Associated Press
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels didn’t hit any Washington batters this time, and the Nationals hitters barely touched Hamels.
Hamels pitched eight scoreless innings, finishing up by retiring Bryce Harper on a grounder as the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a season-long four-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 4-1 victory over Washington.
Hamels (7-1) didn’t allow a hit until Danny Espinosa doubled with one out in the sixth. The left-hander won his seventh straight decision, allowing four hits and striking out eight.
Hamels faced Washington for the first time since intentionally hitting the 19-year-old Harper on May 6. The incident sparked a firestorm, with Hamels earning a five-game suspension and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo getting fined for his critical comments of Hamels.
“First and foremost, I’m happy about stopping the skid we’ve had,” Hamels said. “I felt confident in my stuff.”
Harper singled in the sixth. The Phillies led 3-0 in the eighth when Harper grounded out with a runner on third to end the inning.
“We just couldn’t get anything going off Hamels,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. “You have to tip your hat to him. He’s tough. He’s done that to a lot of people.”
Maui’s Shane Victorino homered, doubled and drove in two runs. Adam LaRoche homered with one out in the ninth off Jonathan Papelbon. LaRoche snapped an 0-for-19 skid.
The Phillies’ victory ended Washington’s franchise-record six-game winning streak in Philadelphia. The Phils have won just two of their last 11 games overall against the Nationals, with Hamels’ victory at Washington on May 6 the other one.
“It was a very good game,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “I liked the way we played. I was trying to get us loose. I was trying to do some things to loosen things up. You shouldn’t be tight on our team. We’ll let you play.”
Despite the Nationals’ recent dominance of the five-time defending NL East champion Phillies, Manuel has confidence in his club.
“Both of us have real good starting pitching,” he said. “I think it’s close. I think we got ‘em, though.”
“Tonight’s win was big for us,” he added. “We’re going to win some more. We ain’t going nowhere.”
Carlos Ruiz doubled and singled twice while batting cleanup for the first time in his major league career. Manuel juggled a lineup that had scored four total runs in its last three games.
“It turned out pretty good,” Manuel said.
Ruiz got a bruise on his right wrist after taking a hard foul ball hit by Espinosa in the off the right wrist in the eighth inning. X-rays were negative and Ruiz is day-to-day.
Edwin Jackson (1-2) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Mike Fontenot hit an RBI single with two outs in the second, and Victorino’s two-out double in the third drove in Hunter Pence.
After Espinosa doubled in the sixth, Harper followed with a single to right field. But Pence made a strong throw home and Ruiz made a good tag after a difficult hop in front of the plate for the out.
“That’s where defense really saved us,” Hamels said. “You don’t want the opposing team to get the momentum. That was a really big play.”
The Phillies went up 3-0 in the seventh when Fontenot doubled, went to third on Hamels’ sacrifice bunt and scored on a suicide-squeeze by Juan Pierre.
Philadelphia shortstop Freddy Galvis made two outstanding defensive plays, robbing Ian Desmond on a chopper up the middle and later adding an over-the-head grab on pinch-hitter Steve Lombardozzi’s medium fly. The crowd erupted in chants of “Fred-dy! Fred-dy!”
Victorino homered with two outs in the eighth off Henry Rodriguez, making his first relief appearance since being demoted as the closer following Monday’s game.
Harper made an excellent running catch in the fifth, racing back to the warning track to snare Pierre’s liner. The ball hit and popped out of Harper’s glove before he retrieved it after a step.
BREWERS 8, GIANTS 5
MILWAUKEE — Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run double in a six-run first inning, Jonathan Lucroy added a two-run homer in the second and the Brewers rocked Barry Zito again at Miller Park.
Zito (3-2) gave up eight runs — four earned — five hits and four walks in three innings, dropping to 0-4 with a 7.67 ERA in eight starts at Miller Park.
METS 3, PIRATES 1
PITTSBURGH — Jonathon Niese (3-2) ended a six-start winless streak, allowing one run and five hits in 7 2/3 innings as New York won for the third time in four games.
ASTROS 5, CUBS 1
HOUSTON — J.D. Martinez had three hits and three RBIs and the Houston Astros sent the Cubs to their ninth straight loss, their longest skid in more than a decade.
CARDINALS 6, PADRES 3
ST. LOUIS — Carlos Beltran hit his NL-leading 14th home run and the Cardinals beat up on former St. Louis postseason star Jeff Suppan to complete a three-game sweep of San Diego.
ROCKIES 8, MARLINS 4
MIAMI — Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in four runs to help Alex White earn his first victory this year, and the Rockies snapped a six-game losing streak.
REDS 2, BRAVES 1
CINCINNATI — Todd Frazier hit a one-out homer in the ninth inning, extending the Reds’ winning streak to five.
D-BACKS 11, DODGERS 4
PHOENIX — Justin Upton and Ryan Roberts homered and every Arizona starter had at least one hit and the Diamondbacks ended Los Angeles’ six-game winning streak.
M’s stop Rangers
SEATTLE — Alex Liddi hit the first major league grand slam by an Italian-born player since Detroit’s Reno Bertoia on May 7, 1958, and the Seattle Mariners took two of three from division-leading Texas with a 5-3 win over the Rangers.
Liddi made Texas manager Ron Washington pay for the decision to pitch around Dustin Ackley with one out in the fifth inning.
INDIANS 4, TIGERS 2
CLEVELAND — Jason Kipnis had three hits and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for Cleveland.
RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 5
BALTIMORE — Daniel Nava and Kelly Shoppach hit sixth-inning homers to turn a tie game in Boston’s favor, and the Red Sox withstood two home runs by Baltimore’s Nick Johnson to win for the 10th time in 13 games.
YANKEES 8, ROYALS 3
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez gave Will Smith a rude welcome to the major leagues, hitting two homers off Kansas City’s rookie starter to back another strong start for Andy Pettitte.
ANGELS 3, ATHLETICS 1 (11)
OAKLAND, Calif. — Alberto Callaspo hit a go-ahead two-run double in the 11th inning for Los Angeles against Justin Norberto (0-1).
RAYS 5, BLUE JAYS 4 (11)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — B.J. Upton doubled home the winning run for Tampa Bay, which has won 15 consecutive home series against Toronto.
WHITE SOX 6, TWINS 0
CHICAGO — Chris Sale pitched seven sharp innings and Paul Konerko and Alex Rios backed him with home runs for Chicago.