Associated Press
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw outpitched a familiar foe for his first win in more than a month.
Kershaw was a bit better than Tim Lincecum in the seventh regular-season matchup between former Cy Young Award winners, rookie Yasiel Puig had three more hits and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champions.
“I had better fastball command tonight than I had in the past,” Kershaw said after his first victory in seven starts since May 20. “There were a few three- or four-pitch sequences there where there was a lapse. So there’s some little things to work on here and there. But overall, it was better tonight for sure.”
Kershaw (6-5) allowed two runs and four hits in eight-plus innings and had seven strikeouts against an offense that totaled just 14 runs over its previous six games while going 8 for 47 with runners in scoring position. The Giants’ only runs came in the fourth on Buster Posey’s 10th homer and second in two games, following a 14-game drought.
The left-hander, who led the NL in ERA each of the previous two seasons, has a 2.06 mark through his first 17 starts — tying Pittsburgh’s Jeff Locke for second place, .01 behind the Mets’ Matt Harvey.
When Kershaw won his Cy Young Award in 2011, he was 5-0 with a 1.07 ERA in six starts against the Giants that season — and four of those victories came in games that Lincecum was the opposing pitcher.
“Hopefully we keep pitching against each other for a long time,” Kershaw said. “But it’s not a matter of facing him, but facing the eight other guys. And I’m sure he’d say the same thing.”
Kenley Jansen got three outs for his sixth save in eight attempts after Kershaw gave up a leadoff single in the ninth by Marco Scutaro. The right-hander retired pinch-hitter Brandon Belt on a broken-bat popup with runners at first and second to end it — opponents are 0 for 32 against him with men in scoring position.
“He came up with the tying run at the plate and went right through the heart of the order,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said, “so that was a big test for him.”
Lincecum (4-8) gave up four runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings and struck out four. The two-time Cy Young winner is 1-7 with a 5.24 ERA in his last eight starts since beating Atlanta 5-1 on May 12 with seven innings of two-hit ball. The Giants have scored fewer than three runs in six of Lincecum’s last eight outings.
“You kind of look forward to it, just because it make you rise to the occasion and pitch better,” Lincecum said of facing Kershaw. “I was more intent on being aggressive, but I just didn’t put pitches where I needed to and when I should have.”
The Giants have lost four in a row and nine of 12, putting them a season-worst two games under .500 and dropping them into fourth place in the NL West. They are 3 1/2 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers got the jump on Lincecum with an RBI single in the third inning by Hanley Ramirez.
But the Giants, who came in batting a league-best .285 against left-handed starters, responded in the fourth with Posey’s 10th home run after a leadoff walk to Scutaro. It was first homer by last year’s NL MVP in his first 40 career at-bats against Kershaw, and snapped a stretch of 30 consecutive innings in which the Giants hadn’t held a lead.
“You can’t walk Scutaro leading off that inning, especially after we just got a run,” Kershaw said. “I mean, Posey’s going to hit homers — that’s what he does — but it should have been a solo homer.”
That lead evaporated in the sixth, when the Dodgers pulled ahead to stay. Andre Ethier delivered the tying run with an RBI single and Ellis followed with a run-scoring double into the left field corner. Juan Uribe got an infield hit and Lincecum ended his night with a wild pitch to Skip Schumaker that allowed Ellis to score.
Lincecum got a break in the fifth on another overaggressive rookie mistake by Puig, who tried to stretch a two-out single into a double and was easily thrown out by left fielder Andres Torres. This was Puig’s 13th multihit game and sixth with three hits since his big league debut June 3. He is batting. 435 in his first 22 contests.
NATIONALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2
WASHINGTON — Jordan Zimmermann dominated after a shaky start and rookie Anthony Rendon had his third three-hit performance as the Nationals defeated the Diamondbacks.
The NL West-leading Diamondbacks have lost three straight.
Zimmermann (11-3) surrendered two runs in the first inning, but held the Diamondbacks scoreless with one hit over his final six innings. He allowed three hits overall, retired the final 10 batters he faced and improved to 13-0 at home dating back to May 17, 2012.
Wade Miley (4-7) allowed three runs, including an unearned run in the fifth. Denard Span scored on Ryan Zimmerman’s double play after Tyler Moore’s solo homer in the fourth tied the game.
CUBS 5, BREWERS 4
MILWAUKEE — Scott Feldman pitched six solid innings, Anthony Rizzo had a key two-run single and the Cubs held on to beat the Brewers.
Feldman (7-6) gave up just three runs and six hits while striking out three and walking none for his first victory this season against an NL Central Division opponent. He retired 11 of the last 14 batters he faced.
Kevin Gregg got the last three outs for his 12th save in 12 chances.
Starlin Castro returned to the Cubs’ lineup with two hits and a run after sitting out Tuesday’s game which snapped his 269 consecutive games played streak.
Yovani Gallardo (6-7) struggled with his command early and often, giving up five runs — three earned — and eight hits in four innings. He walked four and struck out five.
PHILLIES 7, PADRES 5, 13 INNINGS
SAN DIEGO — Second baseman Logan Forsythe bobbled Ben Revere’s grounder in the 13th inning and then threw home wildly, leading to two unearned runs in the Phillies’ win over the Padres.
Chase Utley, who was hit by a pitch, and Domonic Brown, who walked against Tommy Layne (0-2) scored the decisive runs. Forsythe bounced a throw as he tried to prevent Utley from scoring. The ball bounced away from catcher Nick Hundley, allowing Brown to score also.
Joe Savory (1-0) worked one inning and Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his 15th save in 19 chances.
The Phillies, who trailed 5-2 after six innings, rallied to tie it with an unearned run in the seventh and two runs in the eighth on a two-run home run by Delmon Young off Luke Gregerson.
RANGERS 8, YANKEES 5
NEW YORK — Nelson Cruz homered and the Texas Rangers got consecutive two-run doubles from Adrian Beltre and A.J. Pierzynski in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.
Rangers rookie Justin Grimm pitched just well enough to beat Andy Pettitte, and the AL West leaders won for the seventh time in nine games following a six-game slide — their longest of the season. Texas improved to 6-12 against the Yankees since the start of 2011.
Lyle Overbay and Ichiro Suzuki homered for New York on a hectic day at Yankee Stadium, where baseball’s most storied franchise announced that first baseman Mark Teixeira needs season-ending surgery on his right wrist.
Manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman also discussed the latest Alex Rodriguez drama, and the team said all parties involved are on the same page about posting injury updates on Twitter after A-Rod called Cashman for a clarification chat.
Grimm (7-5) allowed three runs in five-plus innings. Joe Nathan got three quick outs for his 26th save in 27 tries.
Pettitte (5-6) settled in after a rocky third but dropped his third start in a row since earning his 250th win.
INDIANS 4, ORIOLES 3
BALTIMORE — Scott Kazmir took a no-hitter into the seventh, and the Indians scored two ninth-inning runs off Baltimore closer Jim Johnson to pull out the victory.
A leadoff double in the seventh by Manny Machado was the only hit allowed by Kazmir, who gave up one unearned run in seven innings. He came out to the mound for the eighth but left with an apparent injury before throwing a pitch.
Baltimore promptly scored twice against Joe Smith (4-0) to take a 3-2 lead, but the Indians rallied against Johnson (2-6) in the ninth.
After Michael Brantley drew a leadoff walk, Jason Giambi hit his 400th career double. An intentional walk loaded the bases for Lonnie Chisenhall, who hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice. Drew Stubbs also hit into a fielder’s choice to bring home pinch-runner Mike Aviles and chase Johnson.
Vinnie Pestano worked the ninth for his fifth save.
ANGELS 7, TIGERS 4
DETROIT — Mike Trout homered and drove in three runs, and Erick Aybar’s two-run shot gave Los Angeles the lead for good in its eighth consecutive win over the Tigers.
The Angels have outscored the Tigers 55-21 during the streak.
Miguel Cabrera and former Angels outfielder Torii Hunter homered for Detroit.
Los Angeles emergency starter Billy Buckner gave up three runs and three hits in three-plus innings. He replaced Tommy Hanson, who was scratched after feeling tightness in his right forearm while warming up in the bullpen before the game.
Dane De La Rosa (2-1) pitched two innings for the win and Ernesto Frieri got three outs for his 18th save.
Detroit starter Jose Alvarez (1-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings.
BLUE JAYS 3, RAYS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — R.A. Dickey pitched a two-hitter for his first complete game of the year, helping Toronto to its 12th win in 14 games.
Dickey (7-8) retired his first 13 batters before James Loney grounded a single between shortstop and third base with one out in the fifth. Yunel Escobar had a one-out single in the sixth, and then was erased when Matt Joyce hit a double-play grounder.
Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, who had lost two in a row after tying their team record of 11 straight wins. Jose Reyes went 0 for 4 in his return from a two-month layoff due to a severely sprained left ankle.
Tampa Bay’s Roberto Hernandez (4-9) gave up three runs and six hits in eight-plus innings.
ATHLETICS 5, REDS 0
OAKLAND, Calif. — A.J. Griffin pitched a two-hitter for his first win in more than a month, and Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer for Oakland.
Griffin (6-6) struck out seven and walked two in a 108-pitch gem for his first career complete game, helping the A’s sweep the two-game series.
The shaggy-haired right-hander had been 0-3 in five starts since winning at Houston on May 25. He didn’t allow a hit until Devin Mesoraco’s one-out single in the fifth, and Xavier Paul added a two-out double in the seventh for Cincinnati.
Reds starter Homer Bailey (4-6) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings. He also struck out seven and walked two.
PIRATES 4, MARINERS 2
SEATTLE — Jordy Mercer hit a go-ahead single with two outs in the ninth inning, leading Pittsburgh to the victory.
The Pirates (48-30) moved 18 games over .500 for the first time since 1992, their last winning season.
Neil Walker hit a two-run homer off Felix Hernandez to put Pittsburgh ahead in the fourth. Seattle tied it in the sixth on Raul Ibanez’s team-leading 18th home run.
Mercer put the Pirates in front with his clutch hit off Yoervis Medina, and Travis Snider scored on a wild pitch.
Vin Mazzaro (4-2) picked up the victory with two innings of scoreless relief. Mark Melancon earned his second save.
Charlie Furbush (1-4) got the loss.
RED SOX 5, ROCKIES 3
BOSTON — John Lackey struck out a season-high 12 over seven strong innings and Daniel Nava drove in two runs, powering Boston to a sweep of the two-game series against Colorado.
Shane Victorino had three hits and Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 for the Red Sox.
Colorado got two solo homers from Michael Cuddyer, who extended his hitting streak to 23 games —matching Dante Bichette’s club record set in 1995. The Rockies finished a road trip in which they lost seven of nine.
Lackey (5-5) gave up two runs and eight hits without walking a batter. Koji Uehara worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
Roy Oswalt (0-2), making his second start since being recalled from Double-A, allowed five runs and nine hits in six innings for the Rockies.
ROYALS 4, BRAVES 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Gordon drove in David Lough in the 10th inning, giving the Royals a split of their two-game series against the Braves.
Lough had entered the game the previous inning as a pinch hitter, but was still up because Elliot Johnson was picked off first base to end the ninth. Lough singled off Alex Wood (0-2) to start the 10th and then reached second when Miguel Tejada laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt.
That set the stage for Gordon, who hit a solo home run earlier in the game. He dropped a base hit into shallow left field, allowing Lough to score easily as the Royals spilled from their dugout.
Aaron Crow (4-3) worked the 10th inning for the Royals, who had lost five of six.
METS 3, WHITE SOX 0
CHICAGO — Shaun Marcum pitched eight crisp innings for his first win of the season, and Eric Young Jr. had three hits and drove in a run for the Mets.
Marcum (1-9) won for the first time since Oct. 1, 2012, while pitching for Milwaukee. He avoided becoming the first to start a season 0-10 since St. Louis’ Anthony Reyes did it in 2007.
Marcum had lost his previous four starts and posted a 9.58 ERA in his last two outings. The veteran right-hander faced just three batters over the minimum. He scattered four hits and pitched around two walks.
Bobby Parnell pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.
Chicago’s John Danks (1-5) allowed three runs — one earned — and seven hits. He struck out seven and didn’t walk anyone in 7 1-3 innings.
Alexei Ramirez had two of Chicago’s four hits.
ASTROS 4, CARDINALS 3
HOUSTON — Erik Bedard pitched six effective innings and the Houston Astros used a four-run fourth inning to beat the St. Louis.
Bedard (3-3) allowed seven hits and walked one, but limited St. Louis to three runs. Three relievers then combined to pitch two hitless innings before Jose Veras worked the ninth for his 16th save.
Veras yielded a one-out single to Jon Jay and then walked Matt Adams, but pinch hitter Daniel Descalso struck out and Matt Carpenter flied out to end the game.
Allen Craig homered for the second straight night and Yadier Molina had a two-run shot for the Cardinals, who lost for the fourth time in five games. They dropped into a tie with surging Pittsburgh for the lead in the NL Central.
Lance Lynn (10-2) allowed five hits and four runs, walked four and struck out four over 7 2-3 innings for his first loss in four career starts in Houston.
MARLINS 5, TWINS 3
MIAMI — Placido Polanco homered for the first time in more than a year and Jeff Mathis hit his first since last August, helping the Marlins overcome a three-run deficit.
Miami is 13-9 this month and is ensured of a winning record in June following a 14-41 start. Still, the Marlins’ 27-50 record is the poorest in the major leagues.
With the Marlins trailing 3-0, Mathis hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Scott Diamond (5-7). Just 5 for 52 (.096) this season entering the at-bat, Mathis had not homered since Aug. 24 for Toronto against Baltimore’s Matt Lindstrom.
Kevin Slowey (3-6), who pitched three scoreless innings, singled and scored the tying run on Giancarlo Stanton’s groundout.
Logan Morrison’s leadoff single in the sixth chased Diamond, and Polanco sent a 354-foot drive off Ryan Pressly just over the left-field wall. He had gone 350 consecutive at-bats without a home run since hitting one off the Los Angeles’ Dodgers Clayton Kershaw on June 4 last year.
Pressly, who made his major league debut this year, had not allowed a home run in his previous 23 big league games.
Mike Dunn and Steve Cishek followed Slowey with an inning each of perfect relief. Cishek retired the Twins in order