SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner homered off Clayton Kershaw and once again outpitched the reigning NL MVP and Cy Young winner, too, as the San Francisco Giants shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third straight day, 4-0 on Thursday.
SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner homered off Clayton Kershaw and once again outpitched the reigning NL MVP and Cy Young winner, too, as the San Francisco Giants shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third straight day, 4-0 on Thursday.
The Giants outscored the Dodgers 10-0 in sweeping the three-game series.
This was the third time this season that Bumgarner, the current World Series MVP, had started against Kershaw — the Giants have won all three.
Bumgarner (5-2) worked around seven hits and two walks in 6 1-3 innings, striking out six. He improved to 9-3 in his last 13 starts against the Dodgers.
Bumgarner became the first pitcher to homer off Kershaw (2-3). The Giants’ star connected for his seventh career home run, hitting a solo shot into the bleachers in left in the third.
Last year, Bumgarner hit four home runs, including two grand slams. He had managed just one single in 17 at-bats this year going into the game.
METS 5, CARDINALS 0
NEW YORK — Jacob deGrom retired his final 23 batters following a first-inning single, and Lucas Duda hit two long homers to nearly the same spot in New York’s victory over St. Louis.
In his latest stingy start at Citi Field, deGrom struck out 11 over eight dominant innings. His only blemish was Matt Carpenter’s clean single with one out in the first.
Michael Cuddyer had his first three-hit game of the season and also walked for a perfect day at the plate. John Mayberry Jr. put the slumping Mets lineup on the scoreboard with an RBI single in the fourth.
Besides the single by Carpenter, the lone Cardinals hitter to reach base was Kolten Wong with a two-out single off Jeurys Familia in the ninth. The lack of offense left Jaime Garcia (0-1) little chance to win his first major league start since last June.
The reigning NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom (5-4) posted his fifth double-digit strikeout game and first since Sept. 21 at Atlanta. He entered with a 1.61 ERA in 15 home games, and improved to 10-1 in his past 12 starts at Citi Field.
BRAVES 10, BREWERS 1
ATLANTA — Julio Teheran pitched seven strong innings and Atlanta took advantage of Milwaukee reliever Will Smith’s seventh-inning ejection for allegedly using pine tar.
Play was stopped briefly with Atlanta leading 2-1 and the bases loaded with one out in the seventh when Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez successfully argued that Smith had pine tar on his right forearm.
Crew chief Jim Joyce walked over to the mound, touched a shiny substance on Smith’s arm and ejected the pitcher from the game. Gonzalez claimed that Smith was breaking the rules after the left-hander threw a pitch that bounced in front of the plate and hit pinch-hitter Pedro Ciriaco, the only batter he faced.
Teheran (4-1) allowed two hits, one run, one walk and struck out eight in seven innings
Christian Bethancourt’s RBI single chased Brewers starter Matt Garza (2-6) with one out in the seventh. After Smith hit Ciriaco, the next two pitchers — Neal Cotts and Michael Blazek — combined to allow RBI singles to Jace Peterson and Freddie Freeman, Cameron Maybin’s two-run single and Nick Markakis’ RBI double. Freeman scored the last run of the inning when Jonny Gomes, batting for the second time in the seventh, reached on a throwing error by second baseman Hector Gomez.
ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 4
BALTIMORE — Steve Pearce hit his first career grand slam, J.J. Hardy singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning and Baltimore weathered a lengthy rain delay and a comeback by Seattle.
After Pearce connected in the first inning for a 4-0 lead, the Orioles managed only one more hit until Chris Davis led off the eighth with a single off Danny Farquhar (0-3). Davis advanced on a groundout and scored on an awkward slide after Hardy bounced a single up the middle.
Tommy Hunter (1-1) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and Zach Britton got three straight outs for his ninth save.
Although the Mariners rallied from the early deficit, they went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position and had 13 left on base. Playing his first game with Seattle after being traded from the Cubs on Tuesday, catcher Welington Castillo drove in a run and scored one.
RAYS 3, ATHLETICS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Colome and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, David DeJesus drove in two runs and Tampa Bay beat Oakland to take sole possession of first place in the AL East.
Colome (3-1) gave up four hits over five innings. Steve Geltz, Kevin Jepsen, Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger, who pitched the ninth for his 12th save, all threw an inning.
DeJesus had an RBI double in the fourth and hit a solo homer during a two-run seventh that put Tampa Bay up 3-0. The Rays (23-19), who took a half-game lead over the idle New York Yankees, have held opponents to two or fewer runs in 21 of 42 games this season.
Jesse Chavez (1-4) allowed three runs and five hits in six-plus innings for Oakland, which has lost 13 of 15. It’s the first time the A’s (14-29) have been 15-games under .500 since Sept. 27, 2011.
TIGERS 6, ASTROS 5, 11 INNINGS
DETROIT — James McCann hit a leadoff home run in the 11th inning, lifting Detroit over Houston.
McCann sent an 0-2 pitch from Tony Sipp (2-1) into the Tigers’ bullpen, just beyond the reach of leaping left fielder Colby Rasmus. It was the second homer of his career.
Alex Wilson (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Detroit led 5-0 after six innings. Pinch-hitter Preston Tucker tied it with one out in the ninth, connecting off Joakim Soria for his first career homer.
Astros reliever Josh Fields got the first out in the bottom of the ninth, but had to leave the game after Anthony Gose’s liner hit him on the right knee. Will Harris came in to strike out Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera to send the game to extra innings.
CUBS 3, PADRES 0
SAN DIEGO — Kyle Hendricks threw a five-hitter for his first career complete game and shutout, and Kris Bryant hit a two-run home run to help Chicago beat San Diego.
Hendricks (1-1) struck out seven with no walks. Only one baserunner advanced to second base.
Hendricks came in with six no-decisions in seven starts, including one against San Diego at Wrigley Field on April 18.
Bryant homered to straightaway center field on the seventh pitch of the game by Odrisamer Despaigne (2-3). Dexter Fowler was aboard on a walk for Bryant’s fifth homer.
Bryant made his big league debut on April 17 against the Padres at Wrigley Field. He starred at the University of San Diego before the Cubs took him with the second pick overall in the 2013 amateur draft.
RANGERS 3, RED SOX 1
BOSTON — Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer and drove in two runs, Wandy Rodriguez pitched 6 2-3 solid innings and Texas beat Boston.
Moreland added two singles for the Rangers. They won for the third time in four games to capture the series after losing the opener.
Rodriguez (2-2) allowed one run and four hits, struck out five and walked two after not getting out of the fifth inning in his previous start, a loss to Cleveland last Friday when he gave up eight hits and five runs. Shawn Tolleson got three outs for the save.
Clay Buchholz (2-5) gave up three runs — two earned — and five hits in 7 2-3 innings.
David Ortiz drove in Boston’s run, tying Fred McGriff for 43rd on the career list with 1,550 RBIs.
BLUE JAYS 8, ANGELS 4
TORONTO — R.A. Dickey snapped a two-start losing streak with a complete game, Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run home run and Toronto beat Los Angeles.
Danny Valencia added a solo homer to help the Blue Jays won for the second time in nine games.
It was Dickey’s first nine-inning complete game since June 26, 2013, when he beat Tampa Bay. He had an eight-inning compete game in a loss at Oakland last July.
Dickey (2-5) allowed four runs and five hits, walked two and struck out a season-high seven.
David Freese hit a two-run homer and Marc Krauss added a solo shot for Los Angeles. The Angels had won nine of their previous 11 in Toronto.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, MARLINS 6
MIAMI — A.J. Pollock beat out a run-scoring infield hit with two out in the eighth inning, and Arizona beat Miami to complete its first four-game sweep in seven seasons.
It was the fifth four-game road sweep in Diamondbacks history.
The Marlins mishandled two sacrifice bunts, including one in the eighth, and fell to 0-7 on their homestand. The Marlins’ seven-game losing streak is their longest since they dropped eight straight in April 2014. Dan Jennings fell to 0-4 since he replaced Mike Redmond as manager. It’s the worst start by a first-time manager since Tony DeFrancesco opened 0-4 after taking over Houston in 2012.
Arizona’s Yasmany Tomas had two hits for his sixth consecutive multi-hit game. The four-game sweep was the first for the Diamondbacks since September 2008 against the Giants.
Andrew Chafin (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Brad Ziegler needed only nine pitches in a perfect ninth for his first save since last June 8. Sam Dyson (2-1) was the loser.
INDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 2
CHICAGO — Danny Salazar threw six scoreless innings and was backed by first-inning home runs from Nick Swisher and Mike Aviles, leading Cleveland past Chicago.
Salazar was coming off his worst start of the season in which he allowed five earned runs in 4 2-3 innings against Texas on May 16. He recovered to help the Indians take three of four from Chicago while winning their third straight for the first time this season.
Salazar (5-1) walked three, but struck out eight while giving up five hits to hand Chicago its first series loss at home. John Danks (2-4) allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Chicago’s Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Tyler Flowers hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Bryan Shaw to avoid the shutout.
ROCKIES 7, PHILLIES 3
DENVER — Michael McKenry hit a two-run homer and Jorge De La Rosa became Colorado’s career strikeouts leader, helping the Rockies beat Philadelphia.
De La Rosa fanned Freddy Galvis on the fourth for this 774th strikeout in a Rockies uniform, moving past Ubaldo Jimenez. The left-hander struck out five in 4 1-3 innings. Christian Bergman (2-0) got a pair of flyouts in the fifth.
Troy Tulowitzki added a two-run single for the Rockies. Brandon Barnes, just recently called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, had four hits.
Jerome Williams (3-4) gave up five runs over five innings in his first start against Colorado in 10 years. Ryan Howard kept up his torrid hitting at Coors Field, lining a solo homer in the fifth. He’s hitting .395 over his last nine games at the hitter-friendly field.