Strasburg sparks Nationals over Miami

Associated Press

MIAMI — Stephen Strasburg found a way to escape trouble against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Strasburg (10-4) pitched six scoreless innings and drove in a run for the Washington Nationals in a 4-0 win over the Marlins on Sunday.

“It’s one of those days where you get through (the jams),” Strasburg said. “You just have do your best and keep the team in the ballgame.”

He allowed six hits and struck out seven.

“He’s good, he’s got four or five pitches,” Marlins catcher John Buck said. “He has a way to be nice and smooth that makes him deceptive.”

The Marlins were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position as they were shut out for the ninth time this season.

“That’s the reason why we lost,” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. “We had golden opportunities and one of the best pitchers in the game against the ropes and we didn’t take advantage.”

Strasburg was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the third as he struck out Logan Morrison and got Hanley Ramirez to ground out. He also got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second and the Marlins had a runner on second with one out in the fourth.

“That’s the kind of Strasburg I’ve grown to love,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.

Steve Lombardozzi, Michael Morse, and Danny Espinosa also drove in a run for the Nationals.

Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs, but retired the next three batters. Omar Infante flew out to Bryce Harper in foul territory to end the game as Harper collided with second baseman Lombardozzi.

“All I was thinking about was a wide receiver coming through the middle,” Harper said. “You’re going to get hammered but you have to catch the ball. He got me in my face and on my head, but I caught the ball. Game over.”

Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco (8-7) did not allow a hit until the fifth inning when Morse led off with a single to left. Strasburg and Lombardozzi followed with two-out RBI singles.

“I think Ricky fell apart when I walked (Jhonatan Solano intentionally) and the pitcher go a base hit,” Guillen said.

It was the fifth RBI in 52 career at-bats for Strasburg, who also walked.

Nolasco ran into trouble again in the sixth allowing three consecutive hits to begin the inning, including an RBI single by Morse. After Espinosa’s sacrifice fly gave the Nationals a 4-0 lead, Nolasco was pulled.

“The balls just found some holes, a couple ground balls here and there,” Nolasco said. “Obviously the one to Strasburg just gets by. The big one I think was to Morse.”

Nolasco went 5 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits.

BRAVES 6, METS 1

ATLANTA — Ben Sheets pitched six scoreless innings in his first game in two years and Atlanta beat New York for its season-high seventh straight victory.

Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer in a six-run fifth inning and Sheets (1-0) allowed two hits and one walk with five strikeouts in his first start since July 19, 2010.

The Mets have lost four straight and seven of 10. Atlanta improved to a season-high 10 games over .500.

Johan Santana (6-6) gave up eight hits, six runs, two walks and struck out three in five innings.

BREWERS 4, PIRATES 1

MILWAUKEE — Yovani Gallardo struck out a career-high 14 in seven innings and Milwaukee used a four-run sixth to beat Pittsburgh.

Gallardo (8-6) gave up four hits, including Andrew McCutchen’s homer in the fourth.

A.J. Burnett’s nine-game winning streak ended.

McCutchen, who had three of the Pirates’ five hits, hit his 21st homer and fifth in the past four games. John Axford pitched the ninth for his 16th save.

Burnett (10-3) had his career-high nine-game winning streak ended.

CUBS 3, D-BACKS 1

CHICAGO — Darwin Barney homered and Matt Garza threw seven shutout innings to lift Chicago to a three-game sweep of Arizona.

Barney sent a Trevor Cahill pitch into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer in the second inning to help Chicago match a season high with its fourth straight win.

Garza (5-7) held Arizona to five hits and one walk, striking out seven en route to his first win in July.

Carlos Marmol got the last two outs for his 10th save. He allowed a pair of baserunners, but struck out Geoff Blum and got Gerardo Parra on a comebacker to end it.

Cahill (7-8) allowed three runs and four hits over 5 1-3 innings, losing for the third time in his past four decisions.

Aaron Hill hit his 12th homer in the eighth for Arizona.

PHILLIES 5, ROCKIES 1

DENVER — Cole Hamels pitched eight innings of one-run ball, Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer and Philadelphia beat Colorado for its first series victory in nearly a month.

Hamels (11-4), making his 100th career road start, allowed six hits and had seven strikeouts in his first win in three career outings at Coors Field.

Antonio Bastardo finished up with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Drew Pomeranz (1-4) went five innings and allowed five runs on five hits in taking the loss. He struck out five and walked two.

GIANTS 3, ASTROS 2

SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey had three hits and two RBIs to back Matt Cain, and San Francisco finished a three-game series sweep.

Cain (10-3) gave up two runs, one earned, and five hits in 6 1-3 innings in his first start against Houston since he threw a perfect game against the Astros on June 13.

The Giants won despite being without their best hitter. Melky Cabrera took a temporary leave to attend the birth of his child in Florida.

Santiago Casilla retired two batters for his 23rd save.

Marwin Gonzalez had two hits and scored Houston’s only run. The Astros fell to 1-10 in July.

Houston’s Bud Norris (5-7) walked six in six innings and allowed three runs and five hits.

PADRES 7, DODGERS 2

LOS ANGELES — Chase Headley homered for the second straight game, and San Diego scored six unearned runs.

Cameron Maybin and Everth Cabrera scored the tying and go-ahead runs on third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr.’s second throwing error of the seventh inning.

Jason Marquis (2-5) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings for San Diego.

Los Angeles left-hander Chris Capuano (9-5) was charged with four runs — all of them unearned — and five hits in 7 2-3 innings after his infield committed four errors behind him, all on poor throws.

ANGELS 10, YANKEES 8

NEW YORK — Kevin Jepsen got Alex Rodriguez to pop out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Angels took advantage of New York’s baserunning follies to beat the Yankees 10-8.

With seemingly no lead safe recently at Yankee Stadium, Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer off Ernesto Frieri to make it 10-7 in the ninth.

After a walk to Nick Swisher, Scott Downs relieved with a 1-0 count to Raul Ibanez. Ibanez knocked the glove off Downs and reached for an infield single. Andruw Jones struck out, Russell Martin had a fielder’s choice and Derek Jeter walked to load the bases.

Downs then walked Curtis Granderson to make it 10-8 before Jepsen came on and retired Rodriguez for his first save since 2009, helping the Angels avoid their first three-game sweep in New York since 1995.

Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar hit consecutive home runs off Ivan Nova (10-4) in the first inning for Los Angeles. The American League rivals combined for eight homers on an ideal day for the long ball.

Jered Weaver (11-1) pitched seven innings to get the win.

TIGERS 4, ORIOLES 0

BALTIMORE — Justin Verlander returned to form after his uncharacteristic start in the All-Star game, allowing three hits in eight innings to carry Detroit to the win.

Verlander (10-5) struck out eight and walked two in his first appearance since yielding five runs in one inning for the AL in an 8-0 loss Tuesday night. The reigning Cy Young Award winner retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced before leaving after 117 pitches.

Jose Valverde worked the ninth to complete the four-hitter.

Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera homered for the Tigers, who took two of three from the Orioles. Detroit has won seven of eight overall.

Baltimore’s Miguel Gonzalez (1-1) gave up three runs, six hits and five walks over 5 2-3 innings.

RED SOX 7, RAYS 3

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. — Josh Beckett pitched six effective innings and Will Middlebrooks had a key two-run single to lead Boston to the victory.

Beckett (5-7) allowed three runs — all in the first — and eight hits. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two while stopping a personal six-start winless streak.

Boston went ahead 6-3 in the fifth when Daniel Nava homered and Middlebrooks singled in a pair of runs against James Shields (8-6), who has allowed double-digits hits in four consecutive starts.

Boston closer Alfredo Aceves, in a non-save situation, loaded the bases on three walks in the ninth, but retired Hideki Matsui on a high fly to right to end it.

Shields lasted just five innings, giving up six runs and 11 hits.

WHITE SOX 2, ROYALS 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Sale scattered a season-high 10 hits over eight innings and Adam Dunn homered for the third consecutive game, pushing the White Sox to the win.

Sale (11-2) allowed one run, struck out four and walked none, improving to 8-0 with a 1.61 ERA in 10 starts since his last loss on May 12 against Kansas City. The All-Star left-hander lowered his season ERA to 2.11, second in the American League.

Dunn, who leads the league with 28 home runs, drilled a 2-0 pitch from Luis Mendoza (3-6) just inside the right-field pole for a solo shot in the first inning. Alex Rios scored when Alexei Ramirez grounded into a double play in the second.

Addison Reed worked a scoreless ninth for his 14th save in 16 opportunities.

Chris Getz had an RBI single for Kansas City.

ATHLETICS 9, TWINS 4

MINNEAPOLIS — Yoenis Cespedes had his first career four-hit game, including a homer and three RBIs, and Oakland completed a three-game series sweep.

Jonny Gomes, Chris Carter and Seth Smith also homered for the A’s, who have won nine of 11 to climb back into the wild-card conversation in the American League. Jarrod Parker (6-4) gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.

Brian Duensing (1-6) gave the Twins another dreadful start, lasting just two innings and getting tagged for six runs and seven hits.

Gomes finished with three hits and two RBIs.

RANGERS 4, MARINERS 0

SEATTLE — Matt Harrison tossed a five-hitter, Adrian Beltre had three hits and two RBIs, and the Rangers won for the fourth time in five games spanning the All-Star break.

Harrison’s 12th win kept him even with Tampa Bay’s David Price for the most in the American League and continued his streak against the Mariners. Harrison (12-4) has won eight straight starts against Seattle and is 5-0 at Safeco Field.

It was Harrison’s second shutout of the season and No. 4 for his career. He threw 114 pitches and allowed just four singles and Brendan Ryan’s two-out double in the fifth inning.

Ian Kinsler hit his 10th homer of the season on the first pitch of the fifth inning by Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma (1-2).

Mariners rookie Jesus Montero singled in the first inning to snap an 0-for-23 skid.

BLUE JAYS 3, INDIANS 0

TORONTO — Carlos Villanueva struck out a career-best eight in six innings and Jose Bautista had two hits for Toronto.

Making his third start of the season after working in relief for much of the year, Villanueva (4-0) allowed three hits and walked five as the Blue Jays earned their first series win since taking two of three at Miami from June 22-24.

Jason Frasor worked the seventh and Darren Oliver pitched the final two innings for his first save as the Blue Jays wrapped up their seventh shutout of the season.

Derek Lowe (8-7) allowed three runs and three hits, struck out five and walked four in six innings for Cleveland. He is 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA in his last seven starts, yielding 53 hits in 40 innings.