Associated Press
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Yasiel Puig topped himself yet again, electrifying the Dodger Stadium crowd with another big moment in a week already full of them for the rookie newly arrived to the major leagues.
Puig hit his first career grand slam, Zack Greinke pitched four-hit ball over seven innings, and Los Angeles defeated Atlanta 5-0 on Thursday night, snapping the Braves’ five-game winning streak.
“He’s really going out there and playing like he belongs up here,” veteran Braves pitcher Tim Hudson said of Puig, who made his debut on Monday.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead, the Dodgers loaded the bases in the eighth after Cory Gearrin gave up one-out singles to Skip Schumaker and Luis Cruz, and then walked pinch-hitter Hanley Ramirez.
That set the stage for Puig, who had fans on their feet and clapping in expectation of more exploits from the 22-year-old Cuban defector. He was 5 for 8 with two homers and five RBIs in his first two games this week before going 0 for 4 on Wednesday.
Watching from the dugout, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez were chatting about what Puig might do.
“We said, ‘It should be grand slam here’ and it’s on the first pitch,” Mattingly recounted. “You’re trying to get one there and he gets you four.”
Puig homered on the first pitch into the right field pavilion, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0. He took his fourth curtain call of the week from the top of the dugout steps, raising both arms to acknowledge the cheers.
“What information we had on him going in and knowing what I wanted him to do in that situation, that obviously wasn’t it,” Gearrin said. “It was a slider and I didn’t get it down enough. I left it up and out over the plate, and he did what he was supposed to do.”
Typical of his hard-charging style, Puig was going so fast he nearly came up on Ramirez’s heels as they crossed home plate in succession. One of his teammates poured water on Puig’s head in celebration.
He really got soaked after the game, when Cruz dumped a container of water over his head during an on-field interview.
“It’s just infectious the way he plays,” Mattingly said. “Seems like there’s a joy in his game. It’s the way you’re supposed to play. He just looks so fresh. That’s what gives our guys so much energy.”
Puig had singled, struck out and grounded out to shortstop in his three previous at-bats.
“With the fans here and us winning, the pressure comes off,” Puig said through a translator.
He said he doesn’t feel any extra pressure compared to what he felt in the minors or playing back home in Cuba.
“It’s the same for me,” he said shrugging. “I prepare myself to do what I’m doing and the team is winning.”
Playing right field, Puig showed off his cannon of an arm, cutting off balls that might have gone for extra bases and firing throws to keep runners from advancing.
“He’s a good player on both sides of the ball,” Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He made a couple of nice plays defensively, and it looks like he’s got a pretty good arm.”
Greinke (3-1) put his recent struggles behind him, striking out a season-high seven and walking three to earn his first victory since May 15 against Washington.
The right-hander had given up four runs and nine hits while walking three in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-6 loss in 10 innings at Colorado last weekend, one of four recent rough outings for Greinke.
“I’d been struggling, but I felt like I’d been pretty close,” he said. “Right now is not my sharpest, but just working on it trying to get better.”
Hudson (4-5) dueled Greinke through seven innings, allowing one run and four hits. He struck out five and walked none in his first start against the Dodgers since 2011.
The NL East-leading Braves lost for the first time in June. They had won seven of nine and 15 of 19 coming into the opener of their seven-game West Coast trip.
Pena, hitting .321 coming in, was 1 for 4 with a strikeout. Freddie Freeman, who came in hitting .306, was 1 for 4 with two strikeouts for the Braves. Andrelton Simmons was hitless in four at-bats, ending his 11-game hitting streak.
PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 4
MILWAUKEE — Delmon Young homered, Tyler Cloyd allowed four hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Phillies moved above .500 for the first time this season.
Coming off a three-game sweep of Miami that pulled the Phillies even for the first time since they were 6-6 on April 14, the season-high fifth consecutive win improved their record to 31-30.
Cloyd (2-2) limited Milwaukee to singles by Jean Segura, Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez through 6 2-3 innings. When Norichika Aoki singled with two out in the seventh, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel brought in Justin De Fratus who retired Segura on a grounder to second.
Philadelphia scored in four of five innings against Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta (4-7).
CARDINALS 12, DIAMONDBACKS 8
ST. LOUIS — Shelby Miller hit his first career home run and also pitched six sharp innings, leading the Cardinals over Arizona.
Matt Adams and Daniel Descalso homered in an eight-run fourth inning off Ian Kennedy. Matt Holliday and Matt Carpenter also connected for the Cardinals.
Miller (7-3) allowed two runs and six hits. He struck out nine and walked none.
Kennedy (3-4) was tagged for 10 runs and 13 hits in four innings.
Arizona scored three times in the ninth, and Edward Mujica got two outs for his 18th save in 18 chances.
PADRES 6, ROCKIES 5, 12 INNINGS
DENVER — Pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal drove in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice in the 12th inning to lift the Padres to a win over Colorado, snapping a six-game skid against the Rockies.
With the bases loaded and one out, Grandal sent a chopper to third that Nolan Arenado fielded, quickly stepping on the bag and throwing low to first. Grandal was ruled safe, though replays appeared to show he may have been out by a step. Rockies manager Walt Weiss ran out to argue with first base umpire Ed Hickox before returning to the dugout.
Luke Gregerson (4-2) pitched two shutout innings and Brad Boxberger worked the 12th for his first save of the season.
Manuel Corpas (0-1) gave up a one-out single to Chase Headley and a double to Kyle Blanks in the 12th. He intentionally walked Jedd Gyorko to set the stage for Grandal.
RED SOX 6, RANGERS 3
BOSTON — David Ortiz hit a game-ending three-run homer, lifting the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory after trailing by three runs.
Jacoby Ellsbury scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning of his first game after sitting out five straight because of a groin injury.
Jonny Gomes led off the ninth with a double to center off Michael Kirkman (0-2) and Dustin Pedroia was walked intentionally to set up a potential double play with Ortiz coming to the plate. Ortiz then drove the first pitch he saw from Kirkman for hit his 11th career game-ending home run into an empty Texas bullpen.
Ortiz watched his homer for a few moments before trotting his way toward home where he was met by a swarm of celebrating teammates.
Andrew Bailey (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for Boston, which took two of three from Texas.
Ellsbury had a pair of doubles and two singles. Gomes also had four hits and Pedroia hit a two-run double in the third.
TIGERS 5, RAYS 2
DETROIT — Max Scherzer struck out nine in seven innings to remain unbeaten and Victor Martinez homered and drove in three runs to lift Detroit over the Tampa Bay.
Scherzer (8-0) allowed a run and four hits, walking two. He is the first Detroit pitcher to start the season 8-0 since Jeremy Bonderman in 2007.
Joaquin Benoit allowed a run in the eighth, and Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in nine chances.
Martinez went deep in the fourth for his fourth home run of the year, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead. Miguel Cabrera drove in a run the following inning with a single — his major league-leading 66th RBI.
Roberto Hernandez (3-6) allowed four runs in 5 1-3 innings.
ROYALS 7, TWINS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lorenzo Cain hit a two-run homer during a four-run eighth inning and Kansas City rallied to win back-to-back games for the first time since May 4-5 thanks to an offense that produced as many runs in the eighth as it had in any of its last 14 games.
The Royals’ seven runs were their most since beating the Astros by the same score on May 21.
Wade Davis allowed three unearned runs before the Royals bullpen took control. Luke Hochevar, Tim Collins (2-1) and Greg Holland combined for four scoreless innings to wrap up the win.
All the runs in the eighth came off Jared Burton (0-3), who allowed Eric Hosmer’s go-ahead single and an RBI double by Billy Butler before serving up Cain’s homer to left field.
YANKEES 6, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE — Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer and Mark Teixeira followed with a solo shot as part of New York’s six-run third inning, and Phil Hughes took a shutout into the eighth against Seattle.
Cano and Teixeira were the catalysts for New York’s big third inning that proved to be the Yankees’ only offense as they started a 10-game West Coast trip with a win. New York matched its season high for runs scored in an inning, tagging Seattle starter Aaron Harang (2-6) for eight hits in the third before being shut down the rest of the night.
Hughes (3-4) won for the first time in nearly a month. He struck out seven before leaving after facing one batter in the eighth inning.
ATHLETICS 5, WHITE SOX 4, 10 INNINGS
CHICAGO — Adam Rosales hit a two-out homer in the 10th inning, one of a season-high four home runs Oakland hit in its victory over Chicago.
Rosales’ fourth homer of the season came off White Sox reliever Matt Thornton (0-2), a 1-1 pitch that was just fair to left field.
Yoenis Cespedes hit two home runs for the second time in three games. Josh Reddick also connected. All four homers were solo shots.
A’s reliever Jerry Blevins got the win (5-0) while Grant Balfour earned his 14th save in as many attempts.
The A’s have won six of seven and 17 of 20. Oakland is 12-2 during a 17-day stretch without a day off.
The White Sox have lost nine of their last 10 games.
ORIOLES 3, ASTROS 1
HOUSTON — J.J. Hardy got a season-high four hits and Adam Jones added an RBI double, leading Miguel Gonzalez and Baltimore past Houston.
Gonzalez (3-2) yielded five hits and a run in six innings, and matched his season-best with seven strikeouts. He slowed the Astros a day after they hit six home runs in an 11-7 win.
The Orioles won their third straight series by taking two of three from Houston.
Bud Norris (5-5) allowed nine hits while striking out seven in seven innings.