit his homer to left-center field, and Bregman sent his to left on the next pitch before Alvarez hit a 474-foot monster shot into the second deck in right field.

It was the first time the Astros had hit three straight homers since June, 20, 2018, against Tampa Bay.

Yuli Gurriel led off the second with a solo shot to left. 



Verlander (12-4) allowed two runs and eight hits. The right-hander struck out at least 11 for the fourth time this season.

ATHLETICS 5, TWINS 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Marcus Semien led off the game with a home run and later tripled and doubled as Oakland kept rolling, topping Minnesota on a sweltering night.

The temperature at first pitch was 94 degrees on a humid, muggy evening. It was tied for the second-hottest start in Target Field’s 10-year history, trailing only a 97-degree reading on July 16, 2012.

Khris Davis hit a pair of RBI singles as the A’s won for the 20th time in 26 games. The AL Central-leading Twins have lost four of five.

Chris Bassitt (7-4) allowed two earned runs in five innings. Liam Hendriks earned his seventh save by retiring the final five batters.

DODGERS 2, MARLINS 1

LOS ANGELES — Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched seven strong innings and combined with Kenta Maeda and Kenley Jansen to help Los Angeles beat Miami.

Playing at Dodger Stadium for the first time since the All-Star break, the NL West leaders turned a Miami error into the go-ahead run in the sixth.

Ryu (11-2), who started for the National League in the All-Star game, gave up one run on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. 



Maeda took over for Ryu in the eighth, his first relief appearance this season. Maeda is expected to return to the rotation, but he was used out of the bullpen this time after a 35-pitch, rain-shortened start Wednesday at Philadelphia.

GIANTS 1, METS 0, 10 INNINGS.

SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Dickerson raced home from first on a botched fly ball to shallow left field with two outs in the 10th inning and San Francisco won its season-high seventh straight game.

On a night dominated by starting pitchers Jacob deGrom of New York and Tyler Beede of San Francisco, it took a misplay in the field to score the only run of the game. Pablo Sandoval hit a fly ball off Jacob Rhame (0-1) that looked like it would be a routine out to end the inning. But left fielder Dominic Smith came in and misplayed the ball for an error, perhaps distracted by shortstop Amed Rosario.

Dickerson never stopped running and scored when cutoff man Todd Frazier’s throw home was off target, sending the Giants pouring out of the dugout in celebration. The victory lifted the Giants’ record to 49-49, the first time they have been at .500 since the start of the season.

Sam Dyson (4-1) pitched a perfect 10th for the win.

DIAMONDBACKS 10, BREWERS 7

PHOENIX— Christian Walker hit a two-run homer to cap the first natural cycle in Arizona’s history, lifting the Diamondbacks over Milwaukee.

The Diamondbacks broke open the game with six runs in the third inning against Jhoulys Chacin (3-10), punctuated by hitting a single, double, triple and home run in four straight at-bats.

Arizona’s Eduardo Escobar homered and had a run-scoring triple, and All-Star Ketel Marte had two RBIs for a career-high 60.

Archie Bradley (3-4) allowed a hit in 1 1/3 innings and Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, his majors-leading 35th, and Lorenzo Cain hit a solo shot for the Brewers, who scored three runs in the seventh inning to pull within 10-7.

WHITE SOX 9, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Leury García had four hits, including three doubles, Reynaldo López won for the first time in six starts and Chicago stopped a seven-game losing streak by beating slumping Tampa Bay.

García became the first White Sox player to have three doubles in a game since Adam Eaton against Minnesota on Aug. 2, 2014.

López (5-8) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. He had been 0-2 with a 5.34 ERA since beating Kansas City on June 9.

Tampa Bay dropped a season-high nine games behind the AL East-leading Yankees after arriving about 3:30 a.m. following a doubleheader loss in New York. The Rays have dropped behind Cleveland and Oakland for the two AL wild-card spots. The Rays held an eight-game lead over the third-place team in the wild-card race at the start of play on June 11 but have lost 20 of 35 since.

Rays rookie Brendan McKay (1-1) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his fourth start, allowing six runs — five earned — and nine hits as his ERA doubled from 1.69 to 3.72.

ORIOLES 11, RED SOX 2

BALTIMORE— Anthony Santander and Keon Broxton homered off David Price, and Baltimore got six solid innings from rookie right-hander John Means in a rout of Boston. 



Price (7-3) allowed six runs, eight hits and a walk in four innings to take his first loss in 13 starts since April 27. The left-hander was 8-0 at Camden Yards and 16-5 lifetime against the Orioles before turning in a surprisingly ineffective performance in 96-degree heat against the team with the worst record in the big leagues.

Sam Travis homered for the Red Sox, who had won 14 of their previous 16 road games.

Boston leadoff hitter Mookie Betts had his streak of scoring in 13 straight games come to an end, one short of breaking the franchise record he now shares with Ted Williams (1946).

Means (8-5), the Orioles’ lone representative on the AL All-Star team, gave up two runs and four hits.

CARDINALS 12, REDS 11

CINCINNATI  — Jose Martinez homered and singled during a 10-run rally in the sixth inning and St. Louis overcame a seven-run deficit for a wild win over Cincinnati.

Down 7-0, the Cardinals put together their biggest inning of the season on the way to their sixth win in seven games.

Jesse Winker hit a two-out, two-run single in the ninth off Cardinals closer Carlos Martinez. But Joey Votto grounded out with runners at the corners to give Martinez his seventh save.

Journeyman catcher Ryan Lavarnway hit two homers, doubled and drove in a career-high six runs for Cincinnati in his first game in the majors this season.

BLUE JAYS 12, TIGERS 1

DETROIT — Marcus Stroman breezed through seven scoreless innings, and Toronto batted around in both the fourth and the sixth on its way to a rout of Detroit.

Teoscar Hernandez homered for Toronto, which scored four runs in the fourth and five in the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate in each inning. The Tigers lost for the 26th time in their last 29 home games. That does not include a May 19 game in which Detroit was also losing when the contest was suspended.

Stroman (6-10) allowed six hits. The All-Star right-hander struck out five with no walks in what was his first career start at Detroit.

Jordan Zimmermann (0-7) is now winless in his last 16 starts.

PHILLIES 6, PIRATES 1

PITTSBURGH — Bryce Harper’s go-ahead RBI single was one of 15 hits Philadelphia used to beat Pittsburgh.

Harper hit a seventh-inning single off Pirates reliever Richard Rodríguez (3-4) that scored pinch-hitter Brad Miller to give the Phillies their first lead of the game.

Rookie outfielder Adam Haseley added a solo homer to start the scoring and a run-scoring double to cap it for the Phillies. The rally made a winner of Juan Nicasio (2-3), who pitched one-third of an inning in relief of starter Jake Arrieta.

INDIANS 10, ROYALS 5

CLEVELAND — Rookie Oscar Mercado went 5 for 5 and drove in two runs as Cleveland won its sixth straight game, beating Kansas City. 



Mercado had an RBI double in the third inning and a run-scoring single in the sixth. He also scored twice.

Mercado is batting .423 (11 for 26) with three home runs and eight RBIs over the last eight games. He was called up from Triple-A Columbus on May 14 and became the 12th Indians rookie since 1913 to have at least five hits in a game.

Shane Bieber (9-3), making his second start since being named MVP of the All-Star Game held at Progressive Field, allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

CUBS 6, PADRES 5

CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo hit a grand slam and Chicago overcame an early home run by Manny Machado to beat San Diego.

Javier Báez also homered for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won six of seven since the All-Star break.

Josh Naylor tied the score 5-5 in the eighth inning against Pedro Strop (2-3) with his first career pinch homer, but the Cubs went back ahead in the bottom half.

Anthony Rizzo singled off Craig Stammen (6-5), rookie shortstop Fernandez Tatis Jr. threw Addison Russell’s grounder into center field for an error, Jason Heyward was intentionally walked and David Bote hit a grounder to third. Machado threw home for a forceout and catcher Francisco Mejia threw to first, even though he didn’t have a play on Bote. The ball hit off the glove of first baseman Eric Hosmer and bounced into short right field as Rizzo scored on Hosmer’s error.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Worth shouting about: George Springer wins World Series MVP

LOS ANGELES — George Springer hit so many clutch home runs, he was a clear pick for World Series MVP.
He often was the Most Vocal Person, too — and that might be the most remarkable part of his story.

The Houston leadoff man hammered his way to the award, homering and doubling Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) to boost the Astros to their first championship with a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7.

He launched a Series record-tying five homers, including shots in each of the final four games, and celebrated those Springer Dingers by hollering around the bases.

Many years ago, that type of trip would’ve been hard to believe. Impossible, really.

As a kid, Springer stuttered so severely that he frequently fell silent, unless he was around his family or close friends. Over time, he’s improved so much that he graciously grants interviews, even on national television, and never seems to shy away from the spotlight. He even wore a live mic in center field during the All-Star Game in July.

Watch closely and you can see Springer, just for a moment, still begins to stumble over words sometimes. So he will calmly slow himself down, or pause for a second, before gathering himself and continuing on eloquently.

At 28, the All-Star center fielder has taken every chance he’s gotten this postseason to talk about Camp SAY — that’s the Stuttering Association for the Young.

Springer is a spokesman for the two-week summer camp that benefits kids and teens who stutter. He also runs a charity bowling event, raising money to help people attend the program.

“I hope there’s somebody somewhere out there that is impacted and can learn to just go be who you are and not let any stage or any place stop you,” he said last week.

On baseball’s big stage, the Dodgers couldn’t stop him.

Springer tied Reggie Jackson (1977) and Chase Utley (2009) for the most home runs in a Series. The UConn product became the first hitter to homer four games in a row during a single Series, and also set the mark with eight extra-base hits.

“This is a dream come true,” he said.

He bounced back fast from a tough start, when he struck out all four at-bats in the opener, extending his slump to 3 for 30. He looked lost at the plate facing Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, but manager A.J. Hinch firmly said Springer would stay atop the lineup.

Good move. Springer went 11 for 25 the rest of the way.

He hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the 11th inning of a Game 2 win at Dodger Stadium. He doubled during a victory in Game 3, and homered again in a Game 4 loss.

He connected for a huge homer in Game 5, moments after an ill-advised dive for a sinking liner that skipped past him. He later drew a two-out walk in the 10th that set up the winning run at Minute Maid Park.

Springer hit a solo home run in Game 6 that put the Astros ahead in a game they eventually lost 3-1.

His final Series line: a .379 average, seven RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage.

Springer rallied from a rugged showing in the AL Championship Series, when he batted just .115 (3 for 26) without an extra-base hit or RBI in seven games against the Yankees.

That came after his fourth and most productive season in the majors, when he set career highs by hitting .283 with 34 home runs and 85 RBIs.

His production follows his pedigree.

Drafted 11th overall by the Astros out of Connecticut in 2011, George Chelston Springer III comes from a family of athletes. His dad pitched in the Little League World Series, his mom was an accomplished gymnast, and his two sisters played softball in college.

In fact, Springer wears No. 4 to represent the four members of his immediate family. Engaged to be married in January, Springer won’t be able to bump up to No. 5 — the Astros retired that jersey for Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Dodgers beat Astros 3-1, force World Series to Game 7

LOS ANGELES— Joc Pederson sliced a drive over the left-field wall, pounded his chest and danced around the bases, taking as many twists and turns as this World Series itself.

Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers forced the Houston Astros to Game 7.

Chris Taylor hit a tying double off Justin Verlander during a two-run rally in the sixth inning, Corey Seager followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly and the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 on Tuesday night to push this dramatic Fall Classic to the ultimate game.

Pederson homered in the seventh against Joe Musgrove, connecting off the right-hander for the second time in three games and making it a record 24 long balls that have been hit in this Series. Pederson pranced all the way to the plate, pointing at the Dodgers’ dugout and rubbing his thumbs and index fingers together to indicate what a money shot it was.

“You kind of black out in a situation like that. So I’m going to have to re-watch it to see what I did,” Pederson said.

It was the third home run of the Series for Pederson, who was demoted to the minors from mid-August until early September, then left off the NL Division Series roster. He had hit just one previous big league opposite-field homer this season, and teammates offered to pay him to go the other way.

“People are trying to get me encouraged to using the whole field,” he said. “I’m not very good at it.”
Yu Darvish starts Wednesday for the Dodgers, trying to win their first title since 1988, and Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw will be ready in the bullpen after getting knocked out in the fifth inning of Game 5.
“I can give you 27 innings,” Kershaw said. “I’ll be ready to go, whatever they need.”

Lance McCullers Jr. gets the ball for the Astros in the first World Series Game 7 ever at Dodger Stadium.
Darvish was chased in the second inning of Game 2, when McCullers pitched Houston to a 5-3 victory.

“You’ve got two teams with a bunch of dogs in the clubhouse. No one is afraid,” McCullers said.

Two nights after a 13-12, 10-inning slugfest under the roof at Minute Maid Park, pitching dominated.

George Springer’s third-inning home run against starter Rich Hill had given a 1-0 lead to Verlander and the Astros, trying for the first championship in their 56-season history. On Halloween night, a title for a team with orange in its colors seemed appropriate.

But it served only to set up the 10th blown lead of the Series, the fifth by Houston, as Verlander fell to 9-1 with the Astros.

Dodgers relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Brandon Morrow retired Alex Bregman on a grounder to strand the bases loaded in the fifth, winner Tony Watson got Marwin Gonzalez to fly out with two on and two outs in the sixth, and Kenta Maeda escaped two-on trouble in the seventh when third baseman Justin Turner gloved Jose Altuve’s grounder and made a short-hop throw that first baseman Cody Bellinger scooped just in time.

After wasting a ninth-inning lead in Game 2 and losing Game 5, Kenley Jansen retired six straight batters (on 19 pitches) for the save and ended it by striking out 40-year-old pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran.

This will be the third World Series Game 7 in four years. The road team has won the last two after home teams had won every one since 1979.

Ten of the last 12 teams that won Game 6 to force a seventh game also won the title, but the Dodgers lost the previous six World Series in which they trailed 3-2. They have won just one of their six championships at home, in 1963.

A heat wave over and the skies overcast, the temperature dropped to 67 degrees at game time from 103 for last week’s opener, and there was a slight drizzle in the middle innings.

Los Angelenos with a laid-back reputation were on their feet for two-strike counts against Astros batters, a wave in Pantone 294 — also known as Dodger blue.

“We feed off the crowd, for sure,” Taylor said. “We feel we have a huge home-field advantage.”

Yuli Gurriel, who made a racist gesture toward Darvish in Game 3, was booed loudly during introductions and each time he batted, and Hill stepped off the rubber to allow the crowd extra time to jeer.

Verlander has 11 postseason wins but dropped to 0-4 in the Series with Detroit and Houston, which acquired him from the Tigers on Aug. 31 to win on nights like this. He allowed just one baserunner before Austin Barnes singled leading off the sixth. Verlander bounced a pitch that hit Chase Utley on the front of his right foot, and Taylor sent a 97 mph fastball down the right-field line as Barnes came home. Seager followed with a sacrifice fly to the warning track, a ball that likely would have landed in the pavilion in last week’s hot air.

Verlander prevented more damage when Turner fouled out and the right-hander fanned Bellinger, who struck out four times for the second time in the Series.

Springer homered for the third straight game and fourth time in the Series, one shy of the record set by
Reggie Jackson in 1977 and matched by Utley in 2009.

Brian McCann singled leading off the fifth and Gonzalez doubled past Turner and down the left-field line.
Hill struck out Josh Reddick and Verlander, and Springer was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Morrow relieved as the crowd booed manager Dave Roberts’ decision, and Hill slapped at four cups of liquid in the dugout, sending them spraying against the wall

“With Verlander on the mound, that was going to be the game,” Roberts said.

Appearing in his sixth straight Series game, Morrow got Bregman to ground to shortstop on his second pitch.

Watson walked Reddick leading off the seventh, Evan Gattis pinch hit for Verlander and Maeda relieved. Gattis bounced to shortstop, just beating Utley’s throw from second to avoid a double play. Springer reached on an infield single that bounced off Seager’s glove at shortstop and into left field, and Bregman’s fly to deep center allowed pinch-runner Derek Fisher to tag up and advance to third, bringing up Altuve. Walking down the dugout steps after his groundout, Altuve slammed his helmet.

“The pick is big,” Hinch said.

Attention quickly turned to Wednesday.

“I think it seems fitting,” Roberts said. “These two teams mirror one another.”

Pederson sat in the interview room with his older brother, Champ, who has Down Syndrome.

“I have a feeling that everything is possible,” Champ said. “I’m not going to say they have it, but I’m just going to say they will find a way.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Extra! Extra! Red Sox once again playing a lot of innings

BOSTON — No rest lately for Dustin Pedroia and these Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox kept up their recent rash of playing extra extra innings when they went into the 15th early Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It was past 1 a.m. at Fenway Park with the AL East leaders and Toronto tied at 4. The start was delayed for more than an hour by rain, and Pedroia and Chris Young homered for Boston.

Both teams scored a run in the 11th to keep it going. In the middle of the 14th, there was a second seventh-inning stretch, with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” again playing at the ballpark.

The Red Sox lost in 16 innings to the New York Yankees on Saturday. Boston and the Yankees then split a day-night doubleheader Sunday.

Boston lost to Toronto 4-3 on Monday night — albeit in just nine innings.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yankees romp to eighth consecutive win

NEW YORK — Jordan Montgomery took a shutout into the seventh inning for his first major league win while Matt Holliday homered in his return to the lineup as the New York Yankees romped to their eighth consecutive victory by beating the Chicago White Sox 7-4 on Monday night.

Holliday put the Yankees ahead with a titanic three-run shot in a five-run third inning and Aaron Judge added a two-run homer that chased Derek Holland (1-2) with the score 7-0 in the fifth. New York has rebounded from a 1-4 start with its longest winning streak since a 10-game run in June 2012.

Making his second career start, Montgomery (1-0) immediately found himself in a first-inning jam. But the 24-year-old lefty calmly pitched his way out of it by retiring cleanup hitter Jose Abreu and streaking Avisail Garcia with runners at second and third.

Aroldis Chapman closed out for his fourth save.

BREWERS 6, CUBS 3

CHICAGO — Eric Thames homered in his club record-tying fifth straight game as Milwaukee beat Chicago.

Milwaukee never trailed after Thames hit an opposite-field homer to snap a 3-3 tie in the third inning. Jeromy Burnitz was the other Brewer to homer in five straight games in August of 1997.

Ryan Braun and Jeff Bandy also went deep for the Brewers, the only team to hit as many as three homers in a game off Chicago starter John Lackey (1-2) last season.

Brewers starter Chase Anderson (2-0) pitched five innings of three-run, seven-hit ball to pick up the victory.

BRAVES 5, PADRES 4

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as Atlanta, boosted by Freddie Freeman’s two home runs, beat San Diego for a four-game sweep in its first series at SunTrust Park.

Swanson’s bases-loaded hit fell just in front of diving left fielder Allen Cordoba. The Braves have followed a five-game losing streak with five straight wins.

Jim Johnson (2-0) pitched the ninth.

Kurt Suzuki hit a one-out single in the Braves ninth off closer Brandon Maurer (0-1). With two outs, pinch runner Chase d’Arnaud advanced to third on Emilio Bonifacio’s bloop single in front of Cordoba’s dive.

An intentional walk to Ender Inciarte loaded the bases for Swanson, whose first career game-ending hit again fell beyond the reach of a charging Cordoba.

RED SOX 4, RAYS 3

BOSTON — Andrew Benintendi hit a go-ahead, two-run single as Boston scored three unearned runs following a dropped throw by second baseman Brad Miller to beat Tampa Bay in the annual Patriots’ Day game.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright (1-1) allowed three runs — one earned — and nine hits in six innings as Boston won its third straight. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for a save for the third straight day, his sixth this season.

Blake Snell (0-2) gave up four runs — one earned — and seven hits in five innings. The Rays completed a 1-6 trip that followed a franchise-best 5-2 start.

INDIANS 3, TWINS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Danny Salazar finished six innings strong after a shaky start and Michael Brantley homered and drove in two runs as Cleveland beat Minnesota.

Salazar (1-1) struck out seven and retired 15 of his last 18 batters after allowing five hits and one walk over a seven-batter stretch spanning the first two innings.

Brantley took Kyle Gibson (0-2) deep in the fifth inning, raising his career average in 13 at-bats against the Twins right-hander to .385 with four RBIs.

Cody Allen loaded the bases in the ninth, but he completed his third save by getting Joe Mauer to fly out to center field.

ASTROS 3, ANGELS 0

HOUSTON — Charlie Morton and three relievers combined for a five-hitter while Jose Altuve drove in two runs as Houston beat Los Angeles for its fifth straight win.

Morton (1-1) worked in and out of trouble over five innings, allowing five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Chris Devenski followed Morton with two perfect innings while Luke Gregerson threw a perfect eighth and Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his third save. Astros pitchers retired the last 14 batters.

Jesse Chavez (1-2) allowed two runs and seven hits over a season-high seven innings.

CARDINALS 2, PIRATES 1

ST. LOUIS — Lance Lynn pitched seven shutout innings and Kolten Wong homered as St. Louis stopped a three-game losing streak.

The Cardinals, who had lost six of seven, are 4-9 and still have the worst record in the NL.

Lynn (1-1) allowed three hits and struck out five while walking one. Seung-Hwan Oh worked around an RBI double by pinch hitter Gregory Polanco in the ninth to record the Cardinals’ first save of the season.

Ivan Nova (1-2) gave up five hits and no walks in eight innings while striking out three.




RANGERS 7, ATHLETICS 0

OAKLAND, California — A.J. Griffin pitched six scoreless innings in his return to the Oakland Coliseum while Nomar Mazara had two hits and three RBIS as the Rangers beat the Athletics.

Carlos Gomez and Mike Napoli added two RBIs apiece to help Texas end a three-game losing streak.

Griffin (2-0) spent his first two seasons in the majors with the A’s before being released near the end of 2015 after Tommy John surgery a year earlier. He hadn’t pitched at the Coliseum since making his final start for Oakland on Sept. 18, 2013. He looked very comfortable in his return.

The Rangers’ shaggy-haired right-hander allowed one hit and one walk, retired the final 14 batters he faced and finished with eight strikeouts — one shy of his career high.

Three Texas relievers combined for the final nine outs to complete the three-hitter while Jharel Cotton (1-2) took the loss.

MARINERS 6, MARLINS 1

SEATTLE — Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz hit consecutive first-inning homers and Ariel Miranda pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mariners beat the Marlins in Ichiro Suzuki’s first visit to Safeco Field as a member of the 3,000-hit club.

Miranda (1-1) allowed four singles and only one runner to reach second base while striking out five. Nick Vincent pitched a perfect eighth before Evan Scribner allowed Christian Yelich’s third home run in the ninth.

The Mariners won their fourth straight after a 2-8 start.

Cano crushed a 2-1 pitch from Tom Koehler (0-1) 441 feet to right-center for his second home run, a two-run shot that scored Jarrod Dyson. Cruz followed with his second homer, lining a 1-1 pitch to center to make it 3-0.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, DODGERS 2

LOS ANGELES — Jake Lamb hit a solo home run in the eighth inning and David Peralta added a run-scoring triple in the ninth to lead the Diamondbacks to a victory over the Dodgers.

J.J. Hoover (1-0) threw two scoreless innings in relief of Robbie Ray to earn the victory and Fernando Rodney blanked the Dodgers in the ninth to earn his fifth save.

It was Lamb’s third homer of the season.

The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead against Ray, scoring an unearned run in the second on Logan Forsythe’s sacrifice fly and taking a two-run lead on an Enrique Hernandez solo home run in the fourth. It was his first of the year.

The Diamondbacks tied it on RBI hits by A.J. Pollock and Peralta.

Chris Hatcher (0-1) pitched 2 2/3 innings and took the loss.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Las Vegas oddsmakers favor Chicago Cubs to repeat in 2017

LAS VEGAS — The Chicago Cubs have already broken the curse and won a World Series.

Now, oddsmakers in Las Vegas predict the team will become only the third in almost 40 years to win it a second straight time.

The city’s sports books like the team to win it all, with some making the Cubs a 7-2 favorite. Other favorites are the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s a team that wasn’t built for the short run; it was built for the long run, and they have the capability of being a strong contender for years to come,” Jay Kornegay, sports book director at the Westgate Las Vegas, said about the Cubs. “I’m not saying it’s a dynasty, but it’s certainly looking like it could be.”

The Cubs, who open against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Sunday, are 7-2 favorites at Westgate, followed by the Indians at 5-1 after opening at 12-1.

The American Gaming Association has estimated that $36.5 billion will be wagered on Major League Baseball this year, most of it illegally through offshore websites and bookies.

Sports bettors in Las Vegas have always loved the Cubs. Even when they had no chance to make it to the World Series, people would put money on them.

“Usually, they are 15-20 spots down the list and still have drawn lots of tickets and money, creating big liabilities for sports books over the years,” said Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports books at MGM Resorts International, where the Cubs are a 3-1 favorite to win it all. “The Cubs have nearly twice as many tickets written as the next closest team, which is the Indians.”

The Caesars Palace sports book has written 1,700 tickets on the defending champions and 1,200 on the runner-up Indians. The Dodgers, with their loyal California following, have about 800 tickets.

Director Frank Kunovic said the betting line at the hotel-casino for the number of games the Cubs will win is at 96.5. For the Dodgers, it’s 94 and the Indians 93.5.

At Wynn Las Vegas, the Cubs are projected to win 96 games, the Indians 94 and the Red Sox 92.

“Boston’s got a good team. They were solid before what happened to (David) Price,” Johnny Avello, the Wynn’s longtime oddsmaker and sports book director, said referring to the left-hander’s ailing elbow. “But the Cubs are as good as they were last year, maybe even better. Therefore, there’s no reason not to make them the favorite.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

‘Next year’ finally arrives for joyous Chicago Cubs fans

CHICAGO — Next year is here.

At exactly 11:47 p.m. local time, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series that has eluded them for 108 years. Fans who packed bars to watch the games on television near Wrigley Field — neither of which existed back in 1908 — erupted in cheers before swarming onto the streets just before midnight Wednesday to celebrate in the shadows of the statues of Cubs greats Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and legendary announcer Harry Caray.

As the game ended, the roar from inside the bars and the throng of fans on the street was deafening, before the crowds both inside and out sang “go Cubs go” at the top of their lungs.

As the celebration progressed, thousands of fans poured into the streets leading away from Wrigley, many of them singing “We Are The Champions.”

Fans hugged each other, many of them crying. They took each other’s picture and pictures of themselves, and took turns writing their names and words of congratulations in chalk on Wrigley’s brick walls. Some got on friends’ shoulders to find spots high up on the walls that were not yet covered with names of fans.

An hour after the game ended there were still thousands of people in the ballpark neighborhood, known as Wrigleyville, and there were still fireworks exploding every few minutes.

“This was torture,” said Mike Delmanowski, a lifelong Cubs fan who flew to Chicago from California just to be surrounded by other Cubs fans. “I would not have missed it for anything.

“I am so proud to be a part of it,” said his wife, Sue, who was crying off and on from the fifth inning.

Mike Dillon said all he could think about was his father, who died without ever seeing what Dillon witnessed.

“I came here by myself, but I’m not alone at all,” said Mike Dillon, 57, of Joliet.

Craig and April Likhite drove to Chicago from Evanston with their 10-year-old son, Cade, because they wanted to see history made with other fans as close to Wrigley Field as possible.

“To finally see this in my lifetime with my son here with us, it means everything,” Craig Likhite said. “This game with all the ups and downs showed him exactly what it is to be a Cubs fan.”

“My dad passed away this year. He would have loved this,” said Likhite, 50.

Judy Pareti flew in from New York City to watch the game at Murphy’s Bleachers, a neighborhood sports bar in a building where her grandfather lived and where his hot dog stand was located. “My dad and grandfather owned it, and I was born here,” she said. “I would never want to be anywhere but here for this.”

Liz Wolfe, a 36-year-old physical therapist, said, “People always said if the Cubs win the World Series it would be like hell freezing over. I’m still in shock. This is the most exciting thing in my life.”

Long-time Cubs fan Bob Newhart, who grew up in the Chicago area, tweeted his congratulations to the team. “The billy goat is dead!! As I’ve said, from the beginning, I’m getting too old for this!,” the 87-year-old comedian wrote, alluding to one of the oldest alleged curses on the team.

The 8-7 extra-inning victory over the Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland came after the emptiness and bitterness of years past when the Cubs found spectacular and sometimes downright strange ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Every Cubs fan knows those stories, starting with the 1969 team loaded with Hall of Famers that amassed a 9 1/2-game lead in mid-August before they started losing game after game in such numbers that the Miracle Mets not only caught them but ended up winning the National League East by 8 games.

Then came 1984. After taking the first two games of the National League Divisional Series against the Padres at Wrigley, the Cubs needed just one win in San Diego to advance to the NLCS. They were swept in three games on the West Coast.

There were other playoff losses but none as painful as in 2003 when in a where-were-you-when-it-happened moment that Cubs fans still have trouble comprehending, Steve Bartman deflected a ball that seemed destined for Moises Alou’s glove with the Cubs just five outs from reaching the World Series.

Fans watched in horror as the Cubs fell apart, and few who left the park that night believed the team would win game seven the next night. They didn’t.

But that was all in the past as Cubs fans throughout Chicago celebrated into the early hours of Thursday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

MLB attendance drops 1.1 percent, still 11th-highest season

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s average attendance dropped 1.1 percent this season but still was the sport’s 11th-highest year.

The 30 teams combined to draw 73,159,044 fans and average 30,169, the commissioner’s office said Tuesday. That was down from last year’s total of 73.76 million and average of 30,517. The average was the lowest since 30,138 in 2010.

The record total of 79.5 million and average of 32,785 were set in 2007.

The NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers led in home attendance at 3.7 million, followed in the NL by St. Louis (3.44 million), San Francisco (3.37 million) and the Chicago Cubs (3.23 million).

Toronto topped the AL at 3.39 million, followed by the New York Yankees (3.06 million) and Los Angeles Angels (3.02 million).

Tampa Bay had the lowest home attendances at 1.29 million, and Oakland was 29th at 1.52 million. Cleveland was 28th at 1.59 million despite winning the AL Central for the first time since 2007.

Miami drew an NL-low 1.71 million.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yankees closer Chapman agrees to accept 30-game suspension

NEW YORK — New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman agreed to accept a 30-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, a penalty stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend last October.

Under the discipline announced Tuesday, the four-time All-Star will serve the penalty from the start of the Yankees’ season on April 4. He will lose 30 days of pay — $1,856,557 of his $11,325,000 salary. The agreement specifies he will be eligible for free agency after this season barring any additional suspension for off-the-field conduct that would cost him the necessary service time.

“I found Mr. Chapman’s acknowledged conduct on that day to be inappropriate … particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “I am gratified that Mr. Chapman has taken responsibility for his conduct.”

Chapman became the first player penalized a finite number of games under the policy, which MLB and the players’ association agreed to in August following several high-profile incidents among NFL players. Colorado shortstop Jose Reyes was given an indefinite paid suspension last week, pending a trial scheduled for April 4, following an alleged altercation with him wife in October.

Baseball’s investigation of Chapman stemmed from Oct. 30. Chapman’s girlfriend, 22-year-old Cristina Barnea, told police he pushed and choked her. Chapman said there was an argument but that he was pushed down by Barnea’s brother, eventually getting a handgun and firing eight shots into a wall and window while locked in his garage.

The Davie Police Department and Broward Assistant State Attorney Stefanie Newman declined to file charges, saying conflicting accounts and insufficient evidence made a conviction unlikely. Under MLB’s domestic violence policy, discipline does not have to be predicated on a conviction.

Chapman, the hardest-throwing pitcher in the major leagues, was traded from the rebuilding Cincinnati Reds to the Yankees in December. He had said he would contest any suspension, but a deal was reached following negotiations with MLB.

“I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening,” Chapman said in a statement. “However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family.”

Chapman’s representatives and MLB had been discussing the discipline for about 10 days. A suspension of 46 days or longer would have delayed his chance to become a free agent until after the 2017 season.

The players’ association said it supported Chapman’s decision to accept the penalty and said “its members do not condone the mistreatment of others by playing or non-playing personnel.”

With the Yankees, Chapman forms a powerful back end of the bullpen along with former closer Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.

Chapman can continue to participate in all spring training activities. The penalty starts when the Yankees open the season April 4 at home against Houston. Barring rainouts, he would be eligible to start his season May 9 when the Yankees host World Series champion Kansas City.

“We need him,” teammate Alex Rodriguez said Tuesday before the suspension was announced. “He’s a big part of our team, and I think the key in New York is you have to focus on the game, focus on your teammates, and I think he has a lot of support in that clubhouse.”

Chapman will be allowed to use team facilities while serving his suspension and likely will work out at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Florida, but he will not be permitted to play in any minor league games during that time.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig is under investigation by MLB for a fight with a bouncer at a Miami bar in November following an argument with his sister.

source: sports.inquirer.net