Dodgers win 14th straight on road

Associated Press

CHICAGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers overcame another injury scare and extended their franchise-record road winning streak to 14 games.

A.J. Ellis hit an RBI single, and Stephen Fife pitched into the sixth inning on a day when Zack Greinke was pushed back for rest to help the Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Manager Don Mattingly moved Greinke’s scheduled start to Monday, saying he wanted to keep his starting pitchers fresh and rested. Mattingly said there was nothing wrong with Greinke, who will face the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

A day after rookie Yasiel Puig injured his thumb trying to make a catch, another Dodgers star was hurt. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez exited the game in the seventh inning with a jammed right shoulder after he tumbled into the stands catching a fly ball. He held his right shoulder as he walked off the field.

Mattingly said he hopes Ramirez will avoid the disabled list. He expects Ramirez to undergo an MRI on Monday.

“I just jumped and landed on it,” said Ramirez, who wore a sling after the game. “I’m not feeling the back of my shoulder. It’s really sore and we’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”

Ramirez said he didn’t feel his shoulder pop. He is hitting .365 with 11 home runs for the NL West leaders. Nick Punto replaced Ramirez at shortstop.

The Dodgers haven’t lost on the road since July 6 in San Francisco.

The NL record for consecutive road wins is 17, accomplished by the New York Giants in 1916. The last team to win 14 straight road games was the Detroit Tigers in 1984.

The Dodgers also swept the Cubs in a series of four or more games at Wrigley Field for the first time since 1988.

“We have an unbelievable squad from top to bottom,” Fife said. “The defense plays well. Guys are doing their job offensively. And then the bullpen is unbelievable.”

The Cubs haven’t scored for 23 straight innings. They last scored a run in the fourth inning of their 6-2 loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

“It’s very difficult to win, obviously, unless you’re scoring runs,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said.

Los Angeles finished with just two hits. The Dodgers are 14-2 since the All-Star break. Closer Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save in 20 opportunities.

Fife (4-3) struck out five and allowed seven hits in 5 1-3 scoreless innings. He walked two, one intentional. Fife was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day. He said he received confirmation Saturday that he would start, and he battled through an upset stomach.

“He’s been throwing the ball really good for us before the shoulder thing,” Mattingly said. “We really wanted to be able to give our guys an extra day right through this period of time. It felt like it was the right spot.”

The Dodgers went ahead 1-0 in the second inning on Ellis’ RBI single after Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva walked Ramirez and Andre Ethier back to back.

Villanueva (2-8) allowed a run and two hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked three in his sixth start since returning to the rotation.

The Cubs loaded the bases in the sixth against Fife after back-to-back singles by Dioner Navarro and Nate Schierholtz and Logan Watkins’ first major league hit, a soft line drive over the head of Ramirez.

Chris Withrow replaced Fife, and Donnie Murphy popped out to Ramirez and pinch-hitter Cole Gillespie grounded out to first to end the threat.

“Stephen was good again and he was pretty efficient,” Mattingly said. “I thought he wasn’t going to get out of that inning there. He gives up a hit then Chris comes in and does a nice job for us, gets us out of that inning.”

BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 1

PHILADELPHIA — Chris Johnson drove in a pair of runs and Alex Wood pitched six strong innings to lead the Braves to their 10th straight victory.

Wood (2-2) allowed one run on two hits in his fourth major league start. The unorthodox 22-year-old rookie left-hander, who configures his body in an unusual way during his delivery, struck out three and walked two.

Johnson, who entered leading the league in batting, hit a two-run single in the first to stake the Braves to an early lead. Justin Upton and B.J. Upton each had a pair of hits with a double apiece for Atlanta, which matched its season-best winning streak.

Philadelphia managed just four hits while dropping its fifth straight and 13th in the last 14.

Cliff Lee (10-5) matched his shortest outing of the season. The left-hander gave up four runs — three earned — on eight hits in five innings to lose for the third consecutive start.

PIRATES 5, ROCKIES 1

PITTSBURGH — A.J. Burnett scattered eight hits and Russell Martin provided some rare run support for the right-hander with a three-run homer to lead Pittsburgh over Colorado.

Burnett (5-7) struck out nine and walked one in his first complete game of the season and 23rd of his 15-year career. He threw 110 pitches, 83 for strikes.

The Pirates, who have the best record in the major leagues at 67-44 following 20 consecutive losing seasons, maintained their 1½-game lead in the NL Central over St. Louis.

Colorado starter Juan Nicasio (6-6) struggled for a second consecutive start, giving four runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.

DODGERS 1, CUBS 0

CHICAGO — A.J. Ellis hit an RBI single, Stephen Fife pitched into the sixth inning and Los Angeles extended its franchise-record road winning streak to 14 with a win over Chicago.

The Dodgers haven’t lost on the road since July 6 in San Francisco. The NL record for consecutive road wins is 17 by the New York Giants in 1916. Detroit was the last to win 14 straight in 1984.

The Cubs haven’t scored for 23 straight innings.

Fife (4-3) struck out five and allowed seven hits in 5 1-3 scoreless innings. Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save in 20 opportunities.

Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva (2-8) allowed a run and two hits in six innings.

CARDINALS 15, REDS 2

CINCINNATI — Matt Carpenter broke his 0-for-23 slump with a bases-loaded double during the Cardinals’ decisive rally, and St. Louis ended a tough trip on the upswing by beating Cincinnati.

The Cardinals went 3-8 on a trip that included seven straight losses — four of them in Pittsburgh, allowing the Pirates to overtake them for the NL Central lead.

Carpenter’s two-run double off the wall completed a five-run rally in the sixth against Mike Leake (10-5) and two relievers. Matt Adams, David Freese and Tony Cruz homered for the Cardinals, who have scored 13, 13, 3 and 15 runs in their last four games.

Lance Lynn (13-5) allowed two runs on four hits in eight innings. He struck out 11.

BREWERS 8, NATIONALS 5

MILWAUKEE — Jeff Bianchi lofted a single that dropped just behind a drawn-in infield, breaking a tie and capping a five-run sixth inning as Milwaukee beat Washington.

With the score tied 4-4 and runners at second and third, Bianchi’s soft bloop off Fernando Abad (0-3) dropped in back of second base as Anthony Rendon raced back to make a play. It allowed Khris Davis to score from third and Juan Francisco to just beat the throw home with a perfect slide.

John Axford (5-4) allowed a home run to Adam LaRoche in the top of the sixth but nothing else to earn the win. Jim Henderson pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 18 chances.

Milwaukee snapped a three-game losing streak.

INDIANS 2, MARLINS 0

MIAMI — Scott Kazmir and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and Cleveland beat Miami for its 10th win in 11 games.

The shutout was the 15th for the Indians, most in the American League. They took two of three games in the series despite scoring a total of only six runs. The Indians, who are chasing AL Central-leading Detroit, begin a four-game series at home Monday against the Tigers.

Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley drove in the Indians’ runs, and that was enough for Kazmir (7-4). Making his 200th career appearance, the left-hander allowed two hits in six innings.

Nathan Eovaldi (2-2) allowed only one run in seven innings but left after throwing 105 pitches.

ROYALS 6, METS 2

NEW YORK — Ervin Santana scattered five hits and allowed one run in six innings, and surging Kansas City beat New York.

The Royals won for the 11th time in 12 games, helped by a pair of flyballs that right fielder Marlon Byrd lost in the sun. Both came during a three-run fifth, with one falling for a double and the other glancing off his glove for an error.

Mike Moustakas hit a solo homer for the Royals, who completed an 8-1 road trip.

Santana (8-6) has three wins and a no-decision in his past four starts.

Zack Wheeler (4-2) gave up four runs — three earned — and issued five walks in five innings.

PADRES 6, YANKEES 3

SAN DIEGO — Ian Kennedy won his San Diego debut, his first victory in more than two months, and Everth Cabrera, facing a 50-game suspension in baseball’s latest drug scandal, had two hits and two RBIS as the Padres beat New York.

The Padres took two of three from the Yankees, who got only 2 2-3 innings out of Phil Hughes.

Kennedy (8-4), acquired from Arizona on Wednesday, hadn’t won since June 1 at the Cubs. He allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2-3 innings, struck out six and walked four.

Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances.

Hughes (4-10) allowed five runs and six hits while striking out one and walking one.

RANGERS 4, ATHLETICS 0

OAKLAND, Calif. — Derek Holland gave up four hits in eight stellar innings, Nelson Cruz and Mitch Moreland each hit a home run and Ron Washington became the winningest manager in Rangers history.

Adrian Beltre had two hits and drove in a run for the Rangers, who have won six of seven to move within 2 1-2 games of the AL West-leading Athletics.

Nate Freiman had two hits for the A’s, who have lost four of five.

Holland (9-6) walked two and matched his season high with 10 strikeouts to end a personal two-game losing streak.

A.J. Griffith (10-8) lasted 6 2-3 innings, allowing four runs — three earned — on five hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Griffin has allowed a majors-leading 28 home runs in 2013 and became the first Oakland pitcher to give up two or more in four straight starts since Mark Redman in 2007.

Washington, who coached for Oakland for several years, passed Bobby Valentine with his 582nd win.

TIGERS 3, WHITE SOX 2, 12 INNINGS

DETROIT — Torii Hunter hit an RBI single in the 12th inning as Detroit extended Chicago’s losing streak to 10 games.

Miguel Cabrera, who has been dealing with hip and abdominal problems, led off the 12th with a pinch-hit single. Matt Tuiasosopo ran for him and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Jackson. Hunter, who came on as replacement, lined a single to left-center off Dylan Axelrod (3-8).

Bruce Rondon (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings for his first career win.

The Tigers, who have won 12 of 13, take a three-game lead in the AL Central into a four-game series at second-place Cleveland.

MARINERS 3, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE — Seldom-used Henry Blanco hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Wei-Yin Chen, and Seattle beat Baltimore behind left-hander Joe Saunders.

Batting ninth in the lineup, the 41-year-old Blanco sent an 0-2 pitch into the left-field seats to erase a 2-1 deficit. The backup catcher was playing in his 32nd game of the season, the 17th with Seattle after being signed as a free agent.

Saunders (10-10) worked out of trouble in almost every inning but improved to 7-0 lifetime against Baltimore after allowing two runs, eight hits and two walks in six innings.

Chen (6-4) gave up three runs and five hits over seven innings in his first loss since May 1.

BLUE JAYS 6, ANGELS 5

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with two-out singles in the ninth as Toronto beat Los Angeles to avoid a four-game sweep.

Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer and Mike Trout also went deep against Mark Buehrle, helping the Angels build a 5-2 lead for C.J. Wilson. But the Blue Jays rallied with two in the eighth, as Angels manager Mike Scioscia used five pitchers to get out of the inning.

Frieri (0-4) ended the eighth by catching Colby Rasmus’ popup in front of the mound, but gave up a single by Brett Lawrie and plunked No. 9 hitter J.P Arencibia to open the ninth.

Brett Cecil (5-1) earned the victory and Casey Janssen got his 19th save in 21 chances.

TWINS 3, ASTROS 2

MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Morneau and Oswaldo Arcia homered, and four relievers combined for four scoreless innings to lead Minnesota to a three-game sweep of Houston.

Arcia led off the seventh with a home run that broke a 2-all tie. He connected against Brad Peacock (1-4), who was promoted from Triple-A to make the start and struck out 10.

Caleb Thielbar (2-1) got two outs for the win and Glen Perkins earned his 27th save.

The Twins hadn’t swept a series, or won three games in a row, since June 18-20 against the Chicago White Sox. The Astros have lost four straight overall.

Twins starter Mike Pelfrey went five innings but remains winless since July 6.

RED SOX 4, DIAMONDBACKS 0

BOSTON — Felix Doubront pitched seven shutout innings to continue his run of strong starts and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in two runs to lift Boston over Arizona.

It was Boston’s seventh win in nine games, completing a 5-2 homestand. The AL East leaders play 16 of the next 19 away from Fenway Park, beginning Monday night in Houston.

Doubront (8-5) allowed five singles, struck out five, didn’t walk a batter and allowed just one runner to reach second base in holding an opponent to three runs or fewer for the 15th straight start. It’s the most by a Red Sox left-hander since at least 1920.

Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy (2-5) gave up two runs on five hits in 4 1-3 innings.

RAYS 4, GIANTS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Wil Myers homered and four relievers allowed one hit over 4 1-3 scoreless innings to help Tampa Bay beat San Francisco.

Alex Torres (4-0) started the bullpen parade by replacing Roberto Hernandez with two outs in the fifth and struck out two over 1 1-3 innings. Jake McGee worked a perfect seventh and Joel Peralta left Hunter Pence stranded at second after a two-out double in the eighth before Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 27th save.

Tampa Bay took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on Sam Fuld’s hit against Jose Mijares (0-3) to help the Rays win for the 25th in 31 games.